Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The moon is warm in the midnight air, hanging low and fat with a dim glow emitted over the ground. There's a sharp gasp in the silence before it cuts off, a thudding heartbeat strung tight. The blood spills down the neck and he's there, quick to lap it up and catch every last drop on his tongue. His mouth skims past the pulse which quickens, and he croons low in his throat, sliding a hand around a hip. He seals his lips around the puncture wounds, his fangs sliding neatly into a set of holes he had previously made, and he begins to drink in earnest.

The body underneath him thrashes, and he groans, pressing his hips against hers to pin her still in place while he drinks. She hits him once, twice on the back, before her arm droops to her side and twitches helplessly. He makes a pleased sound, for her aim had been true and yet it had not hurt. She is growing weaker by the moment until she gives one last shudder and rests limp against him.

He pulls back with a wet slurping sound, licking the last of her life from his lips. His mouth is stained red and he uses the hem of her torn blouse to wipe his chin off. He releases his hold on her and lets her fall to the ground, her skull bouncing once and cracking twice. Her eyes, which had sparkled almost grey in the beginning, now stare up at the yellow moon unseeingly. Her neck is ravaged, multiple puncture points littering the skin. The sight of it causes him to yearn once more for that taste of fear, the taste of life itself. If he moves quickly, he can still find another; the night doesn't have to end just yet.

"Enjoying yourself?" A rough, gravelly voice from behind him interrupts his musings and he whirls around to see a tall, broad shouldered man that has too many muscles to count standing at the entry of the alleyway. His bushy brows are lowered in a frown, one hand tugging at the wiry beard on his chin.

His eyes dart around to find an escape route but the alley he has cornered himself in provides no relief. He will have to fight his way out of this problem and although he has never been a fighter before, he's been given a new skill set he isn't afraid to use. He rolls his shoulders and takes a step closer, baring his fangs.

"If you know what is good for you, you'll leave off," he hisses, his tongue darting out to catch a droplet of stray blood from his left fang. "Walk away and I'll forget this ever happened."

The man's hands drop to his sides and he laughs suddenly, deep and booming. "You're pretty bold for a young one," he says before flashing a fanged smile at him.

He blinks in surprise and stumbles backwards to a safer distance. He had not known this man was like him. He has never met another one like him before, save for the one who ruined him completely. He pulls his arms tight against his body at the memories and shudders hard, his throat suddenly dry.

"What do you want with me?" He tries to demand, but his voice wavers and breaks on the words. He is so afraid of this man, suddenly. "You're a... vampire."

"Aye, I am," the man says and he takes another step closer. This brings him into the light of the lamp that hangs above their heads and he is surprised to see that the look on the man's face is one of kindness, something he has not seen in a very long time. "I reckon you are, as well."

"I am," he finally agrees after a moment of silence. It still takes him a moment for his mind to realize that yes, he is forever changed and nothing will ever be the same again. He has become the monster that fairytales warned against.

He is cold, and hungry, and alone.

"A new one, if I'm not mistaken," the man says, taking another step closer towards him. "My name is Dwalin, and I am here to help you. When were you turned?"

He closes his eyes and suddenly the memory of the pain is back. It had burned underneath his skin, the venom racing through his veins, turning him inside out until he had thought he was going to die. And when he had fully woke and realized what he had become, what he had done, he truly wished that he had died.

"A week ago," he whispers, lowering his head in shame.

"Jesus," the man - Dwalin - whistles lowly and he's suddenly standing so much closer. "Don't be afraid. Vampires look after their own, or so they should. I can't say much about the bastard who turned you and then set you loose on the streets of London. However, you're not alone anymore. My brother and I will look out for you now."

"Okay," he agrees readily, because what else is he to do? He cannot continue to wander the streets, searching for someone walking on their own so he can pull them into a dark corner and feast on their terror. "I'm scared."

"Of course you are, you'd be a damn fool not to be," Dwalin says. He's moved so that he is standing right beside him and Dwalin carefully reaches out to put his hand on his shoulder. "I promise that things will get better for you. Come with me, I am going to take you home. Is that okay?"

"Yes," he says without a thought. If Dwalin helps him, then he will be better for it. And if Dwalin kills him, then he will truly be better off.

Either way, Dwalin, who isn't afraid to touch him when everyone else around him is terrified, has become his salvation.

"What's your name, lad? What can I call you?"

A hazy memory floats in front of his eyes and he clenches his eyes shut to block it. It's useless, though. A man with golden hair and a bushy mustache throws him up in the air, catching him with a wide grin. A woman with hair as pale as the morning sunrise pulls him into her lap and hugs him close, murmuring how much she loves him.

He swallows hard, his throat tight and stinging. Those people are gone now and he will never see them again. He doesn't trust himself; he would hurt them and even worse yet, he would enjoy it. They would be so afraid of him, of what he has become, and they would taste so good. They wouldn't stand a chance against him and so for their sakes, he must stay away.

He will never be their son again, for who could ever love or trust a monster like him?

"Fili," he says thickly, blinking the moisture out of his eyes and almost unconsciously, he leans his weight against Dwalin's sturdy frame. "My name is Fili, and I'm so scared."

Chapter Text

“The flat is an absolute tip,” is the first thing Ori says after being away for a week. He’s been in Bristol, visiting his middle brother Nori and sounds far more surprised at the state of the flat than he should.

“Hello to you too,” Kili says, jabbing wildly at the buttons on his Xbox controller and he groans in defeat as his on-screen character bursts into blue flames. “That’s the fourth time in an hour. Downright depressing it is.”

“Kind of like this flat,” Ori says, but he’s not truly mad at Kili because he’s already gone into the kitchen to put the kettle on for the pair of them. If he was actually angry, he would have dragged his bag right down the hallway to his bedroom for ‘therapeutic unpacking’.

“I’ll clean it up,” Kili promises because this is how it usually goes. He’s far messier than Ori and Ori is far more inclined to clean than he is, so Kili usually makes promises he never keeps but in exchange, he cooks for Ori who is surprisingly rubbish at it.

“I’m sure you will,” Ori says, his mouth twitching into a smile and he comes to sit beside Kili on the worn out futon that passes as their couch. “Have I missed anything exciting while I’ve been gone? Or have you sat here the entire time?”

“I’ve left the flat,” Kili protests because he had just been outside yesterday… or maybe it was the day before. He had run out of bread and you can’t have beans on toast without bread. Plus, he had run out of cigs.

“I’m glad to hear of it.” Ori picks up one of the throw pillows that his eldest brother Dori had made them and he spins it absently between his fingers. “Dori ring while I was gone?”

“A couple times,” Kili replies, knocking the pillow to the floor. “I don’t know why you just won’t speak to him. He’s your brother! If I had a brother…”

“He owes me an apology,” Ori says stubbornly and given that Ori is usually quite docile, Kili knows that whatever argument the pair of them had was serious. “And a sibling would have done you well.”

“Probably,” Kili admits easily because he will be the first to say he is spoiled. Growing up as an only child to a single mother and protective uncle hadn’t done him any favors, especially given that both of them had come from money. Kili had never lacked anything – whether it be material or, in his opinion, unfortunately attention as well. His mother had doted on him but his Uncle Thorin had always watched him more carefully than what Kili believed to be necessary.

“Did you answer or did he leave messages?” Ori scoops up the cordless phone that Kili’s mother had insisted they have and flips through the recent callers. He lowers the phone to raise an eyebrow at Kili. “Six missed phone calls from Thorin? Sounds like I’m not the only one trying to dodge a family member.”

Kili flushes and shrugs his shoulders; he’s not ready to admit that in his situation, he’s the one that deserves to apologize.

The kettle whistles and Kili follows Ori into the kitchen, leaning his hip against the paint chipped cupboard and he passes Ori his favorite mug. “What do you want for supper?”

“Do we have any of those tortellini shells left? You made such a good cheese sauce with them last time,” Ori says as he opens the tiny freezer and begins to poke around their frozen food. He triumphantly pulls out the half full bag and sets it on the counter. “We could cook some chicken and throw it in as well.”

“Nah, too late for the chicken to properly defrost, I can make something with it tomorrow,” Kili says as he slides the bag of shells into the sink to hang out while they drink their tea. “How’s Nori?”

“Nori is good.” Ori scoops a spoonful of sugar into Kili’s mug before he hands it over and begins to work on his own, pouring steaming water into his chipped Avengers mug. “We didn’t do much, just stayed in his flat. I wrote that essay I’ve been putting off.”

Kili makes a face. Sometimes, at the oddest moments, he will miss university desperately, almost enough to call Thorin and ask him if he would pay for Kili’s return. But then the little good sense he has kicks in and he remembers just how disastrous his attempt at further education had been.

He’s never been book smart.

“Writing an essay on vacation,” he says instead with a roll of his eyes. “Ori, will you never learn? You should have been going out to the pubs and getting pissed. Do they even have pubs in Bristol?”

“Of course they have pubs there,” Ori snorts as he drops his tea bag into his mug and pushes it down with the flat of his spoon. “I should take you to Bristol one of these days so you can shut up about it. It’s perfectly normal.”

“Given that Nori lives there, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s not normal.” Kili’s mouth always speaks quicker than his mind can process and he’s always had the unfortunate knack for saying the insensitive. However, Ori has been his flat mate for over a year now and bless him, has come to take Kili’s ill remarks in stride.

“Nori is relatively normal,” Ori says instead, setting his spoon down on the counter and it leaves behind a watery brown residue. “It’s not his fault he’s the way he is.”

“I’ve talked to Nori maybe four times and he threatened me with bodily harm at least three of those times,” Kili protests. “I don’t think that’s very normal, especially considering how wonderful I am.”

Ori snorts so hard his glasses slide down his nose and he pushes them back up with his thumb. “I’m glad you think so.”

“You think so as well, why else would we still be living together,” Kili says with a grin as he lifts his mug to his face and blows on the hot liquid before taking a tentative sip.

“You’re right, I do think so,” Ori agrees right before his mobile phone suddenly shrills loudly on the counter.

Kili doesn’t miss the name that pops up on the screen and he sets his mug down. “You know, you’re going to have to answer it eventually,” he says. “Better talk to him on the phone than have him show up.”

“I hate it when you’re logical, it makes the world feel so unbalanced,” Ori teases before he presses answer and raises the phone to his ear. “Hi Dori.”

Kili leaves him to his uncomfortable conversation and takes his mug up to his bedroom. He wades through the pile of clothes on the floor so he can set his mug down on his night stand before he collapses on his bed, the frame creaking. He’ll need to do laundry today, he’s down to his last clean pair of underwear. He spends the next half hour half-heartedly sorting through the clothes on his floor, or at least whatever his arms can reach from his sprawled position on the bed. He’s got two piles going – dirty and really dirty – when Ori taps on his open bedroom door and sticks his head inside the room.

“You’re actually cleaning!” he says.

Kili flips him the finger and tosses a shirt into the dirty pile. “How’s Dori?”

Ori makes a face and leans against the doorjamb. “He’s okay, we had a good talk. As good as it can be, at any rate.”

“You’re going to have to forgive him eventually,” Kili says, leaning back against his wall and he raises an eyebrow at Ori. “The man raised you, Ori. You can’t freeze him out forever.”

“You don’t understand,” Ori shakes his head and the way his face pinches, Kili knows it’s time to back off.

“I’m going to get a job,” he says to change the subject. His leftover tuition money that he had received back from the university (and hadn’t returned to Thorin) is draining quickly and he knows that if he wants to stay living in the flat with Ori, he’ll have to find some sort of steady income.

“Good for you,” Ori enthuses, probably relieved that he won’t have to pay so much for groceries or keep their cable afloat. “Where?”

“I kipped down to the pub the other day while you were gone,” Kili says, leaning over to thump against the window pane with his fist until he can wedge it up halfway. He grabs his pack of cigs off his night stand and lights one up. “The one that’s just down the street from us. The Prancing Pony?”

“The Prancing Pony is over seven blocks away,” Ori comes over to sit on the edge of his bed to take a drag of Kili’s cigarette. He always lectures Kili about the dangers and always spouts off to professors and whoever else is listening that he doesn’t smoke but he’s always the first to help Kili finish off a stick.

“Close enough,” Kili shrugs because it doesn’t seem that far away. It’s really just the pub down the street from their flat, which will be incredibly convenient because then he doesn’t have to pay to take the bus. Everything seems relatively close in Brixton.

“I can’t see you as a waiter,” Ori says, the corners of his mouth tipping up into a playful smirk. “You’ll drop the food over everyone.”

“I’ll be bartending,” Kili says, passing the cigarette back over to Ori. “I already spoke to the owner, Bofur. He owns the pub with his cousin Bombur who does all the cooking. His other cousin Bifur does the bartending but according to Bofur, he’s dead useless, he can’t even speak English very well. Never gets the orders right and gets lots of complaints so Bofur wants me there to help out. I think if I stick it out for a bit, eventually I’ll be promoted.”

“Well, bartending is something you’re definitely capable of doing,” Ori turns slightly green at the words and Kili knows he’s remembering his birthday where Kili had made him so many different concoctions that eventually Ori had lost the contents of his stomach all over their front rug.

“You still owe me a new rug,” Kili points out, now that he’s reminded of the fact.

“You’re the one who made me throw up,” Ori counters, taking a deep drag before he passes it back to Kili. “You should replace the rug.”

“Let’s just split it,” Kili says. “We can go to IKEA or something and find a cheap rug. It’s probably just going to get puked on again.”

“All right, but we’re going to have to pick a day where we don’t mind wasting five hours,” Ori says. Ori hates IKEA with a passion but given the tight budget they’re both on, he usually doesn’t complain too much when Kili drags him down to the massive store.

“Let’s go Saturday afternoon then. We’ll be more than ready to get pissed by the evening and we can spend Sunday on the couch watch the Iron Man movies.”

“Can’t we watch something else besides Marvel?” Ori complains. “It’s a good enough time but can’t we watch the new Brooklyn Nine Nine or something?”

“Very well,” Kili heaves a sigh like he’s put upon but he knows that once Sunday actually rolls around, Ori will be too hung over to complain about what’s on the telly and Kili will be able to get his way. “I’m going to put this first load into the machine and then I’ll make us some food, how does that sound?”

“Delightful, to be honest,” Ori says. “I’m starving, there was nothing but stale crisps on the train. And I’d split that load in half if I were you, it’s not all going to fit on the drying rack.”

Kili cuts the pile in half. While he’s laid his clothing out everywhere in the flat before, it usually just ended up needing to be washed again so now he tries to stick to the drying rack only. Although, sometimes he will hang clothes up over the bath tub if he’s really desperate.

In the end, he still washes too many clothes and has to lay his shirts out over the kitchen floor but given how little of time they spend in there, it doesn't really matter and at least Kili will have clean clothes for his first day of work.

Bofur stays with him for exactly thirty-seven minutes before he decides that Kili is capable of mixing drinks and working the taps. He cautions Kili that Bifur will be in later that afternoon but Bofur will come back out before that happens so he doesn't have to worry about it.

"Just be polite and quick and you'll do fine," is the cheery advice he gives before he disappears up the back stairs to his office.

Kili is alone in the pub, although distantly he can hear Bombur and the rest of the kitchen staff talking in the back and while he's tempted to go see what they're up to, he doesn't want to abandon his post on his first day so he leans against the bar counter and idly wipes up a wet spot.

The morning passes quietly, with very few customers but the ones that do come, don’t come in spurts so Kili doesn't feel completely overwhelmed. He receives a few tips and puts them faithfully in his jar like Bofur instructed him to for he'll split those later with Bombur and the two kitchen staff - the prep boy and the waiter.

It's almost noon exactly when the door pushes open with a friendly jangle and a blond boy around Kili's age struts into the bar, looking around with a look of disdain. Kili immediately dislikes him on sight.

What a tosser, Kili thinks as he forces a smile to his face and slings his cloth over his shoulder. "What can I get you?"

"What do you've got on tap?" The man's voice is deeper than Kili would have expected, and closer up, he notices that his eyes are an incredibly pale blue, a shade that Kili has never seen before.

"Depends what you're looking for," Kili replies. "We've got quite a few options. If you're looking for a lager, I recommend Stella Artois. If you're wanting something a bit more bitter than I'd suggest Fullers London Pride. For ciders we have - "

"The Stella is fine," the man interrupts and slides on to a stool, leaning his elbows on the counter and his leather jacket creaks with the movement. "Thank you."

"Sure, no problem. Coming right up." Kili turns away and gets the lager poured, setting it down in front of him. "That's three quid."

The man reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out a leather wallet, pushing the money across the counter and Kili slides it into the cash register, giving the man his change but he waves it off.

"Keep it," he says, lifting his glass to his mouth and he takes a slow swallow of the alcohol. Kili tracks the movement of his throat before he forces himself to look away.

“Mighty kind of you,” Kili says, dropping the change into his jar and it jingles merrily. He glances over at the man once more who has unzipped his jacket completely, revealing a blue t-shirt underneath.

“Now there’s a word most people don’t associate with me,” the man says, pausing before he winks. “I’m kidding! You should have seen your face!”

Kili forces himself to laugh because with that piercing gaze and deep voice, he hadn’t put anything past the man. “I’m sure they don’t,” he says, feeling uncomfortable and ill-footed.

In reality, if he was anywhere else than at work, he would already be flirting and finding out which team the handsome stranger prefers. However, this is his job and it doesn’t feel right to hit on the customers.

“I’m Fili,” the man says and raises his glass to his face, taking a sip and licking the foam off of his lip. “So, this your first day?”

“How can you tell?” Kili’s jaw drops in mock surprise before he grins. “Is that a polite way of telling me I’m awkward? But yeah, this is my first day. Drink taste all right?”

“Drink’s fine,” the man – Fili – says with a laugh, leaning further on to the counter. “When you’re as old as I am, you learn to read people exceptionally well.”

Kili snorts without meaning to but Fili can’t be any older than twenty-five and it’s such a turn off when people his age try to act all mature and pretentious. Just once Kili would like to find somebody who admits to not having a fucking clue what they’re doing with life.

Someone like him.

"Laugh it off if you will," Fili says, taking another pull of the drink. "What made you want to work at a pub? You hardly look old enough."

"It's a pretty cliché tale," Kili says, leaning his hip against the counter. "I flunked my courses in uni for the first semester. I've never been book smart so I figured I'd cut my losses before I lost my entire inheritance to the school. My resume is pretty shit so voila, here I am at the Prancing Pony, serving you the fine Stella."

"That is pretty cliché," Fili agrees with a smirk. "However, I can't say I'm sorry for it. You're a fine bartender."

Kili is pretty sure that the older man is flirting with him. It's nice to see that even though he's wallowed in self-misery for the past few weeks at failing, at least he's still managed to maintain his looks. Even if his diet has been less than stellar and the scale isn't afraid to acknowledge it.

"Well, you're a fit, I mean, fine customer," he shoots back, leaning both elbows on the counter now, invading Fili's space just a tad more.

"Aren't you a bit forward?" Fili raises his eyebrows before he pulls out a pen from his breast pocket. It looks heavy and expensive, not one of those plastic pens you'd pick up at the shop on the corner. It's one that you would have custom made and sure enough, when Fili tilts it to the side to scribble something on a napkin, Kili is able to see his initials.

"FF," he says out loud. "What's your last name?"

"Again with the forwardness," Fili says, pushing the napkin towards Kili. It's his number and Kili can't stop the smile on his face. "However, since I've just given you my personal number after knowing you for less than fifteen minutes, I don't suppose I got a lot of room to talk. It's Fundinson, actually. Fili Fundinson."

Kili folds the napkin in half and slides it casually into his left pocket. "What makes you think I'm going to call you? You don't even know what I like."

"Again, you don't live this long without honing perception skills," Fili says, a bit smugly in Kili's honest opinion. "You're gay, you disliked me when I first walked in because I have confidence, but I'm also charming and won you over in ten minutes flat."

Kili glares at honest deduction. "I wouldn't say you won me over," he says, annoyed that he's so easy to read. It's never bothered him before when men have noticed his interest, but there's something about Fili that rubs him differently. Not necessarily the wrong way - just differently. He's never met anybody like Fili before.

"Perhaps you'll give me the chance to, then," Fili says smoothly. "Can I take you to dinner on Friday?"

"Oi, don't you know we got rules about hitting up customers?"

Kili whirls around to face Bofur and feels the blood leave his face. If he's cocked up his job on the very first day, Ori will never let him hear the end of it. He'll be truly useless to society if he can't even work at a bloody pub.

"Not his fault, it's mine," Fili says, straightening up on the stool and the smirk has slipped away from his face. He looks serious and professional once more, and Kili wonders how on earth he attracted somebody so intimidating.

"Well leave off," Bofur says grouchily, narrowing his eyes. "It's his first day, I don't need him picking up any bad habits."

"I was just finishing," Fili says, tipping the glass back and he drains it in a single swallow. He pushes it across the counter, leaving a wet streak in its wake. "Enjoy the rest of your first day."

"Thanks," Kili says lamely, sliding his hand into his pocket and he clenches the napkin tightly. It feels reassuring to know that it's still there.

"Oh," Fili stops at the doorway and ignores the way Bofur's glare deepens. The smirk returns and he aims it at Kili, raising a golden eyebrow. "I never caught your name."

"Kili," he says, swallowing thickly and taking a step closer before his hip bumps against the counter. "My name is Kili."

"Well, ain't that just fate," Fili drawls, nodding his head before the door jangles once more and he disappears from view.

Kili sags against the counter in silence before he sheepishly looks over at Bofur. "It won't happen again," he vows. "Sorry."

"I should hope not! I need you to make money, not dates. Besides, there's something about that one that I just don't trust."

"He was nice, I promise," Kili says as he wipes up the liquid from the counter and sets Fili's glass in the sink. His fingers linger too long on the glass and he reddens as Bofur stares at him hard.

"I'm serious, lad. There was something about him that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up." Bofur gives a visible shudder and pulls the hat off of his head so he can wipe at his forehead.

"I'll probably never see him again," Kili says, mostly to appease Bofur because it's not like his boss is aware that he has Fili's number in his pocket.

"For your sake, I hope so," Bofur says before he brightens. "Oh! I originally came down to tell you that Bifur is on his way in. Now, he won't take too kindly to you being here. He hates the idea that he needs help so be prepared for that. He might be a wee bit nasty."

"Fantastic," Kili says bleakly. He slides his hand inside of his pocket once more and strokes the napkin once more, just to be sure it's still there. It never hurts to check twice.

Chapter Text

"Where the bloody hell you been?" The deep voice rumbles at him the moment the front door has shut behind him.

Fili resists the urge to roll his eyes and instead, wanders into the library that sits right by the front entrance. Dwalin is sitting behind his desk with a mound of papers spread out across the ornate wood, gold-leafed books stacked high on the right corner. Dwalin sets his pen down and looks up, cracking his large, tattooed knuckles with a satisfying pop.

"Out," Fili replies shortly, moving to throw himself down on the leather couch. "What does it matter to you?"

"It's mid-day," Dwalin replies. "You know I don't like you out during the strongest daylight rays."

"For the millionth time, stop buying into ridiculous myths about our own culture," Fili laughs and crosses his legs at the ankles. "The sun doesn't bother me, I've told you."

"It gives me a wicked rash," Dwalin says darkly, shaking his head. "I fear the rays are getting stronger and we are becoming weaker."

"You've been listening to Balin too much," Fili says frankly. The oldest vampire has always been convinced that global warming will be the downfall of their kind. It's all bollocks in Fili's opinion. "Anyway, I stopped at a pub for a drink."

Dwalin stares at him for a moment before he draws in a deep breath through his nose. He holds it in, his eyes closing before he exhales roughly and his nostrils flare. He narrows his gaze and points a finger at Fili. "You've met them."

Mildly annoyed by the other's talents, Fili glares at him and wishes he could guard Kili's scent to himself for a little bit longer. There's no privacy among vampires, though. "How did you know?" He demands.

"You smell different. You smell like... joy," Dwalin replies, dropping his gaze momentarily. There's a beat of silence before he looks back up, his gaze softened. "In the hundred years I have known you, I have never smelt you like this. Of course I know you met your soulmate."

"Yes, I believe I have met him. Small snag, though."

"He's male… and human," Dwalin says flatly after another breath. "I don't understand. He isn't supposed to be human."

"Imagine how surprised I am," Fili says, although he had been less surprised and more irritated. Humans complicated things in ways he didn't fully understand yet and it was a bitch to turn one into a vampire. They often didn't survive the procedure.

"You'll find a way to handle it," Dwalin says, leaning back and his burgundy leather chair creaks from his weight. "He's your soulmate."

"Or so the story goes," Fili shrugs his shoulders. "I mean, I wouldn't jump to the automatic conclusion that he is my one and only. Is there potential? Perhaps, but he is human."

"Take it from someone who was born to be alone, don't be so quick to throw this away," Dwalin says warningly. "If the pull is there, don't be afraid to investigate it."

"I can't get involved with a human. He would be clueless in our world and probably wouldn't believe me."

"He would need a firsthand demonstration," Balin says cheerfully as he comes into the room, carrying more papers and he sets them down on Dwalin's desk. "If you were to take him into a back alley with a prey, he would be quick to see that you are a truth teller."

"Yes, because that's romantic," Fili says dryly even as the thought of Kili smeared in blood crosses his mind. He folds his hands over his lap and clears his throat. "Anyway, I've given him my number and have left it up to him. If he contacts me, then perhaps I will see how it goes."

"Well, until your Romeo calls, don't forget we have a Council meeting tonight and you're supposed to be giving a speech on subtlety in the work force."

Fili swears low under his breath. "I completely forgot about that," he says, glancing over. "Balin, I don't suppose you'd be interested in doing it for me?"

"In case you have forgotten, in the human world, I am at what they call retirement age. It's been a long time since I have been in the work force, so I dare say that I won't have much to say."

"Dwalin - "

"Forget it," Dwalin drones as he picks up his pen and scribbles a note on one of the pieces of paper Balin had brought into the world. "I spared you last month when I gave the speech for oral health. The Council won't look too kindly if you shirk your responsibilities twice in a row."

"Fine," Fili says bitterly, pushing himself off the couch. "I don't know why we bother remaining part of the bloody Council. It's nothing but a headache. They've done absolutely nothing for us."

"The very fact that you believe they've done nothing is exactly why we're a part of the Council," Balin says sternly. "It means they're doing their job correctly. Don't question the Council. We've raised you better than that."

"Of course, Uncle," Fili says, slipping in the respectful term for Balin. He hasn't called him Uncle in years, but every now and then if he slips it into conversation, it always soothes Balin's ruffled feathers.

“That’s a good lad,” Balin says, lowering his frame down into a leather armchair and settling a book on his lap. “We will see you for First Meal?”

“Yes, I’ll be here,” Fili says, lingering in the doorway. “I’ll just be upstairs in my room, since I’ve got to get writing that bloody speech. Maybe next month I can push it off to Legolas, he hasn’t had to do a speech for ages.”

Dwalin and Balin both snort their laughter and Fili disappears up the sweeping staircase. His bedroom is the first one on the right and he shuts the door behind himself, throwing himself into the chair at his desk. The metal shades are still locked firmly in place, blocking out any sunlight from the room so Fili turns on his small desk lamp and settles down with his pad of paper and pen.

After the meeting, Fili winds his way through the members to find two of his closest friends, Legolas and Tauriel. Balin and Dwalin never appreciated his friendship with either of them, but Fili chose to align himself with those that he was comfortable with. It has never mattered to him that Legolas' father, Thranduil, is one of the primary Council leaders and is rumored to be over a thousand years old. He isn't really Legolas' father, but the pair have been joined for as long as anyone can remember. Tauriel had joined them over three hundred years ago, and is one of the few female vampires within the Council.

Despite the tension between the heads of household, the three of them have always gotten along well and have few secrets between them. It's why Fili corners them afterwards, tucking his notes back away into his satchel.

"Anyone up for a pint?"

"A pint of what exactly?" Legolas questions, raising a pale brow. "If you mean blood, then I've found the greatest little hole in the wall you're going to love. Blood cocktails! It looks dodgy but I've been very thorough in my research and it's completely fine."

"I was more thinking alcohol," Fili says, wrinkling his nose at the thought of a blood pub. They're popular enough, if you know where to go, but they've never really held his interest. He'll feed when it's absolutely necessary to but it's never been to the point of killing someone. At least, not since Dwalin took him under his wing and taught him how to manage his condition properly. He's ashamed of the people he has killed but there's little he can do about it now and so he's mostly made his peace with it.

"Of course we'll go," Tauriel says, shooting Legolas a glare.

Fili really hopes they're not in one of those moods. He's never been completely sure of their relationship. Majority of the vampire world seem to believe that they've been raised as siblings and companions, but Fili has always noticed a spark of chemistry between the pair of them. However, if they haven't figured it out in the past three hundred years, then they probably never will.

"Fine, I suppose we'll go," Legolas says. "Let's go to Mirkwood."

"You always choose there and it's about time you learned to deviate from routine," Fili says firmly. "We're going to the Prancing Pony. I discovered it earlier today and I think you'll both like it."

"Never heard of it," Legolas says, wrinkling his nose. "I don't want to go to some hole in the wall."

"And yet you were willing to go a blood pub," Tauriel drawls, rolling her light eyes. "Lead the way, Fili."

They catch a taxi down to the Prancing Pony and it's so full that the customers have spilled out on to the sidewalk, drinks in hand. Fili shivers with excitement at the thought of seeing Kili again, but he forces himself to take a deep breath and braces himself to wade through the crowd of humans.

"Look at this feast," Legolas murmurs under his breath.

"Stop it," Fili snaps, elbowing him slightly. He knows that Legolas is mostly joking, Fili's made it clear that Legolas isn't allowed to feed on humans when they're out together. It doesn't stop him from making comments, though.

"Why are we here again?" Tauriel asks and she sounds completely bored as she dodges out of a drunk man's reach.

"I told you, I found this pub earlier today and enjoyed it. Judging from the amount of people in here, I'm not the only one."

"Well, I'm not complaining anymore," Tauriel says and her voice has gone breathy with excitement, lowered with predatory warmth. "Do you see that bartender?"

"Straight, remember?" Legolas snaps and Fili knows there is definitely some sort of chemistry there between them. "Why would I notice some fucking bartender? He looks pathetic."

Fili's growling before he even realizes that he's doing it. At the surprised looks he receives, he shrugs his shoulders and looks up at the bar, only to deflate when he realizes that it's not Kili at the bar at all. It's a round redhead that does absolutely nothing for Fili's fancy.

"So when you say you enjoyed this pub, I think you're speaking of something else besides the spirits they serve," Tauriel says knowingly, giving Fili an appraised look.

"Sod off," he says, feeling the back of his neck turn red. He follows Legolas and Tauriel over to a table in the corner and nudges Legolas out of the way so he's able to sit with his back to the wall, giving him a full view of the pub.

This is absurd, he doesn't even know if Kili is working anymore. Considering that he was there so early in the day, it's highly unlikely and Fili should have tried coming a different time. He's interrupted mid-thought at the familiar sight of a dark head ducking around the bar and he pushes himself to his feet.

"I'll get the first round," he says, making a beeline for the bar. He leans against the counter until Kili turns around and then he grins. "Hey stranger."

"Fili!" Kili exclaims, his mouth dropping open. "You're back already! Didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"I'm out with a couple of friends," Fili explains, waving his hand in the direction of his table. "And I had to bring them to the best pub around, didn't I?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Kili says with a poorly hidden smile.

He looks distinctly uncomfortable though, and a heavy stone begins to form inside of Fili's stomach. Kili's human and he has no intentions of pursuing anything serious with him - he'd never understand, but he still didn't expect such quick rejection from the person who was supposed to be his one true love.

"I'm sorry," Fili says lowly. "This is probably odd to you. I'm actually here to order the first round and then I'll leave you alone."

"No!" Kili exclaims loudly before he drops his voice. "I mean, no, it's not weird. I just don't want my boss to see us talking again. He... doesn't trust you."

Fili resists the urge to sneer his upper lip. He had sensed that the owner was a little more intelligent than the average human and probably knew a secret or two about the world that Kili didn't. However, Fili wasn't afraid. Vampire 'hunters' had existed as long as vampires had and they had never managed to stamp out the species. Never could and never would because you couldn't kill someone who was practically indestructible.

"I'll just grab the drinks then," he says, even though he wants to remain at the bar and get to know Kili a little better.

Kili gets him the drinks he requests without protesting and so Fili tucks his tail between his legs and makes his way back to the table where Legolas and Tauriel are waiting for him. They're arguing, naturally, but Fili knows once they're plied with a little alcohol, the banter will get a little less aggressive and a little more sexual. It's a song and dance he's witnessed countless times and normally it's amusing. But right now, when all he wants to do is see Kili's smile, it feels rough against his skin and he quickly calls it a night. Neither of them argue and they disappear from the Prancing Pony just as the clock strikes midnight.

Fili bids them both farewell and they go their separate ways. He's not ready to go home just yet; he knows Dwalin will most likely be skulking around the house and Fili isn't ready for him to catch Kili's scent on him again. Normally he appreciates Dwalin and his advice but this is something brand new. Fili has never met someone whose soul called out to his own. This is new, sensitive territory and it's something Fili wants to explore on his own.

He waves off the taxi that pulls up beside him and insists that he's fine, the walk will do him well. He watches the glowing taillights fade in the distance and begins to amble down the sidewalk. He's halfway home when he hears a crack behind him, the sound of a twig breaking under a foot. Fili has never considered himself to be paranoid, but he also has never been foolish. He was raised by Balin and Dwalin, two of the strongest vampires existing and he has learned to sense when something isn't right. The hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up and he pauses mid-stride.

There's nothing but silence all around him, not even the natural sounds of the city life around him.

"I know you're there," he finally calls out, turning around and sliding his hand inside his pocket where he carries a knife.

Stillness answers him but Fili isn't fooled. There is definitely someone following him and he's pretty sure he knows it's a hunter. He pulls the knife free and begins to walk again, flexing his hand against the ivory handle of the blade. He's a pretty quick shot when it comes to throwing daggers, but one day someone is going to be quicker.

He senses the movement behind him more than he sees it and he whirls around, parrying the attack with his forearm. It's a man dressed all in black but Fili doesn't have time to memorize anymore details. The man has recovered from the block and is striking again, this time ducking down low in an attempt to get his blade between Fili's ribs.

Baring his fangs, Fili bends back as low as he can, dodging out of reach and he hurls his knife in one slick throw. The man jumps back but the knife still catches him mid-thigh and he lets out a groaned pain. He rips it from his leg and tosses it aside.

Fili makes a mental note to pick it up after he's killed the human - the blade was a gift from Dwalin.

Fili advances aggressively now, his arm shooting out and he wraps a hand around the man's throat, dragging him closer just as Fili's foot steps down firmly on the man's ankle and he snaps it cleanly. The man screams and drops to the ground, scrambling in his jacket pocket even as he attempts to back away.

"Escape is fruitless," Fili hisses, advancing further and he flashes his fangs once more. "You sought my death and now you shall find your own!"

The man pulls a gun out of his pocket and aims it at Fili with trembling hands. "I'm not afraid to shoot," he grits out. "You're an abomination and we need to be purged of you."

"I wish you well in that endeavor," Fili says, bending low on one knee and he rests his hand on the barrel of the gun. "I truly do. However, it's a futile effort. We are a strong society. One might even argue that we have never been so strong. Tell me why I ought to spare your life tonight when you have so ruthlessly tried to take my own."

The man grunts and struggles backwards from Fili, his grip on the gun loosening. "Get away from me, you foul creature of the night. I will shoot!"

"No, you won't," Fili says calmly, wrapping his hand around the man's wrist and he bends it backwards until he hears the satisfying crack. The man screams again as the gun clatters to the sidewalk and Fili kicks it away with his right foot.

"You asshole," the man spits out, cradling his arm against his chest, his leg still twisted at an unnatural angle.

"Have a good night," Fili says, swooping down to pick up his blade and the gun, carefully pocketing both. If he's really careful with the gun, they might be able to lift prints off of it and be able to put a name to his attacker.

He whistles the rest of the way home.

Chapter Text

“Fuck.”

Kili groans and rolls over on the futon, nearly tipping off but he catches himself just in time. He rubs the last of the sleep from his eyes and peers over at Ori who is standing by the front door, a ripped envelope between his teeth and a letter in his hand.

“What is it?” Kili mumbles, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He’s got cotton-mouth and he reaches for the glass of tepid water that sits on the floor. He takes a long swallow as he finds the remote and presses the mute button.

“It’s Dori,” Ori says and there’s a frantic pitch in his voice. “He’s coming to visit.”

“Fuck me,” Kili groans again. “Doesn’t he realize we’ve got no room?”

“He can sleep in my room and I’ll sleep on the futon,” Ori says fretfully, raising a thumb to his mouth and he begins to chew on the skin that surrounds the nail. “I wish he would have phoned again so I could have dissuaded him.”

“That’s probably why he didn’t phone,” Kili says, pushing his hand through his long hair. It’s greasy and his knuckles get tangled so he pulls them out half-way. “He can’t stay long, Ori. My nerves can’t take it.”

“What about mine?” Ori protests, throwing the letter down on the ground. “He’s my brother.”

"He's more than your brother, he's basically your parent," Kili points out and he reaches over to yank Ori's thumb out of his mouth so he doesn't completely destroy it. "It's like if Thorin came to stay with us."

Ori shudders at the thought and rightfully so. Thorin likes Ori well enough, but he's still Thorin, which means he's unnecessarily sharp to people. He's always made a terrible first... second... tenth impression, so Kili likes to keep his real life separate from his family life. The two have never mixed well. It's also probably why Kili's never had a serious relationship.

That could also be because he's terrified of commitment.

"I won't let him stay long," Ori vows. "Just long enough for him to be satisfied that we're happy and hale and then he can go home. We should probably give this place a clean. It's a tip."

"I completely agree, but as you will see, it's almost five o'clock, which means my shift starts in less than four minutes. I need to be off," Kili pushes himself to his feet and grins at Ori. "I'll help out tomorrow morning, I promise. I'll even get up early for you."

"How kind of you. Considering that this is mostly your mess, I don't really feel like you're doing me any kind of service," Ori narrows his eyes and folds his arms over his chest. "You're going to be an absolute fucking delight when Dori is here, d'you understand? You're going to offer him tea and biscuits and tell him how responsible we are."

"Ori, my love, I promise I can do that for you," Kili says, kissing Ori's cheek as he snags his jacket from the back of the futon. "I'll be home late, don't wait up!"

The door slams behind him before he can hear Ori's reply but it's probably for the best because it's most likely nothing flattering. Sometimes Ori gets into the oddest fit over the smallest thing. Honestly, more Kili's mess than Ori's... bloody unlikely! Ori just doesn't realize how messy he is, but Kili notices! He's just too kind to point it out all the time, unlike Ori. Being a sensitive, thoughtful roommate like that is just Kili's style.

The bar is uncharacteristically quiet when Kili arrives fifteen minutes late, his hair damp from the light drizzle outside. It feels even greasier and he slicks it back into a bun, hoping that nobody will comment on his unkempt appearance. He hadn't meant to fall asleep.

Kili wanders into the back of the bar where the kitchen and small staff room is. Bofur and Bombur are both there, and Bifur is sitting in a corner, carving something into a block of wind but his hands must be shaking because he's got nicks covering his palms. There is another large red man with a long beard, and his eyes are red-rimmed. Kili immediately senses that he's walked into something sensitive and hovers uncertainly in the doorway.

"Bofur?" He finally whispers, his tennis shoe squeaking against the damp lino. "Is everything all right, then?"

"Who the bloody hell is this dickhead?" The man blusters, turning his gaze on to Kili and glaring at him.

Kili takes a step back and raises his hands in submission because he's got no beef with this gentleman. "I'm sorry," he says, a bit helplessly. "I work here."

"It's all right, Gloin," Bofur says and the typical cheer found in his voice is gone. "This is my new employee, Kili. He'll be around plenty so you might as well get used to him."

"What does he know of - "

"Nothing," Bofur interjects, shooting Kili an apologetic look. "Kili, lad, we're just in the middle of a tough discussion. My good friend Gloin here has suffered some personal tragedies. Please watch the front for me."

"Of course," Kili says, hesitating before he quickly blurts out, "I'm sorry for your circumstances. I hope they turn brighter soon." He doesn't wait for a reply, instead he turns and begins to head back down the hallway.

"He's a good boy," he hears Bofur saying and shamelessly slows his walk. "However, he knows nothing of the world and I'd like to keep it that way. He's too clever for his own good, I can tell..."

Kili stops in his tracks, feeling completely affronted by Bofur's words. He might be young but he certainly knows a few things about the world. He's been surviving on his own for a couple of months now and he likes to think that he and Ori have managed just fine. And he's not clever, the complete opposite, actually. If only Bofur knew that Kili couldn't even scrape by in uni, he wouldn't be so quick to call him clever.

Bifur grunts loudly and then there's nothing but silence from the staff room. Kili pauses, chewing on his bottom lip as he waits to hear what Bofur will say next but all he hears is the thud of footsteps so he quickly scurries down the hallway. He's just grabbed a wet cloth and is mopping up sticky beer when Bofur sticks his head into the bar, a frown on his face.

"Can I do anything to help?" Kili asks, trying to even his breathing so it's not completely noticeable that he's panting.

"Respect my word, Kili," Bofur says. His tone is gentle but it's not cheerful. "Stay out of the way, please. Gloin is not someone to cross."

Between Bifur and Gloin, Kili is quickly beginning to realize that Bofur has a lot of people in his life that are perhaps too aggressive for their own good. However, he's completely in the wrong here and so he just nods his head.

"Of course," he murmurs. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right, lad. I like you, though, and I want you to stay working here so let's agree now that this is the last time we'll have to have this discussion."

"Absolutely," Kili says in relief because if he was fired after less of a week of work, Ori would never let him hear the end of it.

Bofur disappears once more into the back and it's a quiet hour with only two customers. They drink their pints quickly and go, leaving the pub empty once more. It's closer to three hours before Gloin emerges from the back, whispering to Bofur. He looks up and glares balefully at Kili, who takes a step back.

"Leave him," Bofur commands before he ushers Gloin out of the pub.

"He doesn't seem to like me much," Kili says once Bofur has stepped back inside, twisting his hat nervously between his hands. "Everything all right, Bofur?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Bofur says, frowning out the window.

"Are you sure? I'd like to help in any way I can."

"I'm positive, lad. This is something that's out of your control," Bofur says as he jams his hat back on to his head and wanders over to the bar. "Make much today?"

"Only two people, but I think it'll pick up. It's still early," Kili says, his head whipping around at the sound of the door jingling merrily as it's pushed open. He hopes it's Fili - so far Fili has shown up every time that Kili has had a shift (so twice) and Friday is still three days away. He can't wait that long to see Fili.

However, it's just two women dressed in pencil skirts and blazers, ordering wine to unwind from a stressful day at the office. Kili serves them diligently before he resumes his spot behind the bar. Bofur wanders around for a bit, cleaning and doing various things around the place before he finally retrieves his jacket and tells Kili he's going home for a bit and that he'll return in a few hours. Kili waves him off, replenishes the wine for the ladies and then carefully pulls out the wadded up napkin Fili had pressed into his hand.

He dials the number carefully, licking his dry lips. When there's a smooth greeting on the other end, Kili closes his eyes and wipes his damp palm against his jeans. "Hi," he says softly. "It's - "

"Kili," Fili breathes out. "I didn't think you'd call me. You didn't seem that interested last night when I was in the pub."

"No! You've got it all wrong. My boss was here and I didn't want to upset him two days in a row," Kili explains quickly. "It's a new job and I don't want him to toss me out over something so small."

"You think our relationship is small?"

"We don't have a relationship," Kili huffs out a breath of laughter. "You don't even know me."

"I know you better than you think I do. And the things I don't know? Well, I'm very curious to find out," Fili says and his warm is like warm butter poured over hot popcorn.

"Why don't you find out Friday night when you take me out?" Kili says, more boldly than he feels. There's something about Fili that he can't quite put his finger on but he finds him utterly frustrating and yet captivating.

"Perhaps I'm busy on Friday," Fili says, but it's so, so evident that he's teasing.

"Then make yourself unbusy," Kili shoots in return and grins at the phone. "You don't have to, if you don't want to. But I would like to see you. Somewhere other than work where my boss will yell."

"Friday it is," Fili confirms with a laugh. "How about you text me your address?"

"Okay," Kili says, glancing towards the door where two business men have come in and are headed straight from the bar. "I have customers, I should go."

"We'll talk before Friday," Fili promises before the line goes dead.

Unable to contain his joy, Kili turns to greet his new customers with the widest smile on his face and he finds himself not even caring what they think.

"I've got a date," he announces the minute he's home and through the front door. Ori looks up from where he's sprawled on the futon with a bowl of crisps on his chest. There's crumbs littering his shirt and the floor but he immediately smiles at the news so Kili won't hold the mess against him. He swings his legs up to make room for Kili to sit before he lowers them into his lap.

"A date! How exciting," he says, pushing the bowl towards Kili but he shakes his head, uninterested. Ori has recently fallen in love with crisps that taste like curry and the smell of them make Kili completely nauseous .

"I also told you not to wait up for me," he says because it's almost three in the morning and Kili knows that Ori doesn't handle a late bedtime very well. He's more of a morning person and if he's kept up past midnight, he becomes a proper grouch the next day.

"I know but Dori arrived tonight," Ori says, making a face. "He's in my room so I'm on the futon anyway tonight."

"He's here already?" Kili groans and tips his head back, scrubbing his hand over his face. Sometimes he wishes that neither of them had family, or at least family that never cared to meddle in their affairs. "That was short work."

"This is why I shouldn't ignore him, I suppose," Ori says ruefully, setting the crisps down on the floor. "It only makes things worse."

"And I told you that how many times?"

"So tell me about your date," Ori says because he knows Kili loves to talk about himself and of course he'd rather talk about his date than Ori's bad sibling habits. Damn Ori for being so sneaky.

"His name is Fili, I met him at work," he says instead. "He's a customer, although my boss doesn't seem to like him very much. Perhaps they have past history, who knows? The life of a bartender can be a tough one."

"Yes, very strenuous," Ori agrees dryly. "What does he look like? Get to the important bits!"

"You're terrible," Kili scolds before he launches into a full detail of what Fili looks like. He's only seen him twice, though, so it's not like he has every feature memorized. That's a lie, he actually does.

"He sounds handsome enough," Ori says, picking at his thumb again. "You're lucky, you always seem to get the attention."

"You're not going to die alone," Kili promises, nudging his foot against Ori's chest. "I'll live with you for the rest of my entire life to ensure that. But I doubt it will become necessary since you're such a catch. You're going to be snatched up before you know it."

The tips of Ori's ears turn pink and he ducks his head. "It's late and you're talking nonsense," he finally says, squeezing Kili's ankle. "You should probably get to bed if you're going to get up early."

"Why am I getting up early?" Kili wrinkles up his nose at the thought. It's past three am by now, he plans on sleeping until at least noon.

"You promised you would get up early and help me clean!" Ori says in disbelief, shoving his legs off. "Go. Right now. You're up in less than five hours!"

Kili rolls off the couch and blinks incredulously. "I promised that I would get up and help you back when I thought Dori was coming tomorrow! Now that he's already here and has seen what a tip this place is, what's the point?"

"The point is that I told him my lovely flat-mate would be getting up early to help me tidy," Ori says with a smug smile. "I'll wake you shortly after eight."

"I hate you so much," Kili tells him, giving a long-suffering sigh as he drags himself out of the room and up the stairs.

"And don't bang around, Dori's sleeping!" Ori shouts behind him.

Kili stomps up the stairs harder, just to make his point, but quickly disappears into his own room when he hears sounds coming from Ori's room. It's too late/early to run into Dori, who only likes him only slightly at the best of times. He undresses and crawls into his bed, cranking his window open as far as it can go so he can try to catch some of the muggy breeze. His room is stifling and within moments, he kicks his covers off.

He knows that he has to get up shortly and that always has the reverse effect on Kili. The knowledge doesn’t encourage his body to grow weary and sleep, rather it does the opposite and he lies there, wide awake, thoughts running through his mind. He changes positions, he makes a grocery list in his mind, he jerks off and changes his underwear but nothing helps. Finally, in a moment of desperation, he grabs his phone and opens a new message.

(3:07 am) I don’t know if you’re awake or not… but hello.

He hits send and sets his phone down, instantly regretting sending it. He wishes there was a way to reach through the wave lengths and snatch the message back. There’s nothing to do about it now, though, it’s the middle of the night and he can face his embarrassment tomorrow, should Fili even bother responding. A minute doesn’t even go by though before his phone beeps and he nearly knocks his lamp and alarm clock off the night stand as he flails for his phone.

(3:08 am) I’m awake. Who is this?

“Oh god,” Kili groans, smashing his face into his pillow as he clutches his phone in his right hand. This is more embarrassing than he thought it would be. Fili doesn’t even remember that he gave Kili his number and he probably thinks he’s ridiculous, texting him so late in the night. He should just pretend that it’s a wrong number, he should just ignore it altogether and go to bed. If he ever sees Fili again, he can say he was drunk. His phone beeps again.

(3:09 am) Kili?

“Fuck my life,” Kili mutters, swallowing dryly and he exhales heavily, droplets of spit splattering the bright screen of his phone. He wipes it off with the edge of his sheet and chews his thumb, debating how he wants to handle this. It’s not too late to just go to bed. He can’t claim a wrong number because he has to text Fili about their date and give him his address, even though Fili will quickly realize how fucking stupid Kili actually is.

(3:12 am) Yes, hi, it’s me. Sorry if I woke you.

(3:12 am) I was awake, like I said earlier. I’m a bit of a night owl so don’t ever hesitate to send me a message at night. How are you?

(3:14 am) Okay, I won’t. Hesitate, I mean. And I’m good! I’m looking forward to Friday.

His phone is silent for three long minutes and Kili is just about to be hasty and send another message joking about his excitement when his phone lights up but rather than a text, it’s an actual phone call coming from Fili’s phone.

“Oh shit,” Kili murmurs before he clears his throat and swipes his thumb across the screen, accepting the call. “Hey,” he says softly, keeping his voice low because he really doesn’t want to wake Dori and have him barge in, especially now.

“Good morning, I suppose I should say,” Fili says and his voice sounds surprisingly alert. “I know why I’m still awake, but why are you?”

“Finished my shift not that long ago,” Kili says, shifting on his bed and he drags just his sheet up to cover his body. “I can never fall asleep right away, I need time to unwind. Why are you awake?”

“I’m always awake at this time,” Fili says, and it’s meant to sound teasing, Kili’s sure, but it falls a little flat to him. “How was your shift, though? Hopefully all the drunk customers behaved themselves.”

“The shift was good, it was quiet,” Kili says and even though he’s not supposed to know Fili, they’re practically strangers and have only spoken a handful of times, he feels a draw, deep in his belly to him. He feels like he could tell Fili anything. “The customers were all very well behaved, although this one girl kept trying to give me her number. I declined her left and right but she just wouldn’t seem to get the hint – ”

“I don’t want to wait until Friday,” Fili suddenly says abruptly. “What are you doing this exact moment?”

“Is this a jealousy thing?” Kili asks curiously, although he pushes himself into a sitting position. “I’m in bed. I’ve been trying to fall asleep for a while since I have to be up early to help my flat mate with the place but it’s just not working for me.”

“Come for a walk with me,” Fili says softly, his voice as warm as the breeze that brushes past Kili’s curtains. “I’ll come to your place, I’ll pick you up, whatever you want.”

“You want to go for a walk at…” he pulls his phone away to look. “…at three-twenty in the morning?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Fili says and he suddenly laughs. “Come on! Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“It managed to fall asleep,” Kili grumbles but he’s already got both feet on the floor and he sliding his jeans back on. “Fine, pick me up. We can drive to a park or something.”

He gives Fili his address and then hangs up the phone. He dresses in skinny black jeans and a simple grey t-shirt, grabbing his black leather jacket that’s strewn across his desk to complete the look. He runs his hands through his hair but there’s no saving it, it’s still disgusting and so he winds it back up into a bun, hoping that Fili won’t comment on it. Headlights flash by his window but stop short of disappearing. Instead, a corner of his room is lit up and he peeks out his window to see a slick black car that looks like a Bentley GT sitting at the curb.

Grabbing his phone, he quietly slinks out of his room, closing the door silently behind himself. He works his way slowly down the stairs, knowing which stairs have creaks and how to avoid them. Ori’s curled up on the couch, his mouth dropped open as he’s lost in slumber, and Kili carefully lifts his house keys out of the small bowl they keep by the door. He locks the door behind himself and heads down the stoop just as the driver’s door opens and Fili emerges from the car.

“I must be daft to be going somewhere with a stranger,” Kili mutters as he crosses the street.

“But I’m not a stranger,” Fili says as Kili walks closer and damn he has good hearing. “Not really.”

“Not really,” Kili concedes because it’s true, there’s just something about Fili that makes him feel a lot more familiar than he is.

“You want to go for a walk here or go for a drive?” Fili asks, the light inside the car spilling out to illuminate his form. He’s dressed casually, just in jeans and a plaid shirt with his short curls neatly coiffed.

“Drive,” Kili says, even though he knows he shouldn’t. It’s dangerous and stupid but he doesn’t want to hang around his neighborhood where Ori or anyone else could see them. This is something for them to discover alone and so he walks around and slides into the passenger seat. The leather is warm, even through his pants and Kili relaxes into the seat.

“That’s another reason why you can trust me,” Fili says and there’s a gleam of white teeth as he grins. “I wouldn’t want to get blood on these seats.”

“It’s a nice car,” Kili says, sliding his hand carefully over the seat before moving to feel the interior dashboard. He’s never driven in anything so nice, he doesn’t even own a car himself. It’s impractical at this point, he’d have to pay to license it and he’s a shoddy driver as it is. He’d probably spend his entire pay cheque on tickets and fees. Plus, their neighborhood is full of kind souls but Kili isn’t so delusional to know that a car would be broken into on a monthly basis, he’s sure.

“It was a gift from Dwalin,” Fili says and at the look of interest on Kili’s face, continues with, “That’s my uncle.”

“I have an uncle as well, and he’s never bloody well bought me a Bentley before,” Kili grumbles, reaching to the dash and he fiddles with the music until he’s able to get a station that he likes.

“Dwalin isn’t like most uncles,” Fili admits as he pulls away from the curb, the car softly purring. “He’s more of a father to me than anything.”

“That’s how Thorin is as well,” Kili says and his heart lurches at the knowledge that they have one more thing in common. “My dad died when I was small, I’ve only got one memory of him and I’m not even sure if it’s real.”

“My parents are dead too,” Fili says shortly. “I’ve got Dwalin and Balin, though. They’re brothers and they’ve done a solid job of raising me, I’d like to think.”

“Thorin has always been strict on me,” Kili says and he looks out the window where the London scenery is passing them by. Even though it’s the middle of the night, London is still alive.

“I’m sure he loves you,” Fili says, signaling and taking a left. They wind through the streets until they’ve left the city lights behind them, driving out on a small road where nothing but darkness lies before them.

“I thought we were going to a park,” Kili says but he’s still not afraid. He doesn’t know if it’s the adrenaline or just the basic fact that he already trusts Fili at his core but either way, he’s comfortable on their drive and even has his hand reaching for Fili’s. Fili’s skin is soft underneath his touch, and when Kili drags the pad of his finger along the back of his hand, Fili’s hand tightens against the gear stick.

“Your touch mesmerizes me,” he says softly.

“Nobody has ever said that to me before,” Kili says honestly and he’s just filled with so much want. “Maybe you should pull over.”

He doesn't understand how Fili has such an effect on him. Kili has been drawn to previous partners before, there's always been that chemistry, but this is to a whole different degree. This is far more intense than anything he's ever experienced before, to the point where he feels as if he is drowning and Fili is the only thing that can save him. A wriggling feel of unease sneaks through him, it's not normal to have such strong feelings for someone so quickly, but he feels so powerless against it.

It's something greater beyond his control.

“We’re almost there,” Fili says, glancing in the rear view mirror before accelerating the car, just a tad.

“Where are we going anyway?” Kili asks, pulling his hand back and he settles it in his lap.

“To a place I know,” Fili replies, slowing slightly so he can take a gentle left. The car coasts down a dirt drive way until it finally comes through a clearing of trees where in the middle of it all, a house sits in ruin. It looks deserted and slightly creepy and Kili isn’t certain why they’re here at all.

“What is this place?” He asks, unbuckling but he doesn’t make a move to exit the car. The knowledge that he’s with a stranger is especially overwhelming right now.

“My parents used to live here,” Fili says, swallowing hard and he stares straight out the windshield, his eyes focused on the ruined home. “This is where I grew up, right outside of London.”

“What happened to the house?” Kili asks, looking a little more curiously now. “It looks like a very old home.”

“It was a very long time ago,” Fili says with a quick smile before it fades. “Anyway, I thought we would be safer here to talk than a random park.”

“You don’t think parks are safe?” Kili laughs and shakes his head. “I hang out in parks all the time, or at least I used to when I went to university. Nothing happened.”

“Something could happen,” Fili counters and he’s frowning now. “Foul shit roams London at night. You should be more careful.”

"I am pretty sure there are worse things out here," Kili says, peering out the window with a frown. "There could be all sorts of animals out here."

"There're animals in London as well," Fili retorts, leaning back in his leather seat and he reclines it so he's able to slouch a bit. He paints a very pretty picture, if Kili is honest.

"I suppose there are," Kili says but he's bored of the conversation. He doesn't care what kind of wild creatures roam the city streets or forest paths. They have no affect on his life. Besides, he can think of other things he'd rather be doing right now and judging by the smirk on Fili's lips, Kili isn't as subtle as he thinks he is.

"Come on, let's get some fresh air," is what Fili says instead and Kili groans, thumping his head back against the leather headrest.

He climbs out of the car with Fili though, making his way around the hood of the car so he's able to stand by Fili. Now that they're away from the pub and other people, Kili is able to really get a good look at Fili. He's a bit shorter than Kili originally realized; in fact, Kili is a bit taller than him. Kili's taste runs with tall, dark, and handsome, so the fact that Fili is doing it for him in so many ways is perplexing but he's not about to start arguing. He's flexible, he can work with this. He thinks of all the exact ways he could work with Fili and the tip of his ears turn pink. Fili might be shorter, and blond, and overall adorable, but he is pretty much perfect in Kili's opinion.

"Guess I better come stand next to you in case any foul creatures run amuck," he says teasingly, nudging Fili's shoulder with his own. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Fili barks out sharp laughter at that and he grins at Kili, the curve of his smile tempting. "What makes you think I need protection?"

"You're small and precious," Kili blurts out before he realizes that possibly insulting someone about their height isn't the best way into their pants. "Uh, I clearly meant bad ass and fuckable."

Fili just laughs though and leans against the hood of the car, not seeming to care if his jeans leave any scratches on it. Kili briefly wonders what it must be like to not worry about money before deciding that he has better things to worry about, like Fili's fantastic ass. He steps closer to Fili, turning to face him and he carefully plants his hands against the car so Fili is bracketed by his body.

"If there are any big bad wolves in these woods, I'll protect you," Fili croons, reaching up to cup Kili's cheek and his pinky finger gently brushes against Kili's pulse point, which of course begins to thud.

Kili feels a sense of...unease wash over him at the words because while Fili is clearly aiming for teasing, there's a weight to his words that lead Kili to believe that Fili really would be able to defend him. He swallows hard and leans closer, pressing his lips to the curve of Fili's jaw, which is rough with stubble.

"Perhaps I'm the big bad wolf," he says, pressing his lips there a little bit harder until he nips with his teeth, as if to make his point.

"I'm not afraid of you," Fili says, turning his head so he's able to catch Kili's mouth against his own and they're finally, finally kissing. And it's amazing. It's honestly the best kiss that Kili's ever had in his life and it's hardly even begun. If Fili is this good at kissing, what is he going to be like at actual sex? Kili's going to die, in the best kind of way possible.

Fili is going to be the literal death of him.

Chapter Text

Fili has not survived over a hundred years of living by ignoring his instincts. There is nothing that can distract him, not even the feeling of having his soul mate in his arms. He has his tongue curled around Kili's, his right arm draped lazily around Kili's waist when the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. He pulls back sharply and spins around, his eyes scrutinizing their surroundings.

There's nothing behind him but Fili isn't fooled for a moment. He knows there's something unnatural going on around here. It angers him not only because it puts Kili in danger, but because this was his home. This was the home he shared with his parents and hunters have no right to be here, tainting the few memories he still has of them.

"What's going on?" Kili frowns, pulling away from him. He hunches his shoulders in, shoving his fists into the pockets of his worn jacket. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Fili says, scanning the horizon. Ever since he was changed, he's been able to see in the darkness and so the lack of lights doesn't bother him. The world around them is still... except there, by the old oak tree that Fili used to climb as a child, there's a hint of motion.

"Doesn't feel like nothing," Kili says, narrowing his own gaze and he tries to peer into the darkness with Fili.

There's a glint of silver in the moonlight and Fili immediately knows that it isn't a wild animal or even a lost human, bumbling around Fili's homestead. It's a hunter, it is someone who is here specifically to hurt him - and Kili. That will never, never do.

"Get in the car," he says quietly, rolling his shoulders.

Fuck it all to hell, honestly. He's wearing his favourite leather jacket, because it makes his shoulders look great. And he's wearing his best pair of tight black pants because they show off his ass. He had wanted tonight to impress Kili and now, unless he can think of something creative, Kili is going to think a lot less of him.

"Let me guess, this is where you protect me from the big, bad wolves?" Kili asks with a grin on his face, and he folds his arms across his chest. "Perhaps I ought to be protecting you. After all, I am taller."

There's definite motion in the grass now, a figure slinking towards them and when the moon gleams just right, Fili's able to see that the man is holding a small axe. He curses, it's portable and it's clearly brought along so he's able to cut Fili's head from his neck, effectively ending his life and leaving Kili defenseless. The myths that it takes a wooden stake to the heart or a holy cross are just that - myths. It's easy enough to kill a vampire, all you have to do is remove their head from their body.

"Get in the car, now," Fili snaps because he doesn't have time to explain to Kili what's happening. How would he even begin that conversation? All he can do is hope that Kili gets in the car and it's dark enough that he's not able to witness Fili destroying this motherfucker who dares to encroach on his territory.

Kili hurries around the vehicle and throws open the passenger door but pauses, one leg inside and one out. "Aren't you coming? If there's something out there, let's drive away!"

"It will only follow," Fili says grimly because hunters aren't going to be dissuaded by a little chase. If anything, it will only encourage them. He has no idea if they know who Kili is, what he means to Fili, and where he lives. He has no plans of giving them that information on a silver platter.

“Well, do you have a gun or something?” Kili demands, pulling his leg out of the car and he stares at Fili, his eyes wide. “Golf clubs even?”

“Get in the fucking car, I’m not going to say it again,” Fili says, peeling his jacket off and he tosses it on the hood of the car. He’d loathe to get blood on it.

The figure breaks free from the tall grass with a guttural scream – sounding more animal than human and Fili’s muscles freeze before coming to life. He leaps forward, his fangs elongating and he grabs the man by the collar of his shirt, flipping him to the ground. The man rolls deftly to the side, despite his age, and swings out with the axe. Fili leaps back and it just narrowly avoids his leg, nicking his calf and shredding the material.

“Jesus,” Kili exclaims from the distance and there’s movement in Fili’s peripheral view, he can see dark hair bounding closer towards the danger, rather than away from it.

“Stop!” He shouts, twisting his head so Kili won’t see his fangs.

The man is on his feet now and he throws the axe as hard as he can. Fili’s distracted by Kili, his reflexes slowed, and although he darts to the side, the axe still catches him in the shoulder, pinning him to a tree. Fili lets out a roar at the pain, reaching up and yanking the blade free.

Kili is on him before he can even blink, his face pale and bloodless, his lips pressed thin. His hands shake as he yanks his own leather jacket from his shoulders and strips his grey t-shirt off, balling it up and pressing it firmly against the wound.

“Oh my god,” he breathes, the tremors moving into his arms.

“Get in the car,” Fili says again, this time pleading, because the man is advancing towards them and he’s got another knife in his hand.

“Just give him your wallet,” Kili says, reaching into Fili’s back pocket and he pulls out the thin, black leather wallet that Balin had gifted to him for his birthday three years ago. He throws it at the feet of the man who has momentarily paused. “Here’s your money, asshole! Just leave us alone!”

“He doesn’t want money,” Fili says irritably, and he pushes Kili away, back and behind him, before he takes a step forward, swinging the axe in his left hand. “You can still walk away from this. I don’t have to kill you.”

"You won't kill me," the man sneers and he takes another step closer to them, this one bringing him into the glare of the headlights and his face is illuminated. Beside him, Kili sucks in a sharp breath and pushes himself past Fili, holding out an arm.

"Bifur?" He says softly, his voice full of caution. "It's Kili... I work at the Prancing Pony? Are you all right?"

"You know him?" Fili demands and something deep in his soul aches with the knowledge that his soul mate knows hunters who are set on destroying him. What if Kili himself is... he wrenches the thought away, it's a moment of weakness and one he can't afford. He steps to the side, away from Bifur and Kili, making them a triangle.

"He's Bofur's cousin," Kili says. "He's... a bit touched in the head," he adds apologetically.

Bifur doesn't refute his claim, but he does lash his arm out, the knife catching Kili right under his chin, splitting the skin open. Kili stumbles backwards, his hand flying up to press against the wound. It's shallow, there isn't even much blood but the point is there is blood and before Fili's good sense can claim dominance, his instincts take over. He's moving over to Kili before he realizes it, lowering him gently to the ground and his mouth is watering, he want to taste him so badly... his soul mate's blood would taste sweeter than any wine, richer than any dessert... it would be true decadence to his pallet.

He would never be the one to bring destruction and ruin to his mate, though, and so he pulls the bloody shirt away from his own wound and presses it against Kili's throat. He reaches for Kili's hand with his free arm and prompts him to hold it there. He doesn't have time to sit here and coddle him, not when the one who hurt Kili, who spilled his blood, still lives. Once he's sure that Kili has the strength to hold the cloth, he rises to his feet.

Red swims in his vision, there's a rage in his bones that has never existed before. Fili has never felt anger like this, and the power and strength he gains from it courses through his veins until he feels almost dizzy. Hands balled at his side, he tips his head back and roars so the whole world might know of the injustice that has been committed against his mate.

"Fili, don't," Kili says, reaching out a hand. "I'm calling the police!"

Fili can hear the blood rushing to his skull, thrumming in his eardrums, and he lunges forward. Bifur steps to the side, ducking down to avoid him, but Fili twists at the last minute and is able to grab Bifur by the collar, jerking him around and down. Bifur thrusts out his arm to break free but Fili twists it behind his back, sharpening his grip until he hears the satisfying crunch of a bone breaking.

Bifur and Kili both scream, but Fili is far too gone with his protective instincts to stop and be rational. He continues to twist the arm, pulling Bifur down to the ground and he lunges forward, his teeth elongating and he rips Bifur's throat out in one swift motion. Bifur thrashes underneath him momentarily but Fili sucks his blood out in long, deep gulps until his legs still and his neck lolls to the side.

Pushing the corpse away, Fili rises to his feet and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. His rationality is returning to him now that the threat is gone, the red draining from his vision and he blinks slowly, licking the last of the blood from the corner of his lip. He turns to Kili, apologies on his tongue, but they fade away when his eyes meet Kili's.

He has seen terror in the whites of men's eyes before, and he sees it now when he looks at his soul mate.

"Kili?" He asks hesitantly, stepping closer with one hand out-stretched. "It's all right, I won't harm you."

"Don't come any nearer," Kili whispers, his face as pale as the dead man's, except his is because of fear. He fears Fili, when all he wanted was to prove his protection and love.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Fili says gently and he takes another slow, hesitant step towards Kili. "I was protecting you and he's dead now. It's all right."

"It's the very opposite of that," Kili says, and his voice is shaking as his gaze slides over to where Bifur lays. "He is my boss' cousin and you've just murdered him."

"So he didn't murder us first," Fili points out, feeling the beginning of a tension headache start in the nape of his neck. "I saved your life and this is the thanks you're giving me?"

"I'm not going to thank you for murdering Bifur," Kili says, scrambling away and losing the distance that Fili had gained. "I'm going to walk home and you are going to leave me alone."

"I'm not going to let you walk home," Fili says because hunters sometimes travel in pairs and what if the danger is still out there? "I will drive you, if you please."

"I don't please," Kili sneers, pulling the cloth from his neck and his fingers carefully dab the wound. The blood flow is sluggish, though, Fili can see it, and knows that although it will scar and could probably use a stitch or two, Kili won't bleed out on the field of Fili's homestead.

"I was protecting you," Fili says quietly, his shoulder throbbing from where the axe had caught him. The pain is minimal compared to the pain he is feeling in his heart, though. "I won't let anything happen to you. If I need to say I'm sorry for taking Bifur's life, then I'll say it, but I'm not sorry - not if it means you're unhurt."

"You can't just murder someone," Kili says, unsteady on his feet and he wavers slightly. "I need to call the police. We need to report this. I need to tell Bofur... oh god. He's going to fire me."

"Then he's an idiot," Fili says impatiently, gently pulling his shoulder close to his neck to test the muscle. It's tender but there's no sharp pain, which is a relief. The axe didn't cut through the tendons, at least. "It's not like you killed him."

"Fuck," Kili swears, pressing his hand against his mouth and he breathes sharply through his nostrils. "I don't even know you. I met you in a bar, for god's sake. And now you're committing murder. Are you going to find a reason to kill me next and claim self defense?"

"For Christ's sake, I saved your life," Fili says peevishly, his entire body beginning to ache. This is why Dwalin had sounded so disappointed and resigned when he acknowledged his soul mate was human. Humans are fragile and clueless, easy to die and slow to understand this world is part of something bigger.

He wishes he had never met Kili.

Kili doesn't answer him, instead he's half-turned his back to him, keeping one eye on Fili as he dials on his phone. He holds the phone to his ear as it rings, a pained expression on his face. Fili takes another step closer to him, just wanting to reassure Kili that he'll take him home and let him decompress for a few days before he tries reaching out again, but at the slight hint of movement, Kili stumbles back a few steps.

"Uncle Thorin?" He says quietly into the phone, sounding reluctant. "It's me... Kili. I need you to come pick me up."

"I'll drive you back to your flat," Fili says quietly, staring down at the patched gravel underneath his feet. Bifur's body still glows in the headlights of the car and Fili really needs to take care of the body but Kili has already proven to be so squeamish.

"Don't bother," Kili says to him before he turns his back completely and begins to walk down the lane towards the highway as he returns to his phone call. "I'm roughly twenty miles east of London... some burnt down farm house. I don't know exactly... no, I know. Something happened, I wouldn't call you unless it was serious."

Fili hesitates, torn in between destroying the evidence and protecting Kili. He finally walks around to the boot of the car and pops the latch, lifting the lid to reveal it as empty. However, he slides his fingers down the side of the left until he finds a small button and pushes it, exposing a compartment full of weapons. He grabs the bone saw and walks closer over to where Bifur is lying.

Once he's finished and his trousers have become even bloodier than before, he grabs the jug of water from his car and sloshes it over his hands, scrubbing them as clean as he can, before he does it again, but this time with hydrogen peroxide. His nostrils burn with the smell but at least he'll be able to drive his car without getting blood all over the steering wheel. He's going to have to buckle down and lay low in the upcoming weeks because unless he can convince Kili otherwise, he knows that he will go to the police.

Having buried the body deep in the ruins of his childhood home, joining the bones of the hunters before him, Fili climbs into his car and drives slowly back towards London, his eyes roaming the ditches and the roads, desperately searching for Kili. He drives the entire way back to Kili's flat, going around and around the blocks, but it doesn't matter -- there is no sign of him.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" Are the first comforting words that Kili hears as Thorin pulls to a short stop beside him on the small road, the window rolled down.

Kili doesn't bother to answer him immediately, instead he hurries around to the passenger side and climbs in, locking the door behind him and buckling up. "Drive, please," he says, his voice cracking. He's covered in blood, his neck is throbbing, and there is a pit in his stomach at the thought of Bifur laying there on the dirt so lifeless.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Thorin says, once he gets a good look at Kili. "What happened?"

"We were attacked," Kili says, his eyes beginning to sting. He had trusted Fili, he had felt so comfortable and safe with him! He was an idiot; what kind of fool went somewhere with a perfect stranger? Someone asking for trouble, clearly. "And... the guy I was with, a guy I don't even know, killed him!"

"Was it self-defense?" Thorin asks, narrowing his gaze. In his youth Thorin had gone to law school and had almost taken his boards. However, he had a change of heart at the last minute and had become an accountant instead. It's a touchy subject, one that Thorin has never really discussed, but Kili knows that in matters of the law, Thorin still knows what he's talking about.

"Yes, kind of? I mean, the guy - who is crazy, by the way - had an axe. He also had a knife, which he used on my throat. It's a shallow wound but yes, he used the axe on Fili and I know he was defending himself, and I guess me, but..."

"But what?" Thorin prompts, increasing the pressure on the accelerator and they roar down the road a little faster, the city lights of London growing closer. The less they are in the dark, the more comfortable Kili is beginning to feel.

"My eyes must have been playing tricks on me," Kili says, rubbing his eyes gently. "It almost looked like Fili used his teeth to kill Bifur... but that's impossible?"

"It's not completely unheard of," Thorin says darkly, glancing over towards Kili once more. "I want you to tell me everything you know about this Fili. And you said Bifur - you know the man who attacked you?"

"He's my boss' cousin," Kili says, playing with the seatbelt that rides high up his chest, dangerously close to his neck wound. "He's not all there, Bofur has warned me not to cross him. I've done my best to always be polite to him."

"I didn't realize you had a job," Thorin says stiffly.

"It's new, but I'm enjoying it. Or at least, I was," Kili says mournfully because he knows that once Bofur learns about his cousin's death, he's going to fire Kili on the spot. "Bofur is going to be furious."

"Don't mention this to Bofur, let the police handle that aspect," Thorin instructs, taking a left turn, instead of right, and at Kili's raised eyebrow, he says, "I don't think you should go back to your flat tonight."

"No, I shouldn't," Kili agrees, pulling out his phone and he texts Ori, telling him that he should probably take off for a few days and go visit Nori because their flat isn't safe. Their flat, which has been Kili's refuge from the world, is suddenly vulnerable and it hurts more than he'd like to admit. "Fili picked me up there, he knows where I live."

"Where did you meet him?"

"At work, I'm a bartender at a pub," Kili explains softly. "He was a customer and we hit it off right away. We texted for a little bit, we were supposed to have a proper date on Friday but neither of us wanted to wait that long. He asked me if I want to go for a drive and so I said yes, even though I knew that it was stupid. I didn't think anything would happen, though."

"So you drive out to this deserted farm house and then your boss' cousin attacks you? He must have been following you, then," Thorin says. "I think it's wise that you resign from your job."

"The strange thing is, though, I don't think Bifur was after me," Kili says slowly. "I mean, he tried to slash my throat, but at first, and for the most part, he was really focused on Fili. He doesn't even know Fili, though."

"So they fought and then Fili ripped his throat out with his teeth?"

"No... I mean, yes. He ripped Bifur's throat with his teeth and then it almost looked like he was drinking the blood, but that's just disturbing. I know my eyes played tricks on me."

Thorin's knuckles tighten on the steering wheel and he exhales harshly. "Your mother and I... there's something we should probably tell you."

"What is it?" Kili demands, the tiny hairs on the back of his neck standing upright. "What is it?"

"Wait until we get home," Thorin says firmly, his tone brooking no argument and so Kili slumps back against the seat and waits until they finally arrive at the small house in Wandsworth that Thorin and Dis share.

The moment they're inside the house, his mother is hurrying over to them, her face pinched with worry. She examines his neck carefully, the first aid already beside the couch, which must mean that Thorin texted her sometime to give her warning. She smears cream on a bandage and wraps his throat up to stave off infection, her hands gentle.

"What happened, sweetheart?" She asks, brushing her hand through his hair as they sit on the couch together. "You were attacked? I'm so grateful that you're all right."

"One dead, the other still at large," Thorin says shortly, crossing the room and he sits down heavily in the arm chair. "The one that got away happens to be Kili's...boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," Kili says defensively, ignoring his mother's shocked gasp. "We went on one date, if you can even call it that, considering it ended in such terrific bloodshed."

"He went on a date with a vampire," Thorin says and Kili laughs suddenly, because Thorin has never been one for jokes and yet, here they are.

Dis' face pales of colour and she turns her focus back on Kili. "Is this true?" She demands, her grip on him tightening. "Damn it, Kili!"

"Listen, just because Fili bit the guy, doesn't mean he's a bloody vampire," Kili says dryly, pulling away from his mother and he stands to give himself distance. "It's not really something to joke about, Uncle."

"Do I look like I'm making a jest?" Thorin demands and when Kili really examines his face, he sees how serious Thorin looks. "There is something we should have told you a long time ago, Kili. Please sit down."

"I'd rather stand, if it's all the same."

"Have it your way," Thorin huffs. "Now, listen closely to me, nephew, and please don't speak until I'm finished. What you are about to hear is something you will consider outlandish, but I have never lied to you and I never will. Vampires are not a myth, nor a lore. They are real, genuine supernatural beings that must be avoided at all costs. They are pure evil, the devil incarnate."

"Oh for Christ's sake," Kili mutters, beginning to regret phoning Thorin at all. Death at the hands of Fili would have been more preferable than this.

"When I was young," Thorin says, ignoring Kili's slight outburst. "I had a great love. He was my future and I was very much in love with him. He was murdered, though. He was killed in a back alley by a pair of vampires. I was the one who found him, and I have never seen so much blood in my life.”

“I thought vampires drank blood, how would there be any left?” Kili says sarcastically, but the look on Thorin’s face doesn’t imply that he’s joking. He looks drawn and haunted, almost as if he’s really remembering a dead lover. “Are you serious about the boyfriend part?”

“I wouldn’t lie about something like this,” Thorin says, and there’s a wet catch in his voice. “His name was Bilbo Baggins and he was the most remarkable human being I knew.”

“Treat this with respect,” his mother snaps, swatting the back of his head. “Your uncle is baring his soul to you, now is not the time for tasteless remarks. I knew Bilbo as well, and felt his loss.”

“I’m sorry,” Kili says contritely. He doesn’t want Thorin to think he’s completely heartless. “How come you never told me about him?”

“I’ve never spoken about Bilbo again,” Thorin says quietly, rubbing his hand over his eyes. “I loved him with everything I had and when he was gone, I swore I would never love again. There is a supernatural world amongst us, and I’ve done my best to protect you from it. And yet, it seems to have found you regardless."

"Fili isn't supernatural," Kili protests, although it sounds weak even to his own ears. Surely accepting Fili being supernatural would be more preferable, because the only one other option is that Fili is a psychopath. Kili had not felt like he was crazy, not truly.

"Your Fili is a vampire," Thorin says darkly. "I would reckon the dead one either being a vampire as well, or perhaps a vampire hunter."

"He was my boss' cousin," Kili says, his voice soft. "Bofur is going to be heartbroken."

"Let the police handle Bofur," his uncle says firmly. "You are to act as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. You are also to avoid this vampire at all costs. Swear on your father's life, Kili, that you will listen to me."

"I ran away from him, didn't I?" Kili snaps, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He can still feel Fili's presence over his shoulder. "Clearly I'm terrified of him, I'm not a complete dolt. I won't be seeking him out, if that's what you're afraid of."

"You have a habit of making poor decisions," Thorin says peevishly.

"Just because I dropped out of uni doesn't mean I make poor decisions constantly," Kili argues, feeling his face begin to heat up. He should have just gone back to his flat, Fili be damned. Anything, including death, would be better than rehashing this old argument out for the millionth time.

"Oh, for god's sake," Dis mutters, pushing herself to her feet. "We're not discussing this again, at least not tonight. Kili almost died tonight, Thorin. Spare him your lectures."

"If he had stayed in university, he might not be in this predicament," Thorin argues, jumping to his feet and he folds his arms across his chest. "He'd be living in dorms, studying at night, instead of driving into deserted fields with a vampire he doesn't know!"

"I didn't know he was a vampire!" Kili exclaims. "I'll never see him again, trust me!"

There's a sudden pounding on the front door and the room goes silent. Something in Kili's chest seizes and he's gripping the arm of the couch, his knees weak. Silence reigns until there's a resounding thump again, before a voice, one he would recognize anywhere, calls out his name.

"Fuck, it's Fili," he breathes.

Chapter Text

There’s silence behind the door, a silence where everyone has frozen still, rather than an empty house. Then, if he strains his ears hard enough, he can hear a murmur of voices, able to pick out the rising panic of Kili’s voice. He knocks again, smoothing his hair back. He wishes Kili wouldn’t fear him, and he especially wishes he had time to go home and change. He’s about to meet people that are important to Kili, and he doesn’t think blood soaked clothing will make a good impression.

“Kili,” he calls, swallowing hard. “Please let me in. Please give me the chance to explain.”

The door remains firmly locked, and Fili sighs. He had expected it to be a bit of a shock to Kili, but he hadn’t thought that he would run away from him, that Kili would reject him so easily. It hurts more than he’s willing to admit. This is why Dwalin and Balin had been reluctant when they found out that Kili was human. They understand that humans will never fit into the supernatural world.

Fili is a fool for believing otherwise.

“Kili,” he tries again, hoping that Kili’s neighbours will know what’s best for them and keep their noses out of this. “Please talk to me.”

The voices rise in volume as they get closer to the door, and there’s a thump before the door is swung open, Kili in the doorway. He’s pale and wide-eyed, but he steps back to let Fili enter his home. It proves his innocence, because if he was any sort of hunter, he would know that it’s never wise to welcome a vampire into your home.

“Kili, no!” A voice shouts before a man barrels around the corner, clutching a gilded golden cross, and he brandishes it out towards Fili with a wild swing of his fist.

Fili raises an eyebrow and steps inside the home, shutting the door. The cross will do absolutely nothing, since that is purely a mythical defense, but it’s damning evidence all the same. Kili may be innocent about the supernatural world, but this man is clearly not.

He knows what Fili is, and he suspects he knows how to deal with him.

“That won’t work, but I’m not going to hurt you,” Fili says quietly, raising his hands to show that he’s defenseless. “If you’re important to Kili, then I consider you a friend.”

“You’re no friend of mine,” the man snarls, jabbing the cross in Fili’s direction. “Keep your distance, you foul beast of the night!”

“Uncle, that’s enough!” Kili exclaims, frowning at him. “I want to hear him out.”

“He has no right to be in our home,” a woman says as she sweeps into the room. She’s not carrying anything in her hands, but there’s enough of a glint in her gaze for Fili to know she’s not to be trusted either. “You can’t welcome a vampire into your home! Once you’ve done so, he’s able to enter any time. If we live through this night, we will be moving by morning.”

“There’s no need to move,” Fili says, remaining still. Even though he could destroy this entire family in mere moments, he doesn’t want to resort to violence, not if he wants any shot of working things out with Kili. “I swear that I have nothing but good intentions.”

“How did you find me?” Kili demands, taking a step closer to the woman. He looks like her, both dark haired with a sharper nose. If Fili had to wager a guess, he would expect her to be Kili’s mother, which means he really must tread carefully here.

“I followed your scent here,” Fili says honestly, because the time for lies and secrets is done. If they have any chance at a future, then it's time that Fili is honest and forthright about who – and what – he is. "I can smell your blood."

"That's really creepy!" Kili exclaims, taking a step back.

"I know it sounds terrible, but I promise it's not," Fili says quickly, keeping his palms where they can see them. "I want to explain, Kili. I want to tell you everything."

"I'm listening," he says cautiously, his eyes darting over to the woman before moving back to Fili. "Will you leave if I ask, though?"

"Kili, I would do almost anything you ask of me," Fili admits, laying his cards bare. He takes a step forward, and is pleased when Kili doesn't shy away. "Your family has probably told you some things they suspect of me."

"They say you're a... vampire," Kili says, his voice hitching on the word. "I didn't think any of that existed."

"It all exists," Fili breathes, his fingers twitching. "It's all real, Kili. Anything you could dream of in a supernatural world - it all exists. Vampires, werewolves, witches, and demons, it's all real."

"That's terrifying," Kili whispers, dropping his gaze to the floor. "I don't like being scared, Fili."

"I would never scare you, nor would I let anything else," Fili says firmly, this time directing his attention to the man that is still holding the cross. "I was walking down the road, on my way home, when there was suddenly the most delicious scent in the world. It filled my nostrils, it wound its way around me, and ensnared me. I was helpless against it, and I followed it, all the way down this little street to a little pub called - "

"The Prancing Pony," Kili interrupts, his head jerking up. His face is pale, drained of colour, but his hands aren't trembling anymore, so Fili will count it as win, or at least a step in the right direction.

"The Prancing Pony," Fili confirms, and this time he reaches out to gentle tangle their fingers together. "The moment I laid eyes on you, my soul leapt within my chest. My soul recognized you, for you are my other half, Kili. I have lived lifetimes, feeling empty, but it wasn't until our eyes met that I felt whole."

There's a sharp intake of breath from all three humans, but Kili is the only one that Fili keeps his eyes trained on. The man and woman can be disposed of, if necessary, but they seem important to Kili, and so he'd rather they not get in his way. He tightens his grip around Kili's hand and gently pulls him forward. Kili stumbles, but then falls against him and presses his face into the curve of Fili's neck, his breath uneven against Fili's skin.

"I felt like I had known you forever," he murmurs.

"That was your soul responding," Fili says quietly, dropping one hand from Kili's so he's able to run his hand through Kili's tangled hair. "I would never harm you, I need you to believe me."

"I don't believe you," the man, Kili’s uncle, says shakily. "Your kind aren't to be trusted, you're not capable of self control."

"I have plenty of self control," Fili retorts, turning his head to finally glare at the man. He flinches at Fili’s gaze, and Fili smirks. He's not about to let any mere human intimidate him. "I'll have you know that besides when I was first turned, I have refrained from consuming human blood. I have the greatest amount of respect for humans, and unless I am provoked, I do not attack."

"You're lying," the man says stubbornly, jutting a chiseled jaw out at him, eyes steely. "The moment you have Kili alone, you'll drain him dry."

"I swear on my life, on the life of my clan, that I would never," Fili says steadily, brushing his lips against Kili's temple. It feels so good to hold him close again.

"Do you promise?" Kili asks, pulling back so he's able to look at Fili. His breath hitches, and he slowly tilts his head back, baring the pale column of his throat to Fili. "What if I offered?"

"Kili!" The woman shouts, taking a step forward, but Fili throws an arm out and she comes to an abrupt halt.

"Even if you offered, I would deny myself," Fili says, dragging his tongue up Kili's neck slowly. "You are more valuable alive to me, my love."

Kili shivers against him, and slowly pulls away, putting distance between them. "This is a lot to take in, I hope you realize that," he says quietly. "Until today, I didn't even know a supernatural world existed. Now I've learned that all the myths are real, and that you've killed my boss' cousin."

"I do regret that, but like I said, Kili - I will not kill unless I am provoked. And attempting to kill my soul mate is a very good way of provoking me," Fili shrugs his shoulders. "I will never apologize for doing whatever is in my power to keep you safe."

"So now what?" Kili demands, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm supposed to leave my job? If my boss finds out that you killed his cousin, I'm dead as well."

"Obviously I want you to quit your job," Fili nods his head. "I understand that it may seem unfair of me to ask that, but your boss is either a vampire hunter, or associates with them. That is a risk to not only me, but to you as well. If they find out that you are with me, they will kill you."

"He's not a vampire," the man interjects. "They wouldn't harm him."

"I promise you that you are wrong on that accord," Fili says softly. "It is in their code to kill him. They believe that death is better than association with vampires, regardless of the nature of the relationship."

"I was enjoying that job," Kili huffs out.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to risk your life, and my own, for a job at a low dime pub," Fili raises an eyebrow. "Surely you can understand that."

"You're presuming a lot," the woman says, stepping in front of Kili, neatly cutting him off from Fili. "You tell my son some story about how he is your one and only, and yet you offer him no proof of this, and you demand much of him."

"I don't need to offer him any proof," Fili shrugs his shoulders. "Kili knows it in his heart as well, if he looks deep enough."

"Oh for god's sake," the man mutters, rolling his eyes and he strides out of the room.
There's a thump of movement, a crack of a can, and then a slow guzzle of liquid. The rest of them slowly migrate that way as well, until they're all in a living room, complete with a roaring fireplace. The man is sitting in an arm chair, drinking a beer.

"This is my Uncle Thorin," Kili says, moving around the woman so he's able to be closer to Fili, and something deep in Fili's chest purrs with contentment. "And this is my mother, Dis."

"I'm pleased to meet you both, and I'm sorry it had to be under such circumstances," Fili says, nodding his head respectfully at both of them. "You are Kili's family, and therefore, you are under my protection as well."

The woman - Dis - seems marginally more trusting of him now, and gracefully lowers herself down on to a sofa, bundling her dressing gown tighter around her body. The thin features on her face are still pinched, and her forefinger picks at the skin on her thumb, almost unconsciously. It is obvious that neither of them will be easily won, but Fili has lived this long.

He can wait.

"I think I need some time," Kili says, his voice a low murmur. "I'm not saying that I don't believe you, because I do, but I need some time. It's a lot to understand in an evening, and it's been... quite the night."

"I understand," Fili says, even though he doesn't. The more Kili dwells on it, the more he'll over think it - that's human nature! He will ruin them before they've even started, and that's not fair to Fili.

"Give me some space, and then I will call you?" Kili says, and his voice tips up at the end, making it a question, like he's unsure he will ever contact Fili again. "I promise I'm not shutting you out. I do think we have something here, I mean... I feel something here, but it's going to take a lot more than some words and a crazy night to make me throw away all my common sense."

Thorin mutters something from the corner, but no one pays him any mind.

"You won't disappear, will you?" Fili asks, careful to keep the plaintive note out of his voice. Now that he's finally found Kili, he can't imagine losing him, and trying to find him all over again.

"No, I won't disappear," Kili assures him, and then raises an eyebrow at Dis. "We're not disappearing."

"Think of Bilbo," Thorin implores from his chair, and he stares down into his can of alcohol. "Think of Bilbo, Kili. Let Bilbo be a lesson to you, if nothing else. Give his life purpose."

"Look, Uncle," Kili huffs out, and Fili is left wondering - who is Bilbo? "I am sorry for what happened to you, I truly am. Fili is not an animal, though. I've seen him with countless of people, and he's only ever killed one."

"I have excellent self control," Fili reaffirms, concluding that this Bilbo character must have died at the hands of vampires. Unfortunately, that's not an uncommon tale, and it's a good reason as to why humans distrust vampires. "I am sorry for whatever circumstances this Bilbo found himself in, but I promise you that you will never need to worry about such actions from myself, or my clan."

"Let me think, and I'll call you," Kili repeats, and this time his voice sounds a lot more certain. "I've been single for my entire life, I've never had a serious relationship. I'm a little dubious of anyone who calls me their soul mate, but I'm willing to be called friend."

Fili's heart sinks, but he forces himself to smile regardless. "Even friendship is a gift too kind of you to extend," he says, nodding his head at Kili. "I will eagerly await your call."

He doesn't wait for a reply, he nods his head briefly at Thorin and Dis, and then turns and strides out of the house, carefully shutting the door behind himself. He's sure they will probably still move come morning. Kili's mother and uncle are far too wary of the supernatural world to trust anything he says, but it's all right. They can move around all they want, but he will find them each time. And in the rare instance that he doesn't, Kili will come to him.

It's in his blood, after all.

It's almost six in the morning by the time Fili emerges from his bedroom, showered and in clean clothes, but Dwalin and Balin are both wide awake, of course. They're both in the living room, Balin idly flipping through a thick book, and Dwalin watching the football game from last night. Fili strides into the room and takes the remote, turning the TV off.

"I've killed a hunter," he says before Dwalin can protest about losing his game.

Balin closes his book, keeping his index finger as the bookmark, and raises his eyebrows. "You've killed someone?"

"Yes," Fili says, nodding his head. "He stalked me, and engaged me in a battle. I, of course, won."

"We'll have to file paperwork," Dwalin grunts, rolling his eyes. "You know I hate paperwork."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Sorry to be such an inconvenience," Fili says, sarcasm dripping from his words. "I also had Kili with me, so he witnessed everything."

"What?" Dwalin exclaims, surging to his feet. "You killed a hunter in front of a human? Fili, you know so much better than that!"

"I had no choice," Fili says stubbornly, folding his arms over his chest. "He attacked Kili, he hurt him. I wasn't going to tolerate that, not to mention - I was fighting for my life! He would have killed the pair of us if he could have."

"Do you know who he was?" Balin asks, setting his book aside. His gaze runs over Fili's frame critically. "Are you all right? The pair of you are safe, though?"

"We're fine, although Kili is quite shook up, as to be expected. I've had to tell him of my condition a lot sooner than I planned, and he didn't handle it as gracefully as I was hoping he would. He also knew the hunter."

"He knew the hunter?" Dwalin scowls. "You're involved with a hunter?"

"Kili isn't a hunter, but he was working for one. However, he's completely naive to the supernatural world, or at least he was. He is now, unfortunately, a little more intimate with it than I had originally planned at this point," Fili says, rubbing his left eyebrow. "He just wants to be friends."

"Your soul mate rejects the bond?" Balin asks quietly, his face softening into sympathy. "I'm terribly sorry, Fili."

"He hasn't rejected me," Fili shakes his head. "He's confused, and a little scared, but there is still plenty of attraction there. I know that if I'm patient and give him a little time and space, he'll come around. He won't be able to deny me forever. He was afraid of me at first, but once I followed him home, he was already more comfortable with me."

"That's promising then," Balin says encouragingly. "I'm glad to see you're all right. I know you're capable of caring for yourself, but you'll always be that young boy to me that desperately needed help. I suppose it's my old age speaking."

Fili smiles, and ducks his head in Balin's direction. He's expressed his gratitude over the years towards Balin and Dwalin for rescuing him, for saving him from death or perhaps a life worse than death - a life of a mindless killer, destroying everything in his path. If he had turned out like that, and lived this long, he's sure that he would have killed Kili the instant he met him.

"Who was the hunter?" Dwalin asks, crossing the room to pull out a large, leather bound book. He sets it down on the table and flips it open, the first pages yellowing and curling at the edges, the back pages newer and crisp.

It's their book of hunters, of every one they've crossed or have heard of within the vampire community. It has their families, their whereabouts, their motives, every single particle of information they've been able to glean about them. They update it as carefully and frequently as they can, sharing information with other vampires, for each family has their own version. It's the most valuable artifact in their home, and Fili has been raised with the knowledge of treasuring it.

"His name was Bifur," Fili says, moving to lean over Dwalin's shoulder, watching intently as he flips through the book. "He's a cousin to Kili's boss, Bofur. He owns the Prancing Pony."

Dwalin flips towards the back of the book, eyes scanning the pages until he finally comes to a stop, pointing down at the man that Fili had kill earlier in the evening.

"That's him," Fili says quietly, swallowing thickly. His body is tender and sore, healing from the wounds that Bifur had managed to inflict before meeting his death. Fili had not enjoyed hurting him, he would never thrive off of killing someone, but it had truly been his only option. "That's Bifur."

"He has a few more associates," Dwalin says, reading over the page that is dedicated to Bifur and his clan. "Known associates are Bofur and Bombur, they appear to be related to him. However, he's also been seen in the company of Nori, who is a well known hunter."

Balin exhales heavily. "If he knows Nori, then Nori will seek his revenge."

"Kili isn't safe out there in the world," Fili frets, chewing on his bottom lip as a bundle of nerves settle low in his belly. "I wish he trusted me enough to stay with me for a few days so I could protect him. I promised I would give him space, though."

"Give him a day, and then suggest it to him," Balin instructs. "In the meantime, keep an eye on him, as much as you can. Be discreet, he won't thank you for stalking him."

"No, I doubt he would," Fili says, with a rueful grin as he thinks about Kili.

He takes the rest of the early morning to rest, convinced that Kili is safe enough with his mother and uncle. He manages to get enough sleep so he can function properly, which is important if he needs to defend himself, or Kili. He dresses in neutral coloured clothes, puts a ball cap on his head, and sunscreen on his nose to help block the powerful sun's rays against his sensitive skin. He loads himself up with weapons, and then he plants himself outside of Kili's home, hidden away behind a guitar, strumming away to look as harmless as a vagabond.

The morning is quiet, and he doesn't see Kili emerging from the house until it's early afternoon. He's dressed in simple jeans and a long sleeved grey t-shirt, his long hair pulled back into a bun. He's absolutely gorgeous, and Fili's gums feel itchy as his teeth start to descend. He pushes the desire to the back of his mind and wrangles his body under control. He's here to ensure that Kili remains safe, not because he has a chance.

He shoves the guitar under a bush once Kili has walked by and slinks behind him slowly, always careful to keep his distance. He doesn't know where Kili is headed, his clothing don't suggest that he has a job interview, or that he's going out with friends, or anything specific. He could be going anywhere.

It's a bit of a struggle to keep up with him; Kili moves quicker than Fili had anticipated he would, and he switches between walking and taking the bus, but Fili always manages to stay close on his tail, undetected. Kili turns the corner on a street that looks vaguely familiar to Fili, and then slips inside of a building.

Glancing up at the sign, Fili curses when he sees that it's the Prancing Pony. He hesitates on the sidewalk, ignoring the woman pushing the pram that skirts around him with an annoyed huff. If he goes inside, he’ll have broken his word to Kili to leave him alone. If he doesn’t go in, though, there’s a chance that harm could come to Kili, and he would have done absolutely nothing to prevent it.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he winds his way down the street so he can get to the back of the pub, and slips in the backdoor, a knife tucked into the sleeve of his jacket, just in case.

The sun shines warmly, and there’s only a few traffic sounds to clog the peaceful atmosphere of the street as Kili walks to work. Fili would be really furious if he had any idea where Kili was right now, but thankfully Kili's super hot, supernatural soul mate is respecting his request of space, and is off doing who knows what. Whatever it is vampires do at two in the afternoon, which is probably sleeping, if Kili had to guess. Are they allergic to the sun? Will Fili burst into flames if he steps outside?

Or, god forbid, will he sparkle?

Chuckling at the thought, Kili ducks into the pub. Fili had told him to stay away from the job, but he's not about to give it up, not yet. He'll play dumb about anything that has happened, and he has a shift today. He's not going to leave Bofur high and dry without staff, considering he has bigger issues to worry about, like a dead cousin.

There's a group of men sitting around a table, and it takes Kili a moment to realize that it's actually Bofur and his brother Bombur, along with the man he had met previously before, Gloin. There's a man sitting beside him that Kili doesn't recognize, and then there's fifth sitting there, nursing a Newcastle Brown Ale.

"Nori!" Kili says in surprise, starting. He's only met Ori's older brother a handful of times, each time leaving him more and more wary of the man.

"Do you know him?" Bofur demands, jutting his chin towards Kili.

"'Course I do," Nori says, his gaze sliding over Kili briefly. "He's my baby brother's flat mate."

"I thought you were in Bristol," Kili says, inching his way closer. It doesn't matter what Fili says, Bofur has never given him a reason to be suspicious of him, or distrust his kindness.

"I had business matters to attend to," Nori finally says after a stretch of silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Kili says, glancing over at Bofur as he says the words. Bofur doesn't say anything refute the claim, so he hurries behind the counter.

"Let's get back to the discussion," the one man that Kili has never seen before says. He has a large hearing aid in one ear, and he scowls white, bushy eyebrows at everyone. "We need to keep our focus! We need to find Bifur!"

A stone settles low in his stomach, and Kili's palms feel damp. He reaches for a cloth and wipes half-heartedly at the counter as he tries to ignore the murmur of voices around him. He can't tell them what he knows, because that would mean that he's endangering Fili. He's not entirely certain that he wants to have a relationship with Fili, regardless of their attraction, but he certainly doesn't want to see any injury come to him, either.

"Bifur's missing?" He finally asks, because he's proven himself to be nosy in the past, and if he wants to keep suspicion off of himself, then he needs to continue acting as normal as possible. Unfortunately for him, that means being far more involved than necessary.

"Stay out of it, Kili," Bofur snaps, and there's an edge to his voice that Kili has never heard from the usually genial man before.

"Sorry," Kili says, slinking further down the counter so he's out of ear shot.

There’s a tray full of clean glasses to put away, and he’s just hoisted it on to the counter when there’s a crash from the back, and then a muffled shout. Instantly, Bofur leaps to his feet, thundering past Kili to the back, everyone following, including Kili.

“Oh, no,” he murmurs, pulling up short at the back.

It’s Fili, and he’s holding a knife to Bombur’s throat.

Chapter Text

The kitchen is suddenly full of people, and someone switches the last of the lights on so the room floods in brightness. Fili blinks rapidly, his eyes adjusting to the difference, and he tightens his grip on the man. He has the knife pressed against the large man’s throat, and he can hear the rapid thud of his heartbeat.

“He’s one of them,” the man warns before Fili digs the knife in just a little more, just enough to draw a trickle of blood.

“I’m not seeking any trouble,” Fili says, although he knows anything that he might say will be falling on deaf ears. Vampire hunters aren’t known to be reasonable. “I have come to collect what is mine, and I will leave you alone.”

“There is nothing here that belongs to you.” It’s Kili’s boss, Bofur, that pushes forward to the front of the group. He’s pulled a gun from somewhere, and while a bullet won’t necessarily kill Fili, it will hurt like a bitch.

“That’s not entirely true,” a small voice says, and this time it’s Kili that’s moving forward. The group of men part to let him pass, eyeing him warily.

Bofur turns just enough to see Kili, while still keeping Fili in his view. “Tell me that you’re lying,” he says quietly. “I hired you, Kili. You have been a good employee. I know you’re not mixed up in this nasty business.”

“Until recently I wasn’t,” Kili agrees, and he shoots Fili a look. His eyes are wide and panicked, and Fili can smell from here that Kili is on the verge of an anxiety attack. He schools his features into something that he hopes is reassuring. It will take more than five vampire hunters to take a seasoned warrior like Fili down.

“The fuck you talking about, you little shit?”

Fili’s heart sinks when he hears that voice, because he knows that voice. Almost every older vampire in the United Kingdom has heard it once or twice in their lifetimes before. It belongs to Nori, a fox who slips in and out of holes, whose as mysterious as a ghost. He’s impossible to kill, and he’s impossible to catch. He’s the most renowned vampire killer this side of the sea, and Fili’s odds are beginning to stack up against him.

“Nori, you’ve got to understand,” Kili says, and Fili’s heart lurches in his throat. He hadn’t realized that Kili was so well acquainted with all the men who desired to stamp Fili’s species out.

“I don’t have to understand anything,” Nori snaps, grabbing Kili by the arm and he twist it backwards, ignoring the shout of pain from Kili. “How long have you been involved in this? Does Ori know? Have you gotten Ori endangered?”

“No, I would never!” Kili protests. “He doesn’t know anything, Nori. I promise.”

Fili calculates his odds. Everything inside of him is screaming to throw the large man to the side, and step in to save Kili, for Nori is causing him pain. But meeting his soulmate hasn’t overrode all of his instincts, and Fili will not toss away the little leverage he has in this situation.

He presses the knife in further, and the large man lets out a pained groan, immediately attracting all of the attention their way again. “I want to make something very clear to all of you,” Fili speaks slowly so these foolish humans can hopefully understand him. “Kili is innocent of any wrong doing. I met him here not long ago, and I was the one who dragged him into this war. If you seek to lay blame on anyone, then lay it on my doorstep where it belongs.”

“Of course I fucking blame you!” Bofur shouts, and he steadies the gun in Fili’s direction. “Where’s Bifur?”

“What makes you think I had anything to do with that?” Fili sneers, but guilt pales the venom in it.

“You’re in here, attempting to seduce Kili, and then my cousin goes missing, and then you show back up at my pub after I clearly warned you off. You try telling me the dots aren’t connected.”

There’s the sound of a shotgun being pumped, and Fili curses inwardly. He was an idiot to just assume that he could rush inside without any preparation. His concern for Kili has clouded his judgement, and he’s left them both vulnerable.

“I killed your cousin,” Fili confesses, because he knows it’s only a matter of time until they find out, and right now the large man presents such a nice shield. “I did it out of survival, not desire!”

“I knew you killed him,” Bofur says, and his bottom lip wobbles. “You killed my cousin, and now we’re going to kill you. Fair is fair.”

“He attacked me without any provocation,” Fili snaps, although he knows that won’t matter at all to them. They have no honour, no code. Fili’s very existence is his damning evidence, and the only provocation needed.

“You think we wait until we’ve been provoked?” Nori drawls, and he’s still got Kili pinned. There’s a pained look on his face, but he’s silent, so Fili doesn’t make his move yet. “If we waited for that, your vermin kind would have laid waste to civilization already.”

“Bifur was a good man,” the large man says underneath his knife, and there’s a tremor running through his body. “He was my cousin too.”

“I won’t speak ill of the dead, but call a spade a spade, would you? Bifur was fucking crazy,” Nori says. “However, he was a good hunter, and he was one of ours. We despised you before we ever met you, but now you’ve made it personal, and you won’t live to feast another day.”

“Bifur died because of me!” Kili bursts out, and Fili momentarily closes his eyes. His soulmate has such a knack for speaking when it’s the most inconvenient.

“What did you say?” Nori snarls, and he twists Kili’s arm tighter. “What did you say, Kili?”

“Bifur attacked us, and I was with Fili,” Kili says, and he won’t meet Fili’s eyes. No, he keeps his gaze on Bofur, who is staring at him with a look of horror on his face. Fili can only imagine what the man is thinking. Probably irritation that he’s going to have to find another employee.

“Why were you with him?” Bofur asks, and there’s still a tremor in his voice. “I asked you to keep your nose out of it, Kili. I asked you to keep your head down, and you’d said you’d listen to me.”

“I didn’t realize he was a… vampire,” Kili trips over the word, and Fili swallows thickly. Any time he fools himself into thinking that Kili is coming around to everything, he makes it very clear how much he still has an issue with Fili’s very being. “He was attractive, and he asked me out, so I said yes. I didn’t realize that any of this was real until Bifur attacked us.”

“Attacked him, you mean,” Bofur says, jutting his chin in Fili’s general direction.

“No,” Kili whispers, shaking his head. “He attacked me. He tried to slit my throat, when I had nothing to do with anything. Fili was only defending me.”

“Of course he was defending you, you were his next meal,” Nori snaps. “Bifur was his appetizer, and you were the main course, you pillock!”

“Enough of this!” Fili shouts, and his voice grows in volume until the lights swing and the ceiling shakes from the intensity of it. “Give me what is mine, and I will do the same. There is no need for any further bloodshed!”

“I am afraid that is the only option we have,” Nori says, and he shoves Kili behind him.
Instantly, the two men that have been silent so far grab him, and drag him from the kitchen and out of Fili’s view. Nori is descending upon him, two blades drawn, and there’s not a single expression on his face.

He is like a ghost, a ruthless ghost that wins more that he loses, and Fili begins to feel the first fissure of fear creep up his spine. He steadies his hand and when Nori is just about close enough, he slides his blade along the large man’s throat. It’s a shallow cut, he really will try to avoid killing him if possible, but it’s deep enough that Nori cops a spray of blood to the face.

He pauses, long enough to wipe his eyes, and that’s when Fili shoves the large man away from him. He goes limp from the sudden rush of pain and blood loss, and staggers to the floor, dragging Nori down with him. Fili only has a split second to react, for there is still Bofur and his gun. However, the sudden amount of blood has clearly paralyzed the man, just for a second, but it’s the slight advantage that Fili needs. Bofur pulls the trigger, but it’s a moment too late, and Fili twists away from the bullet, letting it embed in the wall behind him.

He leaps forward, pressing the sole of his shoe against the corner of the wall, and pushes himself even higher so he’s able to neatly flip over Bofur’s head. He spins and ducks out the doorway, the second bullet clipping a lock of hair. The door slams shut behind him, but he keeps moving forward because he knows it will only be a moment before the hunters in the kitchen have regrouped.

Kili is still in the building, he can still smell his scent, and so he moves quickly, running up the staircase that is tucked away behind the bar. The sour scent of his terrified soulmate grows stronger, and Fili plants his foot on the closed door and kicks it firmly in. Splinters of wood go flying across the room as Fili shoulders his way past the rest of the debris.

Kili is kneeling on the floor, his head bowed, and Fili can hear the wet hiccup in his throat. The two men stand on either side of him, each holding a gun, which they immediately lift at his arrival.

Fili’s done talking. It’s gotten him nowhere, and he’s running out of patience. He wants to grab Kili, and he wants to leave this place. He keeps his momentum going, but instead of leaping like the older man expected, he switches to a slide. He slides right behind him, missing all the gunfire from the redheaded man, and neatly lodges a blade in the grey-haired man’s ribs. He drops his gun with a shout, and stumbles to the floor, letting Fili kick the knife in further with his heel.

He swings behind Kili and reaches up, grabbing the barrel of the shotgun. He uses his weight to push it off course and pointed to the ceiling. The discharge shakes the rafters, and it’s enough of a distraction for Fili to sink his teeth into the meat of the redheaded man’s shoulder.

A stream of warm blood fills his mouth, and he moans. He’s proud of his restraint, and of the lifestyle he leads, but there is no comparison to human blood from live prey. It satisfies his senses in a way that nothing else can.

“Fili, no!” Kili shouts, shoving his shoulder and ripping him from his reverie.

He jerks away and swings his elbow behind him, smashing the man’s nose. He drops to one knee with a muffled curse, and Fili pulls a second blade from his boot so he can thrust it directly into the man’s thigh. He’s careful to miss the artery, but the blood loss should still slow them down.

There’s sounds of footsteps thundering up the wooden stairs, and so Fili grabs Kili by the arm and drags him to the window. He kicks the glass out, wraps Kili in his arms, and leaps.

Fili pushes the front door of his home open, and drags an unconscious Kili through the doorway. Blood trickles from a gash on his forehead, and it’s taking all of Fili’s focus to ignore the heady scent of blood. He kicks the door shut behind himself and collapses, making sure to still protect Kili from the fall.

He’s pretty sure his left arm is broken from the jump, and it will probably take twenty-four hours for the bone to heal and reset. The glass has cut up both of their faces, little nicks here and there, and he’s pretty sure that Kili twisted his ankle when they landed. However, they had gotten away, which is a victory that Fili wasn’t sure they were going to achieve, so he’ll look past the injuries. None of it is life-threatening, and he only hopes that Kili will be understanding once he wakes.

It’s the middle of the afternoon, and he knows that both Dwalin and Balin are probably fast asleep. However, there’s a thick, braided gold rope that hangs by the front door, and he reaches with his good arm to pull on it. A low bell clangs out thrice, and Fili slumps over, breathing heavily while he waits.

Dwalin is the first to appear, holding his dual axes Grasper and Keeper. Many a vampire hunter have met their end due to those weapons. He scans the room for a threat, but immediately hurries over when he sees Fili knelt on the floor, Kili sprawled out beside him.

“What’s the danger?” He demands, switching his axes to one hand so he’s able to press his hand against Fili’s shoulder. “Are you injured?”

“We were attacked,” Fili grits out, for Dwalin is holding his broken arm. “My arm’s broken, the one you’re touching.”

The pressure is immediately released as Dwalin lifts his hand away. Balin hurries into the front foyer, carrying a war hammer. He’s still dressed in his pajama’s, his long white beard neatly braided as it is for sleep, but there’s nothing humorous in his appearance. The very sight of him is a welcome relief to Fili, and he shudders, leaning against Dwalin’s leg.

“What’s happened?” Balin demands, laying his hammer down and he kneels on the floor to cup Fili’s face. “Are you all right?”

“I took on five hunters,” Fili says, the last of his bravery fleeing. He had truly believed there for a moment that they would not survive, that he would be forced to watch Kili die before his eyes, before he had even gotten to know him. Their very chance at a future together was almost lost today, and it was too close of a call for Fili.

“Did they follow you here?” Dwalin asks, moving away to peer out the first curtain. “Do we need to put the house on lockdown?”

“I don’t think so, but it might not hurt to do so,” Fili admits. “I was foolish, and rushed into a situation that I had no control over. It almost cost Kili his life, and mine as well.”

“What happened to him that he’s unconscious?” Balin asks, dabbing his fingers lightly over Kili’s forehead. “That’s a nasty cut.”

“It’ll heal,” Fili says, because he’s not about to take Kili to the hospital for stitches.

There’s a quiet droning sound in the background as the house begins to take on the lock down sequence that Dwalin activated; the steel coverings sliding over the windows and doorways. The house will essentially become a tomb, and will allow no intruders to enter. It will also allow no one to leave, and Fili has always felt claustrophobic whenever they’ve had to initiate lock down. However, right now, in this moment with his unconscious soulmate in his arms, he can only feel grateful for the added measure of security.

“Let’s lay him somewhere more comfortable,” Balin says, and he easily scoops Kili up into his arms. Fili staggers to his feet, holding his left arm close to his body.

“We had to jump out of a window that was two stories high,” Fili explains as he follows Balin down the hallway to where the guest rooms are. “I tried my best to break his fall, but he still landed on his right leg, and once that gave out, he got a pretty good crack on the head.”

Balin gently deposits him on the top of the bed and straightens up. “He’ll wake shortly, I’m sure,” he says, cupping a hand around Fili’s good elbow, and he steers him from the room, leaving the door ajar. “I want you to explain everything.”

They remain in the hallway, since Fili isn’t about to leave Kili when he’s injured. Dwalin joins them by this point, and Fili gives up any pretenses of being brave and strong. Balin and Dwalin have seen him through the majority of his life, and they have weathered every storm with him. They will not judge him for his weakness, and so he sinks to the floor, leaning his back against the wall.

“I followed Kili,” he admits in a low voice. “I left early this morning and staked outside of his apartment, just to make sure that he was going to listen to me. Of course, he didn’t. He went right back to work – ”

“He disobeyed a direct order,” Dwalin interrupts, a heavy frown creasing his forehead. “He went right back to the enemy, even when you had made him aware of their true nature. Are you sure that he is as innocent about the supernatural world as you claim he is? Perhaps you have brought the enemy right into our home, Fili.”

“No, I wouldn’t, and he isn’t like that,” Fili insists. His relationship with Kili is still fairly new, and he may not know him as well as he should, but he already knows that Kili is incapable of such deception. “He’s a good person, Dwalin. I don’t know why he disobeyed, but the point is, he did.”

“They must have been meeting there, trying to figure out what happened to the hunter you had killed,” Balin says knowingly. “Your soulmate had the poor luck to walk into that mess.”

“I couldn’t leave him in there alone with them,” Fili shakes his head, his mouth dry, and his throat tight. “I knew they’d kill him as soon as they found out, and he’s not capable of keeping such a secret. He’s not subtle, in the least, and he would have never been able to play the fool convincingly enough for them.”

“So you rushed in without considering about calling for back up,” Dwalin says flatly, glaring at Fili. “I don’t know why we bother paying for that cell phone bill if you’re never going to use it when you should”

“I rushed in,” Fili agrees, exhaling heavily. The adrenaline has left his body now, leaving him water logged and exhausted. He feels like he could sleep for a week straight. “It was five against us, and I managed to get us out of there alive, without killing any of them. I think that’s pretty commendable.”

“Less paperwork,” Dwalin comments, and there’s a wry grin on his face now.

“I would agree that it’s commendable,” Balin says, but he has his arms folded over his chest and a worried, pinched frown to his lips. “I take it you will be able to identify the hunters so we will be able to inform the Council of the situation at hand?”

“Of course.” Fili doesn’t think he will be forgetting any of their faces for a while. It has been decades since he was in a fight that he was not confident in, and it has shaken him a little. “One was Nori, and he won’t take too lightly to being beat. He will come looking for me.”

“You’ll have to go underground,” Balin says immediately. “If it was any other hunter, I would trust that you’d be able to defend yourself properly, but if you have a hoard of hunters on your trail, as well as Nori, then you need to disappear for a little, Fili. It’s for your own safety.”

“I figured as much,” Fili heaves out a sigh. He hates going underground. It’s exactly what it appears to be; a clan of vampires that live underneath the streets of London in a secret, booming metropolis. It’s been over a hundred years since he’s had to go underground, and he already misses the sunshine on his face, and the clean smell of dirt and grass.

“I’ll let the Council know immediately,” Balin says, and he takes Fili’s good hand in his own, giving it a squeeze. “It might not be for long. Don’t fret, we will come visit you.”

“Thank you.” A small smile tugs at the corner of Fili’s lips, for Balin has always been able to understand what Fili hasn’t been able to say. Of course one of the worst parts of going Underground is missing your clan, for you have generally been with them for hundreds of years.

“What will we do with the boy?” Dwalin asks, and Fili can tell by his tone that he’s asking Balin, the patriarch of their home. “We can’t send him home, they’ll find him in a moment and kill him.”

“He’ll have to go Underground with Fili, I suppose,” Balin says slowly, twisting the end of his braided beard around and around his index finger. “He can’t stay here.”

“I’ll take him Underground with me,” Fili says decisively, because he’s not going to leave Kili vulnerable and alone in a place where Fili can’t access him. As much as he trusts Balin and Dwalin to defend him, there are few things he will not trust them with, and Kili has apparently become one of them.

“That’s what you think,” a weak, strained voice suddenly says, and Fili jerks back to see Kili standing in the doorway, glaring at all three of them. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Chapter Text

“Thank God you’re awake,” is the first thing Fili says to him, and then before Kili can even fully comprehend the situation, Fili is standing from the floor and crossing over the threshold to wrap his arms tightly around Kili’s form.

“We need to talk,” Kili says, wrenching away, and wrapping his arms around himself. He’s sick of this situation, he’s tired of feeling like he’s left out in the dark every time, and is always the last to know.

“We’ll give you boys your privacy,” the oldest man says before the two disappear and Fili is able to shut the door.

“I’m sorry that I followed you,” Fili says quickly. He wets his lips and leans back against the door, giving Kili space, which he appreciates. “However, it was good that I did, because otherwise you might be dead right now.”

“Because I’m so weak,” Kili spits out. “I don’t know what’s happening, and I don’t like that. If you think I’m going anywhere with you, then we are going to have to have a long talk, and you’re going to fill in the blanks for me.”

“What do you want to know?” Fili pushes himself away from the door, but when Kili holds up a hand, he immediately halts. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. You are my soulmate, Kili. You are a part of my world now, and I will include you in every decision, if I can.”

“What’s underground, and why is it important?” Kili sits down on the edge of the bed and brings one leg up, gently rubbing at his ankle. It’s sore, but the throbbing has lessened and he can actually put some weight on it now. “You have completely disrupted my life, and I deserve answers.”

“You’ll get them, I swear,” Fili says, and he takes a few tentative steps forward until he’s able to gingerly lower himself down beside Kili on the bed, but he keeps a few inches of space between their bodies. “Underground is exactly what it sounds like. We will literally be going under London. There is a whole other city down there for the supernatural world. It tends to be where we go when we are threatened by humans.”

“If it’s a haven for the supernatural from humans, then they won’t like me down there,” Kili says, his mind whirling. “You’re asking me to give up my life based off the assumption that my best friend’s brother will kill me, yet you’re asking me to go to a city filled with supernatural beings that will most definitely kill me.”

“They won’t harm a hair on your head,” Fili snarls, and Kili leans away at the flash of fangs. “You are mine.”

“No, I am not,” Kili says resolutely. He had asked Fili for space to absorb all information, and he hadn’t been given that. If Fili was unable to give him that little respect, what could he expect for the future?

He may not know a lot about the supernatural world, but he does know that he belongs to no one but himself.

“I mean, of course,” Fili corrects himself. “You’re part of the Fundin clan, so they wouldn’t hurt you. That’s what I should have said, and I’m sorry.”

“You call me your soulmate, but I’m not your property.” Kili looks down at the light blue bed spread. He twines his fingers together to stop their trembling. “You are still essentially a stranger to me, Fili. You’re asking me to give up my entire life.”

“In order to save it,” Fili says, and there’s a hint of tension in his tone that isn’t normally there. “I know you’re confused, and I know that you’re trying to process everything. I promise that I will give you time to do that, but it’s not right now. We don’t have that kind of time, Kili. We have to move.”

“Because of Nori,” Kili says flatly. He always had a healthy fear of Nori, but it had always been along the lines of he thinks I’m a complete git, rather than he wants to see me dead.

“Among others, yes,” Fili agrees. “Once we are Underground, I promise that I will back off and I will give you all the space you require. We don’t need to be anything you don’t want to be. Right now, though, just let me get us to safety. I have been doing this a lot longer than you realize.”

“I need to talk to my family,” Kili decides, because if there’s anyone that is going to help him make a decision, it’s going to be his mother. She had been the one to console him when he had dropped out of university, and he hadn’t even felt judgement from her. He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket, and inhales sharply when Fili swipes it from his hand. “Hey!”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t call them,” Fili says, and he gives Kili an apologetic look before smashing the cell phone down on the wooden nightstand. The screen immediately shatters, and he lifts it again, slamming it down two more times until it’s completely destroyed.

“What the fuck!” Kili gasps, lunging from the bed. His ankle protests at the sudden movement, but his leg doesn’t buckle, which rules out a break. “What the fuck is wrong with you, you complete wanker?”

“I’m sorry, but the hunters will use your phone to track you. I can’t have you giving away our location,” Fili explains, handing Kili the destroyed phone.

Kili stares at him before he throws it across the floor, where it hits the wall and falls to the carpet. “Are you fucking kidding me? This isn’t a spy movie, you absolute psycho!”

A look flickers across Fili’s feature before it disappears, and he glares at Kili. “Do you not remember Bifur trying to kill you? Do you not remember fighting our way out of the pub? I know it’s not ideal that you’ve gotten tangled up in all of this, but I’m not a psycho.”

“You just broke my phone.” Kili isn’t necessarily proud to admit it, but he’s a regular young man who is obsessed with his cell phone. There’s a hardly a minute of the day that goes by where he’s not using his phone for something.

“I will buy you a new one,” Fili promises. “However, this is my home, Kili. This is where I live. You and I, we’re disappearing, but Dwalin and Balin aren’t. This is their home, and while it might be warded, I’m not going to let you put my family in unnecessary danger.”

Damn him, it makes complete sense, and now Kili is left feeling guilty. It’s a feeling that has never sat well with him, and so he reacts in his normal fashion when he’s feeling threatened – he goes on the offense.

“And yet you don’t care about my family, and how I need to talk to them,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t own me, and I can walk outside right now if I want to. Hell, I can call Nori right now if I want to. And I will, unless you let me talk to my mother.”

Fili curses low under his breath, but Kili still catches it anyway. “They may already have her phone tapped,” he says. “If I let you call her, can you keep it brief?”

“If they have her phone tapped, then I can’t really talk to her anyway,” Kili retorts, limping over to the door and he wrenches it over. “My life isn’t a straight to dvd movie, Fili. You’re scaring me, and I don’t like it!”

“I’m sorry to get overhear,” says a voice, and Kili stops in his tracks. He looks up, and it’s the older of the two men standing there. He has a long white beard that’s quite impressive, and Kili can only imagine how many centuries it took to grow. “Can I help in any way?”

“Uncle Balin,” Fili says, rising from the bed. “Kili is upset, and wants to speak to his mother.”

“Of course he does,” Balin says, and the smile he gives Kili is a kind one. He might be a… vampire, but there is something about him that sets Kili at ease. “He’s been thrust into an unknown world, and now you are trying to cut him off from his family. It is naturally so that he be upset.”

Fili rolls his eyes, but nods his head. “I tried explaining to him that the hunters can use his phone to track him here, and so we destroyed the phone.”

“You destroyed it,” Kili points out. “I had no say in the matter, much like everything that has happened since I met you.”

“I destroyed it,” Fili says, and he looks swiftly away from Kili. “I couldn’t risk bringing them here.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” Balin says, and his touch is so gentle on Kili’s elbow that he doesn’t even have time to be spooked before Balin is steering him back towards the bed to sit. “I understand that you are upset with my nephew right now, but I hope that in time, you will be able to realize that he has only acted in your best interests.”

“I want to talk to my mum,” Kili says, and he hates the wobble in his voice.

“I said he could use my phone, but if they’ve already tapped the wires, then – ”

“I believe a phone call would be most unwise,” Balin says. “I understand you’d like your family’s opinion before you make a decision, Kili. It shows that you are close to them.”

Kili snorts, but he doesn’t correct him. He hasn’t been close to Thorin in months, or years if you really get down to the root of the issue. As for his mother, they’ve never been the mother-son type to speak every day, but he still feels a closeness to her regardless.

“What if they – ”

“Yes, Fili, I’m getting there,” Balin says, holding up a hand and Fili falls silent. A small part of Kili appreciates that someone else is able to interrupt Fili and shut him up. “I think it would be wise if I went to visit your uncle and mother and spoke to them about joining you Underground.”

“They’ll never do it,” Kili says, shaking his head. “Thorin hates vampires. A vampire killed his boyfriend, and he’s never forgotten.”

“That might be so, and perhaps we will have to bring them unwillingly, but if it means sparing their lives then I am ready to do so,” Balin says. “I know a lot of this seems preposterous to you, but for the rest of us that have been living this life for as long as we can remember, we still know the pain of losing someone due to hunters.”

“Ori is my best friend, he’s come over to my mum’s place loads of times. I don’t think they’d hurt them.”

“I appreciate your loyalty to your friends, but unfortunately when it comes to hunters, Kili, there is no loyalty,” Balin says grimly, his heavy eyebrows drawn down. “They have no honour, and no code. In my lifetime, I have seen brother turn on brother, and I have seen mother kill son. They are dedicated to stamping us out, and anyone that associates with us. Even though your family does not, there is the implication that they do, through you, and I believe the hunters will exploit that.”

“They’ll torture them, Kili,” Fili bursts out, and his blue eyes are wide. “They’ll torture your mum for information about your whereabouts, unless we make her safe.”

“Okay.” The decision is made, just like that, because Kili would never forgive himself if his mum got injured when he had the ability to choose differently. “Please, Balin. Don’t let them get hurt.”

“I will get them today,” Balin promises. “Fili, pack quickly. Pack enough for Kili as well. Until you’re settled Underground, you’ll have to share some clothes. How’s your ankle feeling, Kili?”

“Tender, but it’s okay,” Kili says, rolling his ankle out experimentally. It twinges slightly, but fine otherwise. “I would say maybe a mild sprain, if that. Probably just bruised. It’s always been sensitive since I broke this leg when I was a kid.”

“That’s good to hear,” Balin says. “I will go speak to Thorin and your mother right now. Meanwhile, I ask that you follow Fili’s instructions to the letter. He’s a good vampire, and you can trust him.”

Kili looks over at Fili, who has such an earnest expression on his face. Something in his gut twinges, but he ignores it. Whatever chemistry he had with Fili has pretty much disappeared throughout the events of the past two days. He barely knows him, and yet he’s essentially been assigned to the supernatural version of the Witness Protection Program with him.

“I can do that,” he confirms. He swallows hard and forces himself to walk over to Fili, who immediately stands from the bed. Kili studies his blue eyes, trying to read them the best he can. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, or what he hopes to find. Finally, he reaches out and brushes his fingers against Fili’s, who immediately twines them together. “We’re in this together.”

“We are,” Fili breathes out, and he leans his forehead against Kili’s temple. “I swear that I will do everything in my power to let no further harm befall you.”

“Touching, very touching, but get packing!” Balin says, swatting the back of Fili’s head. “Dwalin will drive you in ten minutes.”

True to Balin’s word, within ten minutes they’re out the side door and climbing into the back of an SUV in the garage. Dwalin loads the two suitcases they’re bringing, a scowl on his face. Kili gets the feeling that unlike Balin, Dwalin doesn’t like him very much.

He’s silent though as he drives them, and Kili tries to look at where they’re going. They drive down back roads and through slums until they pull into a warehouse and the heavy door slides shut behind them. Kili has zero idea where they are, and he hops out of the SUV. There are men milling around, working on industrial size equipment, and they’re all covered in grease and dirt.

“This is where you go Underground?” He asks, peering up to where there is a second story that seems to have some offices. “If your intent is to disguise this, then well done. I’d never guess it was the secret entrance to a secret city!”

“That’s because it isn’t,” Dwalin snaps sourly. “Get in the car.”

Kili exchanges an uneasy look with Fili, who reaches over to squeeze his hand. “He’s not upset. It’s okay, just get in the car.”

Kili climbs into the black car, and the windows are so tinted that he can barely see out. He settles down against the leather and buckles up, idly drumming his fingertips along the top of his thigh. The car pulls out of the warehouse via a different entrance than the one they had come in, and they’re moving through the London streets once more.

After half an hour of winding through the traffic, Dwalin finally pulls into a Kwik Fit, and the garage door slides down behind them.

“Do we need a tire change?” Kili quips, smirking over at Fili.

“This is the entrance,” Fili explains as he climbs out of the car, and Kili scrambles over the seat to follow him out.

“This is the entrance?” Kili goggles. He had never expected something quite so pedestrian to be the secret entrance to the supernatural world.

Dwalin grunts as he lifts the two suitcases out of the boot and sets them down on the dirty cement.

“Dwalin!” A booming voice comes from their left, and Kili turns his head to see one of the tallest men he has ever seen before in his life. Thick brown hair sprouts from every inch of his face – his head, his mustache, his beard. He wears a flannel plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his forearms are covered in thick hair.

He’s a bear.

Kili stops walking in his tracks, and Fili bumps into him. Fili steadies himself, his palm warm against Kili’s shoulder through the material of his jacket. “Is he one of you?”

“No, he’s something else,” Fili admits. He slides his hand down further and takes Kili’s hand, prompting him to continue walking once more.

“Beorn, good to see you,” Dwalin says, crossing the room and he shakes his hand. For as large as Dwalin is, he seems dwarfish in appearance compared to this… Beorn.

“Hard to see one of yours go Under,” Beorn says, glancing over at Kili, who immediately shies back. He doesn’t want any of the attention directed at him, for probably the first time in his life.

“It’s not ideal, no,” Dwalin says, and his eyes land on Kili as well. His mouth twists, and Kili has the sudden feeling that despite everything Fili has said, Dwalin would not care if Kili died or not.

“It’s worth it,” Fili says firmly, jutting himself forward.

“I make no judgments,” Beorn rumbles.

He leads them downstairs, going past the pit and moving further down until they get to a steel door that has a security pad on it. Beorn punches in four digits and the door beeps before swinging open, revealing an entire different city. It stretches as far as Kili’s eye can see, and there are homes, roads, businesses… there are actual cars driving underneath London.

It’s a miniature London, and it’s all underground, away from the sun, the wind, and complete freedom.

“Their paperwork is already cleared, but they should still check into Head Office so they can get their house assignment,” Beorn says. He turns and claps Fili on the shoulder, the gesture causing the younger to stumble forward a bit. “Good luck. Hope to see you upside again soon.”

Beorn disappears back up the stairs, leaving the door open behind him. Kili shuffles backwards when Dwalin steps forward, but Dwalin pays him absolute no attention. Instead, he focuses on Fili, and draws him into a tight embrace.

“You know the procedure,” he says, his voice low. “Use the phone they give you, and make sure you check in with us. We’ll come visit on Sunday and update you. Don’t be foolish and reckless.”

“I won’t be!” Fili protests, and Kili can definitely hear the annoyance in his tone. “I’m not fifty anymore.”

“No, you’re not,” Dwalin says quietly. “You’re maturing into a respectable young vampire, Fili. I don’t want to see anything distract you from your duties.”

“I didn’t ask for this,” Kili snaps from his position of hiding by the wall. “I get that you don’t like me, and the feeling is more than mutual, but don’t talk about me like I’m not even here. I didn’t ask to distract him. You have ruined my life.”

“Kili, that’s not what he meant,” Fili says, shaking his head. “Dwalin understands that you are my soulmate, that there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Don’t you, Dwalin?”

There’s a beat of silence before the older man says, “Of course.”

“So while it’s not ideal that we’re going Underground, Dwalin understands that it’s the best option to keeping the flame of my heart alive.” There’s pure steel in Fili’s voice, and while Kili is still deeply upset with the amount of events that have suddenly occurred, the spark of chemistry between them flares back to life.

“Keep safe, and keep in touch,” Dwalin says, giving Fili one more brief, solid hug. He nods his head to Kili. “Stay safe, both of you.”

“We will,” Fili says.

Kili sidles up beside him and links their fingers together once more. Dwalin glances at the connection before he looks away, his face impassive. He gives them one last nod and then heads back up the stairs and out the door. The steel door slams shut, and clicks as the lock is engaged.

They’re officially alone in the Underground.

Chapter Text

Fili isn’t able to fully release the breath he was holding until they’re settled into a small, two bedroom house that is tucked away. Their paperwork had gone through seamlessly, and the Department of Homes had been accommodating when Fili had requested a two bedroom home, rather than just one. Judging from his earlier conversation with Kili this morning, it’s clear that any romantic interest between them has evaporated.

He sets one of the suitcases down in the small room at the foot of the double bed. Kili’s watching him silently, his eyes darker than usual. Intensity crackles between them, the lightening before the thunder. He can’t get a proper gauge on Kili’s emotions, they’re sweeping all over the place.

“This can be your room,” Fili says, his voice gruff. He feels uneasy, off-centered as it is that he’s Underground, but now he has the added responsibility of protecting Kili as well. “You’ll be safe here, I hope you know that. I’ll ward this place before we go to bed.”

Kili looks at the bed, and then back at Fili. A flush is creeping its way up the back of his neck, and he rubs the spot. “I don’t want to be alone,” he says in a small voice.

“You can share my room, if you’d like,” Fili offers. He’s not entirely certain how it will go, sharing a room with Kili, but he can understand that Kili doesn’t believe he’s safe in, and is clinging to the only thing he does slightly know – Fili. There’s a purr in his heart that he refuses to acknowledge.

“Please,” Kili says quickly.

Fili nods and grabs the suitcase and hauls it out of the room and into the room across the hall. This room is equipped with a queen size bed and a TV. Fili had originally picked it for himself because like all vampires, he doesn’t require more than a few hours of rest to feel rejuvenated. They aren’t like humans who need eight hours of sleep to properly function, Fili can do just fine if he has two or three under his belt.

Once they’ve unpacked their clothes into the drawers and the closest, Fili suggests that they go exploring and find a grocery story. Kili doesn’t argue, but instead just slides his feet into his shoes and waits expectantly for Fili. The moment they step outside of the house, the rumble of life is loud.

Gigantic lights hang overhead, shining brightly as it’s only mid-afternoon in the world above them. Come evening, they’ll dim and by midnight they’ll be turned almost completely off, with just a few lights imitating the moon. They walk down the sidewalk until they reach one of the main streets where cars rumble past them. So far, the only creatures Fili can see are ones that look like them on the outside; vampires, witches, wizards, and he’s pretty certain he can smell a werewolf that hasn’t shifted yet.

“This seems relatively normal,” Kili says, surprise colouring his tone lighter. He walks with a little bit more of a spring in his step, and Fili allows himself to relax marginally.

“It’s completely normal,” he reassures him. “Once you wrap your mind around the idea of the supernatural world, you’ll realize that it’s not really that different from the usual world, especially down here. This is a haven for people, not a war zone. It’s strictly enforced.”

They make their way to a grocery store, and Fili makes a mental note to rent a car first thing tomorrow morning. He’s not about to drag Kili all around the Underground on his legs. They’re down in the produce aisle, Kili dutifully examining all the bags of grapes, when Fili hears a voice that he hasn’t heard in over forty years.

“Fili, is that you?” It’s sharp and rich, and he’d recognize it anywhere.

“Sigrid,” he says, turning to face her.

Sigrid is a vampire that he met shortly after he had been turned, and she was already over 200 years old. However, she had been turned when she was twenty-five, and was tall, dark haired, and all legs. With blue eyes and a wicked little smile, it had often been remarked what a power duo Fili and Sigrid would be. In his young age, Fili had been desperate at the idea of her, and had pursued her relentlessly. She had strung him along for years before disappearing to Australia.

“Look at you living Underground,” she murmurs, stalking closer to him. Wearing thigh high black boots, jeans practically painted on, and a brown leather jacket, she cuts an impressive figure. However, since finding his soulmate, Fili is relieved to know that seeing her once did absolutely nothing for him.

He’s finally maturing.

“Just got here today, actually,” he says, snagging a bag of apples and he puts them in the cart. “What about you? How long have you been here for?”

“Less than a month,” she replies, her eyes scanning past him to land on Kili, and her upper lip curls. “What’s with the stray?”

“This is Kili,” Fili says, and he reaches out a hand behind himself. He’s not sure how Kili will respond, but he doesn’t have to hold his breath for long. Within seconds, he feels the warm slide of Kili’s palm against his own, and the heat from his body pressing against Fili’s back.

“You found yourself a little toy upside, did you?” She arches an eyebrow and tosses her long hair back. “Clearly it’s been awhile since we’ve caught up.”

“Well, you kind of disappeared to Australia and didn’t leave any kind of way to contact you, so…” Fili trails off, shrugging his shoulders.

“Well, I’m back now,” she says, grabbing a peach from the shelf and she tosses it up in the air and catches it one hand, a soft thwack as it hits her palm. “We should go for drinks. You can bring your toy, if you desire.”

“He’s not a toy, don’t call him that,” Fili snaps. “His name is Kili, and you will address him as such. He is under my protection.”

“Oh, very well,” she drawls, smirking at Kili. “You must both come from drinks, then. We have a lot of catching up to do. I need to tell you all about the Massacre of 1974, unless you have already heard of it.”

“Heard rumblings of it then,” Fili admits, not wanting to praise her for her horrific behavior. “Whatever came of that?”

“Absolutely nothing,” she grins, storing the peach into the basket she carries on one arm. “Australia didn’t know what to do with me, though, so I came home. I was awfully bored there.”

“I can only imagine,” Fili rolls his eyes. “It’s too small of a country for you, eventually they’re going to connect you to the disappearances.”

“Eventually, but not today, and by the time I go back, they will all be dead,” she says with a satisfied air to her tone. “That’s the beauty of being immortal.”

Fili won’t admit that she isn’t wrong. He knows that if things went seriously wrong with the vampire hunters, they would just have to hang out Underground for a couple of decades and eventually all those who once pursued them would be dead. However, he can’t afford that right now because Kili is also human, and being Underground won’t cease his aging.

Nothing will, save turning into a vampire, and Fili has heard enough horror stories that he won’t risk it. Humans are weak, fragile creatures, and they don’t survive the process very often. And if they do, they are often so bloodthirsty that they have to be forced into seclusion, lest they reveal to their entire world what they really are. It’s a messy, complicated affair, and Fili wants nothing to do with it.

His only other option, though, is to watch Kili slowly age and die while Fili stays young and whole. He doesn’t know what to think about the future, so he pushes it to the back of his mind for now. Right now, he just wants to focus on keeping Kili alive in the Underground.

The future can wait.

Sigrid leaves them shortly after that, and they finish up grocery shopping in silence. Kili doesn’t add very much to the cart, and Fili doesn’t clue in until they go to pay for it and Kili pulls out his wallet with a grimace.

“I’ve got it covered,” Fili says, pulling out his own wallet and he passes over the cash. “I’m the one that got us into this trouble, I think I can be the one to foot the bill.”

“Sounds about fair to me,” Kili teases, grabbing a bag of crisps by the till and tossing it in with the rest of their stuff.

They buy reusable bags and load them up, with Fili taking the majority of them. He slings them on to one arm so he’s still able to walk beside Kili and use his free hand to steer him clear of any danger. He can’t help but feel extra protective of him now that they’re below and filled in a world that is much different than the one above, but just as scary.

They unload the groceries when they get home and Kili makes supper. He marinates lamb chops in a spicy chili sauce while he slices up peppers and onions, and then bakes it all together. It tastes hollow in Fili’s mouth though, as he watches Kili sift through his food, biting his bottom lip.

Fili does the dishes, although Kili doesn’t leave the kitchen. He leans a hip against the counter and watches him silently, which makes Fili feel a little unnerved. He doesn’t remark on it, though, because it’s clear that Kili is feeling uncomfortable. The last thing Fili wants to do is scare him off.

“I should check in with Dwalin and Balin,” he says, pulling the cell phone they gave him at registration out of his back pocket. He heads into the living room and plops down on the white leather couch, and Kili sits down beside him, leaving space between their bodies but still close enough that Fili can feel his heat.

The phone rings once before it’s picked up, and it’s Balin who answers, “Hello?”

“Balin, it’s Fili,” he says, relief coursing through his veins at the sound of the older man’s voice. Dwalin may have been like an uncle to him growing up, but Balin had become almost father status, and Fili doesn’t realize just how much he has missed Balin until he hears the sound of his voice. “I’m checking in like I’m supposed to.”

“Glad to hear your voice, lad,” Balin says. “How’s Kili doing?”

“I think he’s doing all right,” Fili says, glancing over at Kili, who evenly meets his gaze. “Have you spoken to his family? I think he’ll feel a lot better once he knows what’s going on with them.”

There’s silence on the other end of the line, and Fili’s gut twists. “I went to their house and they were already gone,” Balin finally says, his voice low. “The house had been ransacked. I’m fairly certain that the hunters have them.”

Fuck.

“I will let him know,” is all he says, because he has more questions to ask Balin before he has to deal with the fallout of Kili panicking over the fact that a group of savage hunters have his family.

“I’m also fairly certain we are being watched,” Balin tells him. “They’ve been unsuccessful in breaking past the wards, but our movements are being watched. I don’t think it’s very safe to see you on Sunday at the moment, not until we make a little more headway up here.”

“Absolutely, don’t come,” Fili agrees. He’d rather be lonely than put either Balin or Dwalin in danger. “I need some documents out of my room, though. I want to study a little more of what we’re up against.”

“We have called an Emergency Council meeting for tonight,” Balin says. “They’ll follow us there, but they won’t be able to get past the wards. I will give your belongings to Legolas, and he will bring them to you. Right now, I doubt they have connected the pair of you together.”

It’s a good solution, and so Fili lists in detail of every book that he needs from his room. He’s compiled his own book of hunters, a smaller version of what sits in the family library. He can’t take that book though, so he’ll settle for his own, and it has a lot of information about Nori. They hang up after an hour together, and Fili steels himself for the outburst that he’s sure to face.

“How’s my mother?” Kili demands, chewing anxiously on the skin by his thumbnail. “How’s Thorin?”

“Balin couldn’t find them,” Fili says quietly. “Their home had been ransacked. I’m so sorry, Kili. We were too slow, and now the hunters have them.”

“They won’t hurt them,” Kili says stubbornly, although his face has lost any colour it possessed, and his eyes have grown darker. “Ori is Nori’s brother, and my best friend. Ori would never allow it.”

“Ori might not even know,” Fili says carefully. “A lot of the times, hunters keep their identities and their dealings a secret, because they know how vile and repulsive they are. Ori might be blissfully unaware at how evil his brother actually is.”

A wet sob hiccups out of Kili’s throat, and he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. “Fuck.”

“We will find them,” Fili promises. “Dwalin and Balin will work on finding them. My friend is bringing me some documents, and we will do our own research. You might actually be some help, since you are familiar with Nori.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m familiar with him,” Kili denies, shaking his head. “I always had a very healthy fear of him. I only ever met him a couple of times, and there are something about him that made me feel uneasy. Ori was my best friend, but we didn’t have much to do with his family.”

“Well, perhaps there is a way we can get a message to Ori, and see what he knows,” Fili says. He hesitates before he lays a hand on Kili’s shoulder, and he doesn’t miss the shudder that follows. “Are you all right?”

“Nothing about this is all right, Fili, but there really isn’t anything I can do about it,” Kili says, bleakness painting his voice grey. “So, yeah. I’m all right.”

“Can I do anything to help?” Fili offers. It sounds so contrite, and fuck knows that he’s certainly done enough, but he wants Kili to know that he is sincere in his offer to help and protect him in any way he can. The romance of their bond may have died, but he wants to prove to Kili that they’re still soulmates, and Fili will still do whatever he can in his power for Kili.

“Let’s get pissed,” Kili suddenly says, standing up. His eyes are still wet, and his cheeks are still flushed, but there’s a hard determinedness in his face that Fili’s never seen before. “Let’s go out and get completely pissed. This damn Underground ought to have a pub somewhere.”

It’s the best idea that Fili’s heard in a while, and he grins, all sharp-edged. “Oh baby, you have no idea,” he says, lifting from the couch. There’s only an inch between their bodies, and Kili’s eyes bore into his, full of uncertainness and promise. “But I’ll show you.”

“Please,” Kili says, his voice catching, and Fili licks his lips.

They catch a cab to central Underground, where the city never sleeps. There’s pubs and clubs on every corner, and they pick the first one they find called Rivendell. The moment they step inside, Fili wonders if this was such a good idea, for there are visible supernatural creatures in all different sorts of varieties, such as shifted werewolves and even a centaur.

“Holy fuck,” Kili breathes beside him, and his hand instantly seeks out Fili’s.

“Crazy, isn’t it?” Fili says with a grin. He remembers when he had been turned, and how overwhelmed it had all been at the time. He found it so hard to believe that they existed, and then had found it even harder to accept that he was one of them.

“This is amazing.” There’s nothing but pure wonder and awe in his voice, and written all over his face. His eyes are wide as he drinks everything in, and Fili is struck once more at just how damn beautiful he is. Perhaps there’s hope for them after all, if Kili is able to believe that a room full of monsters has beauty in it.

“This is your world now,” he says, drawing Kili through the crowd and up to the counter, where he orders them two ales.

They’re receiving a lot of looks, but Fili isn’t too worried. Violence is strictly forbidden in the Underground, and it is enforced. While it’s a haven for the supernatural world away from the human one, Kili isn’t the first human to be here, and he won’t be the last. There are plenty of supernatural creatures who have human mates, and even human children, and they all travel together. However, he definitely is more a rarity, and already Fili can see some gazes that he doesn’t appreciate. There’s simmering jealousy, banked low in his belly as he stares at them.

Kili is his – even if he doesn’t think so.

“This makes me miss my job,” Kili says mournfully as the bartender, a werewolf if Fili has ever smelt one before, pushes two ales towards them, slopping on the counter.

“We’ll find you a new job,” Fili promises. He doesn’t like the idea of Kili working out in the open, whether it’s here or upside, but he knows that he has to be realistic. Kili is a human and a very much alive one with his own opinions. He’s not a pet that Fili can keep curled up in his bed.

The idea of Kili in his bed makes him swallow hard, and he reaches for his drink, taking a long pull. He sets the glass down, and Kili’s immediately crowded up against him, dragging his finger along Fili’s upper lip to catch the foam. He darts his tongue out, tasting past the beer to the scent of Kili’s skin, and he can’t stop his fangs from punching out.

“Easy,” Kili says as one nearly splits his skin. He pulls his hand back, the pulse in his throat quickening, and Fili longs to take a drink.

“Sorry,” he says instead, forcing his fangs away. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Kili says, stepping a little closer so their hips are brushing. “It just startled me, that’s all.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Fili says, reaching out to brace one hand against Kili’s hip. His behavior can’t be due to the alcohol, since they’ve only just arrived. Either Kili is attempting to get close because he’s afraid, or perhaps there is still hope for their bond yet.

“I know,” Kili says, and his lips curl up into a smile that Fili desperately wants to taste. “I don’t think I’ve said it yet… but thank you for saving my life, Fee.”

“I would do anything in my power to save your life,” Fili says, a little startled by the nickname. Surprisingly though, he doesn’t mind it. “I’d lay down my own life for yours.”

“Of course you would, you fucking sop.” A firm hand slaps his back, directly between his shoulder blades, and he jerks forward with his breath punching out of his lungs. He has a hand on a blade before he even realizes it, and when he spins around, he nearly slices off Legolas’ ear before he stops himself.

“Legolas!” He exclaims, tucking the knife away. “I didn’t expect you to come so soon.”

“When Balin told us about what was happening, we came immediately,” Legolas says, his blond eyebrows drawing down into a scowl. “The hunters that have threatened you will not live. The Council has had enough of Nori the fox, they are seeking his blood.”

“Is Tauriel with you?” Fili asks, looking past Legolas to find his other friend. He’s momentarily pleased to see her, but that quickly disappears when he sees her standing stock-still, staring with a look he has never quite seen before on her face.

She’s moving before he realizes it, and she comes to a stop in front of Kili, one hand raised in front of herself. Fili’s reaching blindly for his blade again, betrayal thrumming in his veins, when he realizes that she’s not seeking Kili harm, but instead she has her hand gently on his shoulder, and he’s staring up at her with wide eyes.

“You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” Kili says, his face flushed. “What’s your name?”

“Tauriel,” she whispers, staring down at him. “My name is Tauriel.”

Betrayal of the most high hits Fili like a stake in the heart, and he pushes away from them, pushing past the throng of people enjoying what was a perfectly night evening, and steps outside of the pub. He doesn’t pause, but continues walking, moving on auto-pilot with his mind blank, until the pub is all but gone from sight.

Chapter Text

There’s a sudden warmth settling in Kili’s bones as he stares at her. It’s not the fiery longing that tore through his veins when he saw Fili, but it feels more like someone has wrapped a warm blanket around his shoulders during a cold night, and he has a sense of coming home after spending years away. He can’t explain what this feeling is, and he turns to Fili to ask for clarification.

If there’s anyone who will understand, it will surely be Fili. However, when he turns, he doesn’t see him. He spins all the way around, his eyes frantically roaming over the different and usual faces he sees, but none of them are the comforting face of Fili.

“Where’s Fili?” He demands, turning back to the pair that had showed up. “Where did he go?”

“I think he went outside,” Legolas says, craning his neck to look out the window. “I’ll go find him.”

“I have never met someone like you before,” Tauriel says, drawing his attention back to her. She’s staring at him, her eyebrows drawn in confusion. “I don’t understand this feeling.”

“It feels warm, doesn’t it?” He asks, pressing his back against the ledge of the bar. His left leg begins to jiggle anxiously in place, he doesn’t like being alone in here without Fili. Why would Fili go outside without telling him?

“It feels like I’ve just had the longest swallow of warm, rich blood,” she says, her lips pursed in thought. Her red hair falls forward over one shoulder, and she pushes it back impatiently. “I have never felt this particular way before.”

“I felt it once, before, with Fili,” he admits, feeling more than alarmed at the mention of blood. He’s pretty certain that she’s a vampire, and is she thinking of drinking his blood? She might feel safe, but he’s in a world that he doesn’t understand, and he’s not going to rely on his guts. “It was different with Fili, though. It was a lot more… intense.”

“Yes,” she says slowly, nodding her head. “I have felt that before, too. It is different to what this is. I think you are my… parakaleo,” she finishes in awe.

“I have no idea what that means,” Kili says. There’s pressure on his lungs, and he’s having to drag deep breaths in just to keep from feeling light-headed. Where the fuck did Fili go, and why would he leave Kili here all alone? “Sorry, I need to find Fili.”

He pushes blindly past her, stumbling outside. There’s no sign of Fili or Legolas, and the pressure increases. He feels like crying, but he can hear her behind him and he can’t afford to show weakness, not until he knows she can be trusted.

“Fili!” He shouts, cupping his hands over his mouth to amplify the sound. He doesn’t care if he looks stupid, or if he attracts attention. Unless it’s negative attention, he has already shown that he’s crap at defending himself against people who want to harm him. “Fili!”

“He shouldn’t be too far,” she says, leaning against the side of the pub and she continues to study him. There’s distant between their bodies though, which he appreciates. He’s already feeling claustrophobic with the road over his head. In the distance, he can hear large fans rumbling overhead, moving the stuffy air forward.

He feels like his knees are about to give out, and he’s just about to pitch forward when an arm slides around him, and the familiar scent of Fili fills his nostrils. “I’m here,” Fili murmurs. “I could hear your heartbeat from blocks away.”

“You left,” Kili says, pulling back so he can look at him. “Why did you leave?”

Fili flushes, and he shrugs his shoulder. “I felt unwanted, for a moment.”

Kili stares at him, before he remembers how stunned he had been to seen Tauriel, and how he had blurted out the first thing that had come to his mind. Now it’s his turn to blush, and he shakes his head quickly. “You misunderstood. I don’t know what I meant, but I know that she’s not you.”

“I thought the attraction was gone,” Fili admits in a low voice. “I thought that everything we have been through has troubled you too greatly to consider me anything but an inconvenience.”

A sharp laugh is startled out of Kili, and he grins at him. “Fili, you are literally the worst inconvenience I have ever met. You have literally turned my life upside down! However… you’re you, and I can’t help myself. I can’t regret anything that has happened.”

“I didn’t mean to turn your life around,” Fili says, and he’s finally giving Kili a hesitant smile. “I think you are amazing, Kili.”

“This is so very touching,” Tauriel says, and Kili pulls back to see her wiping a tear away.

“Are you crying?” Fili asks in disbelief, staring at her. “In all of the years that I have known you, I have never once seen you cry, Tauriel.”

“I’m just so happy for you both!” She exclaims. She steps forward and then aborts the motion, freezing in her spot. “Can I hug you, Kili?”

“Of course, although I don’t know why you want to,” Kili says. He’s feeling very confused over the whole ordeal. Today has been stressful enough, and there’s already the niggling worry in the back of his mind about his mother and uncle. He had wanted to get drunk tonight and forget everything, he hadn’t wanted to become even more confused.

“Kili is my parakaleo,” she says, hurrying the rest of the way forward and she wraps her arms tightly around him. Her hold is strong, and he grunts as she squeezes him and bones grind together in discomfort.

“Be gentle,” Fili snaps. “And don’t be ridiculous.”

Her hold loosens on him, but she keeps him close. He only comes up to her shoulder, and he takes in a deep whiff of her hair, inhaling the smell of her shampoo. At the feel of her touch, he feels warm again. He feels… happy, even through the confusion.

“Why is it ridiculous?” Legolas speaks up from where he had been surveying everything in the background. “How is that anymore ridiculous than you claiming that a human in your soulmate?”

“I wouldn’t lie about that,” Fili retorts, and the grit in his voice makes Kili shiver, which makes Tauriel giggle.

Kili pulls abruptly away and takes a step back so he has distance from all of them. “Can someone please tell me what an para… whatever it is, is.”

“Parakaleo is from the Greek language. It means the one who walks alongside,” Tauriel says to him quietly. “Our souls recognize in each other the deepest of friendships. We are companions. It is why you have the sense of warmth and home when you are with me, for I represent someone that you can trust. You are to be my dearest friend.”

“Dearer than me?” Legolas says, but there’s a hint of something in his tone that warns Kili he should tread carefully.

“You’re not her friend,” Fili snorts. “It’s time you guys stop dancing around the whole matter, it’s literally been forever since we’ve wondered will they or won’t they. Just get together already.”

Tauriel flushes a brilliant red, and Kili has the barest sense of humiliation waft over him. “Holy shit,” he breathes, staring at her. “I can read your mind!”

“You can’t read my mind,” she says. “However, you clearly have a slight understanding of how emotions work.”

“So Fili is my soulmate, and you are my best friend?” Kili clarifies, feeling a momentary pang for Ori. However, if everything Fili has told him is true, then Ori is lost to him anyway, for Nori will never stop seeking to kill them.

“I over-reacted,” Fili says, stepping forward and he regards Kili with a solemn look. “Once again, I considered you to be something less than human, I considered you to be my property. I was jealous when I felt threatened that you admired her, and so I left you alone in an unknown place. I am ashamed of my behavior, and I seek your forgiveness.”

“You came back,” Kili says, and his voice catches in his throat. He takes a step forward, and then a second, until he’s finally able to throw his arms around Fili’s neck. “You came back for me,” he repeats, his voice muffled as he presses his face into the curve of Fili’s neck.

“I will always come back for you,” Fili swears, and he draws back so he’s able to cup Kili’s face in his hands. “And I promise I will never leave you again.”

“This is most wonderful,” she gushes, and Kili pulls away from Fili, feeling embarrassed to be displaying such vulnerable emotions in front of Fili’s friends. “I can’t wait to tell Thranduil.”

“Please don’t,” Fili interjects quickly, and he’s frowning again. “I understand what he is to you, but I beg for your privacy in this time, Tauriel. Kili’s life is in danger, as is mine. The less people that know about us, the better.”

“Thranduil would never betray you, for he is like my father,” she retorts hotly, but when Kili sends her a beseeching look, she relents. “Very well, for Kili’s sake I will remain silent. You are beginning to see the first demonstration of our bond, Kili. I am your encourager, and I will be your biggest ally.”

“She’s right, you know,” Fili says. He pulls out his phone and taps quickly on it before tucking it back into his back pocket. “There, I just sent you a text Tauriel so you have our new number. This is the best way to reach Kili. You two can talk later, if Kili wants.”

“Sure,” Kili agrees, because he has no issue with it. He’s not sold on the whole para… whatever it is, but he hadn’t been sold on soulmates and vampires either, and looks where he is now. There is certainly something about Tauriel that draws him in, and yet none of it is sexual. It is like she is suddenly the sibling he never had growing up, and someone he can confide all of his confusion in without judging him.

It seems too good to be true, though.

“Here’s the stuff you asked for,” Legolas says, taking his backpack off and he hands it over to Fili, who swings it over his shoulders. “We’d love to stay, but I haven’t fed yet and so we need to get upside.”

Kili feels a roll of revulsion at the thought of what exactly Legolas needs for supper, but he doesn’t say anything. This has become his world now, because it’s Fili’s world, and he can’t afford to make enemies from the few friends that he has.

They bid them goodbye and make their way back to the house. Kili is still slightly disappointed that he’s stone cold sober, as he had been hoping to pass out drunk tonight so he didn’t have to think about all the different ways that his mother might be tortured. He also thought that his first night sharing a bed with Fili would be less awkward if they are inebriated. Fili’s silent beside him, his face pinched, and Kili gets the sense that he’s worried. And if Fili is worried, then that really doesn’t bode very well for Kili.

It’s late when they finally get back to the house, majority of the lights around the Underground dimmed low. It’s just past ten, and yet Kili feels wide awake. He doesn’t want to attempt sleeping yet, and so he curls up on the couch, tucking his legs underneath him. He turns the TV on and flips around until he finds an old episode of The Simpsons playing. He turns the volume low and settles back into the couch, watching Fili out of his peripheral view.

Fili locks everything up, shuts all the blinds and curtains, and flicks open a panel by the door. He punches in a code sequence and closes it once it’s beeped. He shrugs his leather jacket off and sits down on the other side of the couch, idly stroking his mustache.

“The house is locked up,” Fili says, heaving out a sigh. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” Kili says, shrugging his shoulders. The entire day has been overwhelming, and it’s hard to believe that it’s only been this morning since he had wished his mum goodbye and had gone to work. “I feel overwhelmed, now that we’re back here. It was easier to forget everything when we were at the pub and your friends were there.”

“Your friends too,” Fili gently corrects. “I know what happened with Tauriel might seem strange, but I’d trust her on this. If she senses friendship with you, then embrace it. She will be a good friend to you.”

“You won’t get jealous again?” Kili asks, raising an eyebrow. “If I start hanging out with her and stuff, you’re not going to run out again?”

Fili’s face tightens, but he just shakes his head. “No, I won’t get jealous again. I’m pretty embarrassed over how I reacted. I should have had more faith in us.”

“I meant what I said before when I said I wanted to process everything before I made any decisions,” Kili says. He squares his jaw and looks Fili straight in the eyes. “Just because we’re basically in the supernatural version of the Witness Protection Program doesn’t change anything. I am happy to be your friend, but I don’t know if I want more yet.”

“I completely understand,” Fili says, and Kili doesn’t miss the way his throat bobs as he swallows hard. “I won’t push you into anything, Kili, unless it means saving your life, of course.”

“Of course,” Kili repeats, rolling his eyes. The tension has broken, which is a relief. Already too much has happened today, Kili doesn’t want anything else to happen. Although, there is still one thought niggling at the back of his mind, and he looks over at Fili once more. “Can I call Ori?”

Fili bites his bottom lip. “Do you really think that’s a good idea? I don’t think he’d be able to trace the phone to where we are, but I’m worried that you might get hurt.”
Kili knows Ori. They’ve been flat mates for over a year, Ori has seen him at some of his lowest moments. They had immediately bonded over difficult families, although now Kili is wondering just how much he had missed when Ori had talked about Nori. He’s trying to rack his brain, but he can’t remember Ori ever saying anything that would indicate that he was aware of his brother’s dealings.

“I would have known if Ori had known,” he finally says. “You don’t know Ori. He’s the most honest person I know. Oh, he will be sneaky if it means getting out of doing the dishes, but something like this he wouldn’t have been able to keep a secret. He would have told me.”

“If you want to call him, then of course you can,” Fili says, reaching into his pocket and he slides out the phone. He passes it over to Kili, who hesitates before he taps in Ori’s number, and lifts the phone to his ear to hear it ringing.

It rings and it rings before there’s finally a blip and he can hear Ori in a tinny voice say, “Hello?”

“Ori?” The sound of his friend’s voice is enough to spring tears to Kili’s eyes, and he blinks them furiously away. “Ori, it’s Kili.”

“Jesus,” Ori mutters, and there’s a burst of noise before it fades away. “Sorry, I went into my room for privacy. Where the hell are you? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Kili says, and he hesitates. He’s not sure how much of his cards to show, because he doesn’t know how involved Ori really is.

“Where are you?” Ori demands again. “Nori told me that you’d be kidnapped! You send me this weird text telling me to clear out of our flat for a couple of days because it isn’t safe, and then suddenly you’re completely gone!”

“I’m not kidnapped,” Kili says, although it feels a lot more like a lie than it does the truth. “And you shouldn’t always listen to Nori, haven’t I told you that before?”

“Nori’s told me a lot of things lately,” Ori says, and Kili knows him well enough to know the nervousness in his voice. “I can’t talk about it, because he said I could get into trouble. Real, serious trouble. I just want to know if maybe you know some things too.”

“I know,” Kili admits, heaving out a breath. Fili’s sitting on the edge of the couch, his forearms resting on his thighs, and he’s watching Kili quietly. “I know some things I didn’t know before.”

“Does any of this have to do with that guy you were going to go out with? That Fili guy?”

“No, it has nothing to do with Fili,” Kili says, and the lie tastes acidic on his tongue. However, he can’t compromise Fili any more than he already is, and he can’t endanger Ori any more than he already is! “I haven’t even seen him in ages.”

“You don’t have to lie to me,” Ori says, and there’s definitely a hurt, sulking tone to his voice. “Nori told me that you’re with him.”

“What did I say about listening to Nori?” Kili says, digging at a hole in his jeans. He needs a cigarette in the worst way, but he doesn’t even know if he can smoke down here. Would he get carbon monoxide poisoning?

“I’m not scared of my brother, but I understand now why you are,” Ori says. There’s silence before he barrels on. “Nori kills people.”

“I know he does,” Kili replies softly, swallowing hard. The image of Bifur’s blood splattering out into the open air is a memory that he will never forget. When he closes his eyes, all he sees is red. “There’s a whole different world we weren’t aware of.”

“You can’t come back here,” Ori says. “Nori is really angry, and I don’t know what he would do to you.”

“Don’t let him touch my stuff,” Kili sobs out a laugh, because it’s better than the alternative of bawling. “I swear to God if he touches any of my comic books, I’ll hunt him down.”

“I promise I’ll protect everything,” Ori swears, and Kili believes that he really will try. It’s a good thing that Kili has learned over his years of Thorin taking his stuff away as discipline to not become a materialistic person.

“You’re safe, though?” Kili asks, getting back to what’s really important at hand. “You don’t think Nori would hurt you?”

“He’s my brother,” Ori laughs, and he sounds as light-hearted as he always did. “I know that things are strange right now, but I promise you that Nori would never hurt me. God knows that Dori would kill him for it.”

“Do you think Dori knows?” Kili asks, suddenly wondering if that’s possibly why there was always tension between Ori’s brothers. Perhaps Dori was aware of what Nori did and frowned upon it, or maybe he thought that Nori was a complete loon.

“Of course Dori knows,” Ori says, and Kili can just imagine him rolling his eyes. “Dori knows everything.”

“Does Dori happen to know where Thorin or my mum are?” Kili asks, and he swallows hard. He’s almost afraid to hear the answer. “Has Nori said anything?”

“Nori hasn’t said nothing to me,” Ori replies. “Did something happen?”

“They’re missing,” Kili tells him, and he’s proud of the way that his voice doesn’t even wobble. “Someone took them.”

“Bloody hell,” Ori murmurs. “No, I promise I don’t know anything about that. Do you want me to ask Nori?”

Fili shakes his head violently and so Kili is quick to respond with, “Thank you, but no. I don’t want to draw Nori’s attention to my family if it’s not already there.”

“That’s fair – ” Ori breaks off and then resumes, sounding forced and stilted. “Thanks for the offer, Chad, but I better stay in tonight. I don’t got the money to go to the pub. Thanks for thinking of me, though. I’ll call you later and talk to you about Professor Hardwicke’s assignment.”

The phone goes dead in his ear, so Kili hits the end button and locks the phone, passing it back to Fili. “Someone must have come into the room,” he says, chewing on his bottom lip. “Fuck, I’m exhausted. I don’t know how much more I can take today.”

“You’ve had a very overwhelming day,” Fili agrees, and he stands up from the couch, holding out his hand to Kili. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

A whole new set of nerves descend into his belly like butterflies, but he refuses to let them influence him. It’s been the biggest day of his life, and he’s mentally, emotionally and physically weary. He’s not going to get worked up about having to share a bed with Fili, who is still attractive to him despite everything. He’s going to crawl right into bed and fall into a dreamless sleep until morning.

With that determination, he reaches out and takes Fili’s hand.

Chapter Text

The room is silent as they undress and crawl into the bed. It’s pitch black, and Fili feels wide awake. This is normally the time when he’d catch up on paperwork before going out on the town, but Kili is exhausted, and Fili’s not about to leave him alone to sleep when he’s expressed it that he would like Fili near.

“I can’t sleep without the sound of my fan,” Kili whispers in the darkness. “I need noise to sleep.”

Fili huffs out a laugh, because of course he doesn’t. It can’t ever be simple with his soulmate, it would appear. He pushes himself from the bed and digs around in the closet until he’s able to find a small fan. He sets it on Kili’s side of the nightstand and plugs it in, turning it to low so it hums quietly.

“How’s that?” He asks, settling back on the bed and adjusting the covers over his form. He can feel Kili’s body heat, and he wants to move closer, pinning him down just to see the pulse in his throat.

“Better,” Kili replies, and then falls silent.

Fili isn’t sure how the night is going to go. Kili’s had a horribly long day, filled with enough change and fear that even the strongest human would have difficulty accepting. He’s seen blood, and has ran for his life. He knows that his family is missing, and it’s very possible that they’re dead. If anything, he should be up all night with nightmares. However, it doesn’t take very long, and Kili’s breath evens out as he slips into sleep.

Fili waits until he’s sure that Kili is asleep before he steals from the bed, taking his cell phone. He goes back out into the main living area and curls up on the couch, shifting to get comfortable. He dials Dwalin’s number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Fili,” he says, grabbing a blanket hanging off of the back of the couch and he drapes it over his lap. “Have you heard anything else?”

“As far as we can tell, Nori has Thorin, but we’re not sure about Dis,” Dwalin tells him. “I have no idea if Thorin is alive or not.”

“Jesus,” Fili mutters, because confirmation that Nori has Thorin is surely going to break Kili. “Can we get him out? I can’t just sit back and let my soulmate’s family be murdered.”

“Balin’s working on a plan,” Dwalin promises him, his voice gruff. “You’re going to sit back and let us handle this, Fili.”

“We’ll see,” Fili says, because he’s not making any promises that he’s not positive he can keep.

“Fili Fundinson, that’s not a request,” Dwalin says sternly. “You stay Underground and you keep low. Don’t be attracting any unwanted attention your way.”

“I’m going to say this as respectfully as I can,” Fili says carefully, because he doesn’t want to anger Dwalin. “You’re not my father, Dwalin. You’re certainly a huge guidance in my life, and I respect your wisdom, but I can’t promise that I won’t do anything if I believe there is something I can do to make a difference for Kili’s happiness.”

The other line of the phone is silent, and Fili bites on his bottom lip nervously. He’s afraid that any minute Dwalin will hang up, and if he doesn’t have Dwalin and Balin, then he’s not entirely sure what he has. It’s been the three of them for over a hundred years now, and Fili would hate to be alone with everything that’s going on.

“Dwalin, I’m sorry,” he finally says, caving because he honestly can’t bear the thought of Dwalin being upset with him. “I’m going to stay Underground for now.”

“I’m not trying to threaten you, nor am I trying to doubt your courage,” Dwalin says, heaving a heavy sigh. “I worry about you, though. This is a complicated matter, and you’re bloody brilliant, Fili. You’re also compromised right now, though, and I’d hate to see your good sense disappear because your heart has taken over.”

“I’m not compromised,” Fili assures him. “I care for Kili in the sense that he’s my soulmate, and there’s an attraction there, but I’m not in love with him. I wouldn’t die for him.”

The words taste bitter and acidic in his mouth, and that’s how he knows they’re a lie. He hates that they are, though, because he doesn’t even know Kili. He has no business being in love with him, not when Kili has expressed it so clearly how unsure he is, and how he’s not positive in a future with Fili. Fili is already dreaming of an ever after, wanting to make the most of the little time they have, because Kili is human and he doesn’t have that long, not compared to Fili.

However, Kili is still debating whether or not he wants to be Fili’s friend, let alone his lover.

“Glad to hear of it,” Dwalin says, and it makes his stomach twist to know that he’s lying to Dwalin.

They speak of other small matters before Dwalin finally bids him goodnight and Fili hangs up his phone. He shuts off the last of the lights and heads back into the bedroom, even though he’s not tired. Kili is exactly how he left him, and he looks younger when he’s asleep. He looks so innocent and vulnerable, and Fili slides in beside him so he can brush Kili’s hair back from his face.

His heart thumps painfully in his chest, and he never knew it was possible to love somebody so quickly. It’s the damn bond between them that’s causing these feelings, he knows it is, but he can’t bring himself to regret – or reject – it. When you live for a hundred years, sometimes loneliness becomes a close friend of yours. He finally has a chance, for a little bit, to be happy. He’d be an idiot to pass it up.

However, he knows that he can’t be happy if Kili isn’t happy, and living underground and having a missing family won’t make him happy. The only way to get Kili happy is to find Thorin and Dis. He trusts Balin and Dwalin, they have proven to be intelligent and fearsome over the years, but they aren’t invested in this like Fili and Kili are. No, he might have to pull a rebellious move and leave the safety of the Underground and seek them out on his own.

He eyes Kili warily, wondering if there’s any possible way he can convince him to remain below while Fili does this. He doesn’t trust Kili up above ground, he’s too vulnerable… too human. He’d be destroyed in an instant. He wouldn’t stand a chance against the hunters, who are absolute animals and would never spare him because he was human. He’s affiliated with Fili, and therefore he can’t be trusted to them.

He’s so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t even realize that Kili has stirred from sleep, he doesn’t know he’s awake until he feels a light touch on his arm. He starts, and fights the instinct of his fangs sliding out. His gums itch, and he licks his teeth with his tongue idly as he wills his heartbeat to calm.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” He asks, his hand resting lightly on Kili’s forearm. The fan drones lazily in the background, and Fili feels like he could lost in the murky depths of Kili’s eyes.

“No, you didn’t,” Kili says, licking his bottom lip. He’s sitting up in the bed to be on even ground with Fili, and his dark hair falls around his shoulders.

“Are you all right?” Fili asks, because he knows after the day that Kili’s had, his mind is susceptible to nightmares. He sits up, and clicks the small lamp on the end table on. A dim glow lights up the room, and he’s able to see Kili more clearly.

“I would just like to turn my mind off,” Kili admits, and there’s a slow flush crawling up his cheeks. “I’d like to forget about everything, and just focus on feeling for once.”

“Feeling?” Fili repeats. Despite being the older of the two, he suddenly feels very ill-footed.

Kili stares at him for a moment before he suddenly leans in, sliding a warm palm over the curve of Fili’s jaw, and he kisses him slowly, a brush of their lips in a chaste moment. “Yeah,” he says, his voice cracking. “Let me feel something else, Fili… please.”

He doesn’t know where the sudden rush of bravery has come from, but he’s not going to question it. There are so many feelings swirling around in his chest, and if he stops to dwell on any of them, his breath seizes in his lungs. The last thing he wants is Fili watching him have a panic attack, and so he reacts purely based off of physical impulse, and kisses him.

Too soon though, Fili is pulling away, his handsome face puzzled. “Are you sure about this?” He says, and his skin is warm underneath Kili’s hands. “I don’t know if this is a good idea, you’ve had a really big day.”

“It’s fine,” Kili says, because he’s a grown adult. If he’d rather have sex then think, that’s his priority, and no one can tell him different. Despite everything that has happened, there’s still an attraction between them. He can feel it buzzing between their skin, and he wants to explore it.

“I hope so,” Fili says before he’s surging forward to press their mouths together.

Kili groans and wraps his arms around Fili’s neck, drawing him down on the bed so Fili is splayed out on top of him. He knows that he should be afraid, he knows that he should be on edge because Fili is technically a supernatural creature, and not of this world.

However, it’s Fili, and he has proven himself ore and ore to Kili today. There’s no room here for doubt or for fear. There’s nothing but arousal that’s bubbling low in his belly, brimming to the surface until it’s pouring out of every inch of skin.

There’s no room in his mind for his mother, or for Thorin. He can’t even be bothered to think of Nori, and Bofur. All he can focus on is the wet glide of Fili’s tongue as it explores his mouth so thoroughly, and the way Fili’s hand is roaming around his chest, finding a pebbled nipple to roll and pinch between his fingers. He groans, his back arching as he presses his chest closer to Fili, he wants to feel those clever fingers all over his body.

Kili slides his hands from around Fili’s neck to dig his hands up into his hair, curling the golden strands around his fingers and he pulls gently. It has the desired affect he wants and a wanton gasp of breath slips from Fili’s mouth as he drops his head back. The column of his throat is pale, and Kili can see where his pulse is pounding. He understands how obsessed vampires can get, because he wants nothing more than to lick and bite and suck a mark into the canvas of Fili’s skin.

So he does. He drops his head down, dragging his tongue down Fili’s jaw and he seals his lips around his pulse point, sucking a dark bruise into the skin. Fili shudders against him, and Kili has to wonder if that perhaps neck play is a thing for him, and if he could make Fili come just by kissing his neck.

“You’re playing with fire,” Fili says breathlessly, twisting his head down so he can suck Kili’s earlobe into his mouth. He nibbles on it with blunt teeth, and Kili has to wonder how it would feel with his fangs, and how is that he’s even considering letting Fili use his fangs on him.

He’s so far gone with lust that all of his good senses have left him, and he can’t bring himself to care. He wraps a thigh around Fili’s hips, urging their lower bodies together so he can rub up against him. He’s rock hard, and he can feel with one roll of his hips that so is Fili, that he’s not the only one affected by this.

“What do you want?” Fili asks, pulling releasing his lobe with a slick sound and pulling back so he can look down at Kili. From this close distance, his eyes look startling blue, like a cool pond on a hot summer day, and Kili wants to dive head first into them.

“I want it all,” he says, licking his lips. Fili’s eyes immediately drop to focus on his mouth, and Kili licks his lips again, this time longer and slower – he draws it out as he drags the tip of his tongue over the full swell of his bottom lip. “I want to feel your hands on me.”

“Can I take these off?” Fili asks, and he’s got one hand on the waistband of Kili’s underwear.

Kili nods, and lifts his hips to aid with the process. Fili pulls them down in one quick swoop, tossing them on to the floor. Kili’s just about to argue that he doesn’t want to be the only one naked, but then Fili’s underwear is joining his on the floor, and he’s able to see in the dim light the shape and size of Fili’s cock between their bodies.

Shit, it’s a nice cock. He’s reaching for it before he even realizes he is, and he shivers at the smooth, iron hot feel as he wraps his palm around it. Sleep is clinging to the back of his mind, but he’s able to push it to the background. He doesn’t think he’s ready to have sex with Fili, but he’s more than willing to have Fili’s hands on him.

“Can we just do this?” He asks, his hand continuing to move against Fili, and it drops further to explore his balls. He rolls them in his palm, squeezing lightly and he relishes the slight hiss from Fili. “Let’s just do hands.”

“We can do whatever you want,” Fili says, and he leans down to kiss Kili again. His tongue is lightening quick, sliding inside Kili’s mouth to coax out the most embarrassing noises, sounds that he didn’t even realize he was capable of making. His hand falls away from Fili as he sinks back into the bed and accepts the rush of pleasure that Fili’s giving him.

Fili’s got a hand on his cock now, and he must have licked his palm or something because his touch is slick between them, his thumb lightly rubbing over the crown of his dick, and Kili’s toes curl against the soft sheets. His cock is throbbing, the heat burning hot inside of him, and yet every slide of Fili’s hand feels cool. He shivers against the blankets, and reaches blindly for Fili’s cock again, needing to even the score.

“Later,” Fili says, batting his hand away. “Just let me touch you right now, please?”

“Whatever you want,” Kili groans in reply, and his spine arches up off the bed as Fili does a clever flick of his wrist.

Kili normally prides himself that he’s able to last a long while. He’s never had an issue with stamina, but it seems that within ten minutes, Fili has reduced him to a shivering mess, bringing him closer and closer to the edge each time before staving him off. His balls are hot and tight, and his cock jerks every time that Fili draws his hand away from it.

“Please,” he whispers, nudging his head against Fili’s, and he’s rewarded with a long, slow kiss. He slides an arm around Fili’s neck, drawing him down closer so he can continue to kiss him, even as Fili doubles his speed and brings him off with a few, efficient strokes.

Kili’s release splatters up between their bodies, and Fili swallows down his cry as his body trembles with over-stimulation. Fili releases his cock, and reaches over to snag a Kleenex by the bed to wipe Kili clean. His mind feels fuzzy and empty, the only thoughts going through his head are blissful aftershocks of how good he feels.

“That was amazing,” he says, reaching up to rest one hand on the side of Fili’s face, his thumb gently stroking the soft skin. Fili’s eyes are boring holes into his, and he can’t break the connection. He’s never felt more connected to him, and he doesn’t know if it’s because there’s a legitimate attraction there, or because of the apparent soul mate bond, but either way, he feels so grateful that they’re together right now in this moment.

“You’re amazing,” Fili replies, and he’s nudging their mouths together again. His cock is pressed against Kili’s hip, hot and insistent as he rolls his hips, rubbing against Kili’s skin.

Kili gently pushes at Fili’s shoulder until Fili gets the hint and rolls off of him, a curious expression on his face. Kili sits up in the bed, folding his legs together and he trails his fingers down Fili’s chest. He likes having Fili spread out beside him, having the ability to really look him over and examine every little bit of bare skin.

Despite knowing what Fili is, there’s something innately vulnerable about him right now, and for the first time since meeting him, Kili feels powerful.

His fingers sweep down Fili’s belly, skimming past the thatch of golden curls so he can wrap his hand around Fili’s erection and begin a slow, torturous glide. Fili hisses his breath out between his teeth, and Kili feels a grin tugging at the corner of his lip. He pulls his hand away so he can lick his palm, laving his tongue repeatedly over his palm, watching as Fili’s eyes darken. He lowers his hand once it’s dripping in saliva, and he wraps it around Fili’s cock again so it’s a slicker slide.

“Does it feel good?” He asks, just to hear Fili moan out again. “I think it does feel good. Glad to see that vampires can still indulge in the pleasures of the flesh.”

“Of course we can,” Fili grunts out, thrusting his hips further up into the heat of Kili’s hand.

“Good,” Kili says, and it sounds like a promise, even to his own ears. He doesn’t think he’s ready to sleep with Fili just yet, he’s still a stranger to him. Despite knowing that they apparently have a supernatural connection is working for him though, and he loves how connected they feel.

He must not be the only one immune to the connection, if anything Fili must feel it more, because he’s the actual supernatural one between them.

It doesn’t take long until Fili is spent, decorating his belly and Kili’s hand with the proof that despite Kili being the weaker between the pair of them, he still has the power to arouse Fili.

He wipes Fili clean, and then himself, and then flops down on the bed beside him. He hesitates before he allows him to curl up against Fili, pressing their naked skin together, just to feel his slight body heat. It feels natural to lay with Fili like this, despite his reluctance. It feels right, even though they’re essentially strangers. It feels perfect, and despite everything that has happened, Kili’s mind is blank and he sleeps.

He sleeps until the sound of a phone ringing draws him awake. He burrows further under the unfamiliar blankets, and tries to block it out. He dozes until suddenly Fili is gently shaking his shoulder, and he opens his eyes to see Fili biting his bottom lip, his eyes pinched in worry.

“The phone is for you,” he says softly, holding it out. “I think it’s your friend.”

“My friend?” Kili echoes, before his mind fully comes awake and he grabs the phone, holding it to his ear. “Ori?”

“Kili?” Ori’s voice is wet sounding, and scared. “Kili, he’s got him.”

“What?” Kili clears his throat and forces the cobwebs out of his mind so he can focus on the words he’s hearing. “Ori, slow down. What are you saying?”

“It’s Nori,” Ori says, and his voice cracks. “He’s got Thorin and he’s hurt - badly.”

Chapter Text

“Shit,” Kili says, hanging up the phone and he drops it on the bed between them, his hands trembling. Fili’s silent, because he knows what Kili is going to propose. It’s the exact same idea that’s been playing in his mind all day, but it sounds more dangerous coming from Kili.

He glances at the small clock by the bed, and is relieved to see that it’s almost eight in the morning. It may have been in spurts, but Kili has slept enough hours that he should be able to function properly, should they actually attempt this. Which… of course they’re going to do this. Fili was already struggling with having to sit back while he knew his soul mate’s family was being tortured. Now that they’ve been given verbal confirmation, of course they’re going to try and rescue Thorin.

“We need to go,” Kili says, and he’s shoving the blankets back. “We need to leave now.”

He wants to argue. He wants to find a way to keep Kili here Underground, safe where the hunters can’t touch him. He wants to force Kili to stay behind, but he can’t do that to him. He had sworn to treat Kili like an equal, and not a piece of property. Kili would never forgive him if Fili left him behind, and if they ever want a genuine shot at a future together, Fili has to hold up his end of the bargain.

“Let’s go,” he finally says, sliding from the bed. He digs in the dresser and tosses Kili a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a plaid shirt that should fit him, and then dresses himself. He takes an extra moment to gear up, sliding a pair of knives into the waistband of his pants, and then slides two more into the sleeves of his shirt where there are special hooks for them. He tucks a final one in each boot, and then passes Kili a blade, his fingers twitching.

Kili swallows hard, but accepts it, clenching it tightly in his hand until his knuckles whiten. “We’re going to save my uncle,” he says, his eyes boring into Fili’s.

“We’re going to try,” Fili replies, because it’s the best he can do. He’s not going to make a promise to Kili that he’s not sure he can keep – not on a scale this large and important. “First we’re going to find a friend.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Kili says as he follows Fili into the kitchen. He accepts the apple that Fili passes him, and then follows him further outside as Fili locks the door behind them and begins to lead Kili down the street.

“We’re going to make time, because it could be the difference between life and death,” Fili finally replies as they walk, heading towards the administration offices.

“Are we calling Tauriel?” Kili asks, shielding the knife inside of his jacket from passerby’s, since this is the supernatural world and majority of them haven’t even been to bed yet.

“Not quite,” Fili says, although it’s not a bad idea. He’d like all the reinforcement he can get, especially since he’s taking on Nori the fox, but he’s not going to risk their safety, not when they’d call Balin and Dwalin as well. He won’t jeopardize them like that, nor risk them stopping him before he can even get to Thorin. They’ll be furious once they learn he has disobeyed a direct order.

He’ll wait until it’s dire straits before he calls the cavalry in.

They make a quick pit stop at the administration offices where they get a number for him. He punches it into the cell phone as they move towards the exit, because they don’t have time to stop and talk – not when Thorin’s life is literally on the line. The phone rings and rings before it’s finally picked up.

“Hello?”

It sounds cold and callous, but he doesn’t care as much if she dies in this fight, and so he says, “Sigrid, it’s Fili.” He reaches out and pulls Kili closer as they walk past a group of werewolves. He doesn’t like the predatory way they’re looking at Kili, and he knows they can smell his humanity as much as Fili can. “I’m taking on a group of hunters, including Nori the fox. Are you interested?”

She sucks in a sharp hiss of a breath. “Tell me when and where,” she says, just how he knew she would, because Nori had murdered her best human friend, just for associating with her. There’s a history there between them, and he knows that he can rely on Sigrid for back-up.

He passes on the details that Kili whispers to him, and then hangs up the phone, passing it to Kili to slide into a pocket for safe keeping. They’re waved through security, and then are climbing a set of stairs that lead them into the foggy London dawn.

“What was the address you gave?” Fili asks as he hails down a cab. It niggles in the back of his mind that it’s one he should know.

“My flat,” Kili says. “I have no idea if they’re keeping Thorin there or not, but it’s the best place to start.” His eyes have hardened in a way that Fili has never seen before, and if this wasn’t such a serious situation, Fili would feel a little turned on right about now.

They’re silent as the cab drives them to the dodgy neighbourhood of Kili’s flat, and Fili passes the fare, plus a generous tip to the driver as they exit. He stares up at Kili’s flat and inhales deeply. Here is where everything had begun, really. It wasn’t that long ago that Fili had shown up in the middle of the night, and Kili had walked outside looking like a wet dream.

Kili had been all over him in the car, and Fili had wanted to pull over and fuck him immediately, sate the charged air between them that was crackling with the intensity of their bond. But no, he had to be so fucking sentimental, and take Kili to the ruins of his childhood home, where Bifur had found them and everything had gone so wrong.

Fili surveys the flat some more, his lips pursing in concentration. “Is there a back way we can sneak in?” He whispers.

Kili shakes his head. “No, just the front door. They’re going to know we’re coming, so we might as well just go for it. I think we’ve lost the element of surprise.”

Fili doesn’t like it, but he can’t argue so he positions Kili behind him and shoulders his way through the flimsy door. It leads immediately into a living room, one that is completely ransacked. The couch is turned over on to its back, an area rug rolled up into the corner. Two end tables are completely smashed, more kindling than furniture on the floor, and Thorin lies in the middle of it all, blood leaking through the fingers he has cupped against his right side.

“Uncle!” Kili is rushing past him before he can stop him, dropping to his knees. He yanks his plaid shirt off so he can press it against Thorin’s side. He’s left in his jeans and white t-shirt, and he looks so horribly vulnerable that it makes Fili’s skin crawl.

He positions his back to Kili, though, so they’re not left with a gap in their defenses, and his eyes roam the room desperately. “Where’s Nori,” he demands, drawing forth a blade. “Where’s the hunters?”

There’s no answer from Thorin besides a pained groan, and there’s movement behind Fili as Kili pushes himself to his feet and calls out, “Ori? Ori, it’s Kili!”

Fili wishes he wouldn’t have done that, although it seems unlikely they could have snuck Thorin out of here and come out unscathed from it all. Still, Kili’s voice has done the trick now, and there’s noise from the hallway. Fili backs up so he’s closer to protecting Kili, keeping his blade visible as a tall, skinny red-headed kid slinks into the room, his arms crossed over his chest as the fox follows in behind him.

“Ori!” Kili says, and then pales as he looks over behind Ori’s shoulder. “Hello again, Nori.”

“Come here, Kili,” Ori says coaxingly, and he looks behind him at Nori for reassurance before he continues. “Come here, and we can go upstairs. This doesn’t involve us.”

“If you’d take a look at my uncle, you’d see that this does involve me,” Kili says, and Fili is so fucking proud of the way that his voice doesn’t shake.

“A minor scratch,” Nori says, and at the sound of his voice, there’s suddenly a swarm of people filling up the hallway and trickling into the living room behind Nori. Fili can recognize the ones he fought at the Prancing Pony, even the really fat one, but there’s plenty he doesn’t know. He’d stake his life on them all being hunters, though.

“I’m sorry, Kili,” Ori says, and Fili can smell the tears that are making slow tracks down his freckled cheeks. “I didn’t expect any of this to happen. I didn’t even know about any of this!”

“I like to keep my baby brother’s innocence, and you had to go and cock it all up,” Nori spits out.

“Nothing has to happen,” Kili says, stepping forward so his arm brushes against Fili’s. The touch grounds him more than it should, but it also leaves Kili far too vulnerable to any hunter that gets a foolish idea in their head. “Let us take Thorin to the hospital, and we can forget that any of this happened. Fili’s not a monster – he’s proved it to me. Anytime he has attacked, it’s because he’s been attacked first. He’s never once hurt me, I’ve been with him for days now. He’s had every opportunity, and he never has. You know me, Nori. You can trust what I’m saying to be true!”

“Of course he doesn’t hurt you, you’re nothing more than a whore to him,” Nori says, his mouth twisting in displeasure. Fury spikes hot and sharp in Fili’s belly, and he wants to rip Nori’s throat out for insinuating that’s all that Kili is to him. “It’s in his DNA to be a monster,” Nori continues, his gaze settling on Kili. “I know that you think he won’t hurt you, and perhaps you even believe that he cares about you. Perhaps he does, but the fact of the matter is that he’s a monster who has killed, and will kill again. He killed Bifur, your own boss’ cousin!”

“That’s because Bifur was trying to hurt us,” Kili argues. There’s another stifled noise from Thorin, and Fili glances down to see that he’s begun to bleed through the shirt. They need to get him some help quickly before he completely bleeds out.

“Stand back, and your family can live, Kili,” Nori says, and now he’s moving closer. Fili’s gums are beginning to ache with his restrain. “Step away from him, come to Ori, and your life can go back to normal. We won’t hurt you, we’ll help your uncle. All you have to do is come here.”

Uneasiness prickles along Fili’s skin, and he looks over at Kili briefly before darting his eyes back over to the hunters. Kili looks like he’s actually considering the deal, which Fili doesn’t blame him. He knows that he’s flipped Kili’s life upside down, but he had foolishly hoped…

Swallowing hard, he tilts the blade of his knife so it catches a glint of the morning sunrise through the window, shining across Nori’s sharp features. “Leave him out of this,” he sneers, because he has to speak up before Kili does. He’s not sure he can handle Kili’s answer.

“Let me talk,” Kili says, and the look he gives Fili is almost apologetic.

The floor is beginning to drop out from under him, and he looks wildly around the room. Sigrid is taking too long to show up, and he needs to find an escape route. Once he loses Kili, he needs to get out because he’s not an idiot – he knows he can’t take on twenty hunters, one of them being the sly fox.

“Your offer is tempting,” Kili says, but then he’s stepping closer to Fili, instead of away, and he’s tangling their fingers together, giving Fili’s hand a squeeze. “But what you don’t realize is that Fili is my family now. I may have only known him a short while, but he is my soul mate. I won’t let any harm come to him if I can prevent it, nor more than I would my mother or uncle.”

“Kili,” Ori says, wet and desperately.

“Ori, go upstairs,” Nori instructs. “I don’t want you witnessing this.”

“You can’t kill my best friend,” Ori says, and then he breaks across the room to throw his arms around Kili. “Nori, please don’t do this!”

“Ori, go upstairs!” Nori shouts, and he waves his hand sharply in the air. Immediately, five hunters swarm in closer towards Fili, cocking their guns. Fili shoves Kili and Ori behind himself, his fangs punching out as he bares his teeth at the hunters.

The remainder of the front door bursts open, and there’s a gurgling cry, a thump, and then a short lived scream before a spray of blood paints the living room wall red. Sigrid stalks into the room, dragging two bodies behind her, both of their throats torn out. She drops them to the floor and leaps over the fallen couch to land lightly beside Fili, her own fangs gleaming.

“Have I missed anything fun?” She asks, licking a drop of blood from her bottom lip. “Long have you pursued us, fox, and today you shall finally meet your end.”

“Kili, call for back up,” Fili mutters under his breath so he can hear him. It doesn’t matter now if he’s tattled on, he’s going to need Legolas and Tauriel if he has any hope of getting them all out of this unharmed.

A flurry of movement breaks forward, and Fili spins around as he neatly evades one of the hunters, sinking his blade into the hunter’s chest. He wrenches it free and shoves the dead weight at another hunter, darting around to stab him in the back while he’s surprised, angling his blade up to pierce the lungs.

“Kili and Ori, grab Thorin and get out of here!” He shouts, jerking back at the sound of a shotgun. The bullet clips past his ear and embeds in the wall behind him, and he lunges forward with a snarl.

“I can fight,” Kili insists, and he’s swinging up beside Fili’s left, slicing his knife through the neck tendons of a hunter that has tried to sneak up behind Fili.

“Ori, get out of here!” Nori shouts again, and he’s sliding across the room to them so he can grab his brother by the arm. He’s so close to Fili, he’d be so easy to kill right now while he’s distracted, but Kili is suddenly grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

“No!” He shouts, and Nori wrenches around to face them, fury written on his face. “Don’t hurt him, he’s Ori’s brother.”

Nori’s mouth twists like he’s sucked on a lemon and Fili wrenches free so he can leap forward. He grabs Nori by the shirt and kicks him to the ground, grunting as Nori palms a small blade from somewhere and digs it sharply between Fili’s ribs.

They rolls into a puddle of blood, from hunter or Thorin, Fili doesn’t know, but it distracts Nori momentarily enough to give Fili leverage, and he hauls himself to his feet so he can spin away from Nori and get back to Kili’s side. He’s locked in a battle with a hunter, one that Fili doesn’t recognize as one of Kili’s employers, and so he feels no shame in yanking the man’s head back and ripping his throat out.

“Fuck!” Kili exclaims, jumping back. “I will never get used to that!”

“Fili, look out!” Sigrid shouts, just in time to warn Fili as Bofur swings forward with an axe.

“Bofur, no!” Kili shouts, and he’s darting forward – throwing himself between Fili and Bofur. The axe swings in the air and Fili is helpless to stop it as it swings towards Kili’s neck.

“Kili!” He shouts, but suddenly Kili is pulled out of the way, just in the nick of time, and Nori stands there, glaring at him.

“This is not your battle!” Nori shouts, giving Kili a rough shake and then he releases him, shoving him towards Ori. “Take my brother, and go!”

“I can’t leave Fili,” Kili says, glaring at Nori. “If you’d stop trying to kill him, then you wouldn’t have to worry about Ori being hurt!”

There’s a sudden boom, and then Dwalin’s war hammer splinters a hole in the wall, a body of a hunter following it. Dwalin and Balin march into the room, followed by Legolas and Tauriel. Fili’s so relieved to see them that his body sags, and he blindly reaches for Kili’s hand. They’re strong in numbers now, and they can finally end Nori, end the threat that hangs over their heads every day.

“Prepare to meet your end, fox,” Fili says, nudging Kili behind him and he begins to circle Nori, the rest of his clan following suit.

“You can’t hurt him,” Kili says, as Ori begins to cry loudly. “Fili, stop! You can’t hurt Nori!”

“He’ll kill us!” Fili shouts, crouching low as Nori whips out two blades and begins to back away slowly. He must have drawn the same conclusion Fili has, and knows that his days – nay, his minutes – are numbered. “He would stamp us out!”

“And now we shall stamp him out,” Balin says grimly, his beard streaked with blood and his fangs gleaming.

“No,” Dwalin suddenly says, and he’s holding his arm out, preventing them from getting to Nori. He’s staring at Nori with a pale face, his eyes wide. His outstretched hand, that’s covered in his knuckledusters, is trembling.

“No,” Nori says, shaking his head and backing up until he hits the wall, his face losing the little colour it possessed. “No!”

“Yes,” Dwalin says, sinking down to his knees and every vampire and hunter in the room has stopped to watch what’s happening.

Fili stares at Dwalin, and then swings his gaze to Nori, and then back to Dwalin as it hits him. He opens his mouth, wordless. It can’t be. It simply can’t be, not Nori the fox. There’s no denying the way that Dwalin is looking at Nori, though, and there’s no denying the way that Nori is trying to crawl into the wall in his attempt to get away. It breaks Fili’s heart for Dwalin, for no man should have to endure such pain as this.

“No!” Nori shouts again, and there’s the first hint of tears in his eyes. “This will not be so!”

“It is so, I know it in my heart as well as you do,” Dwalin says, sucking in a deep, shuddering breath. Fili mindlessly pushes forward to clasp his hand on Dwalin’s great broad shoulder, trying to give him strength. “You, Nori the fox, you are my soul mate.”

Chapter Text

Dwalin’s proclamation silences the entire room, and also ends the short-lived battle. Everyone that still lives has stopped, staring either at Dwalin or at Nori, who are staring at each other. There’s blood and bodies littering the room, Thorin still being one of them, and Kili forgoes being by Fili’s side to kneel by his uncle again, using this reprieve to ensure that Thorin is still alive.

“I’m going to get you help,” Kili promises. Fili wonders exactly how he’s going to accomplish that, since they can’t call an ambulance to the door, not with this carnage around them.

Fili can hear Thorin’s breathing is labored, and his skin is still dangerously pale, but he’s blinking up at Kili with more awareness than he previously had. It’s encouraging, and so Fili turns his attention from Thorin and Kili to Dwalin, who is still on his knees, his eyes wide.

“By my beard, I had believed that I had been made to be alone,” Dwalin says, his voice thicker than usual, his Scottish accent bleeding through the gruffness. “I did not know that you had been made for me, not even all these years when I had heard of you.”

“We’re leaving,” Nori says, his voice shaking. He’s grabbing Ori by the arm, pulling him towards the hallway to the front door.

“Wait!” Dwalin calls, and he’s lumbering to his feet now. He’s moving slowly towards Nori, his arms stretched out to show that he has no weapons and is defenseless. Fili doesn’t like it, and takes up position behind Dwalin’s back, flanking him for protecting.

Nori, to his credit, has paused, his eyes trained on Dwalin, even has he grips Ori tighter than what must be comfortable for the human. “There’s nothing you can say,” he says, and Fili can see how hard he’s swallowing. “You’re a monster, and it’s in my nature to eradicate you. You’d kill me the moment you could.”

“I’m not a monster,” Dwalin whispers, shaking his head. “I’m your soul mate. I am bound to honor and protect you. You will come under no harm.”

“I have spent years hunting you,” Nori sneers, and it makes Fili twitch. He wants to drive one of his blades through that vicious smirk, and end the threat for once and for all. He can’t, though – that option has now disappeared for Dwalin would never forgive a vampire for taking the life of his beloved.

For better or for worse, Nori is now under their protection. It feels wrong.

Dwalin takes another step closer, and Fili reaches out at the same time that Balin does. They rest their hands on his shoulders, not holding him back, but simply reminding him that despite the revelation, Dwalin can’t forget his instincts and get too close to the fox.

Nori has taken no such vow in protecting Dwalin.

“What about the vampires?” One of the hunters demands. He’s got a full head of bright red hair, and a thick red beard. Fili recognizes him from the Prancing Pony, he has fought this man before. He’s still got a long blade pulled, and is switching his weight back and forth between his feet.

He’ll charge in a second, and Fili tenses as he watches him.

He’s not looking at Fili, though, or even Dwalin or Nori. He’s scowling at Kili, giving him a venomous glare like any of this is his fault. Fili has to swallow back unexpected laughter when Kili sticks his tongue at him. Every time Fili thinks he’s begun to understand just who Kili is, he learns something new about him – like his delightful childish approach to a vicious vampire hunter.

“We should go,” Nori says, but he sounds indecisive even to Fili’s ears. He can’t imagine what Dwalin is feeling.

Kili had at least been receptive in the beginning when Fili had realized exactly who Kili was and what he meant to Fili. He had pursued a relationship with him, and while it had soured quickly thank to the hunters, there had been moments when Fili had genuinely seen a future with him. He can’t pretend that Dwalin isn’t smart enough to know he doesn’t have those options, but he knows that Dwalin’s mind is probably supplying him with those images regardless.

A soul mate can be a vampire’s weakest spot, and that isn’t accounting for the likes of Nori.

“Don’t go,” Dwalin says, and he slides away from Fili and Balin’s touch. He’s able to move even closer to Nori, keeping his arms stretched out. “We can talk about this, we can figure something out. You feel this spark between us, don’t you?”

“Douse it with water,” the red headed hunter says, his grip on the blade tightening. “Kill the flame, and then kill the monster.”

Dwalin ignores him, which Fili finds mighty impressive. “Nori, we have spent years fighting each other, without laying eyes on one another. Now that we have, and now that we have realized the truths in our hearts, it’s time to end this fight. I am a proud, stubborn man. I rarely seek help, and I would lay down my life before I would beg. However, I am begging you now, Nori, to stay. Let us forge a new beginning together. We can forget the past.”

“I can’t forget the past,” Nori says, licking his lips. “Your lot has killed more friends of mine than I can count. There can’t be a future with you, not with that kind of history between us.”

“And you have killed friends of mine,” Dwalin retorts. He sucks in a deep breath. “You personally killed a vampire named Frerin, and he was my best friend. I am willing to forget that – to forget Frerin – if it means a chance with you.”

“Dwalin – ” Balin starts forward, but Dwalin shoots an arm out behind himself, stopping Balin in his tracks.

“I didn’t know he was your best friend,” Nori says quietly, his mouth twisting. He’s not altogether unattractive, but when Fili looks at him, he can’t see Dwalin’s mate. All he can see is a threat, and it makes him want to wrap around Kili, and take them far away from here.

“There is lots you don’t know about me, and I about you,” Dwalin says, and he reaches a trembling hand up to brush his beard down. “However, if you’re willing, I would like to fix that. I would like to know you, Nori.”

“He’s lying!” The hunter argues, and he pulls an axe out from a sheath on his back.

Fili immediately tenses, the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up. He has a feeling in the pit of his stomach that this isn’t going to end well, that something terrible is going to happen and he’s not going to be quick enough to stop it. Dwalin, to his credit, immediately stops in his tracks, and switches his gaze from Nori to the hunter.

“Gloin, put the axe away,” Nori says quietly. He’s still trembling, and he still hasn’t torn his gaze away from Dwalin. Fili wonders if Dwalin is even Nori’s type, for they’re pretty different physically. “There’s no fight here.”

“Like hell there isn’t,” Gloin growls, and he clenches the axe tighter.

Dwalin is still watching Gloin with a trained, warrior eye, but Fili can see that he’s taking quick glances at Nori, too. Fili doesn’t blame him, he knows what it’s like to desire to be close to your soul mate, especially upon first discovery. He had visited Kili twice at the pub on the same day because he had wanted to see him again.

Who had seen this coming, though? Who would have ever thought that after years of chasing Nori the fox, Nori the ghost, it would turn out that he was meant for Dwalin all along? What could the Council have to say about this? If Dwalin could somehow bridge the war between vampires and hunters, if a union with Nori meant a temporary truce, a cease-fire until Nori’s inevitable human death, it could change everything for the supernatural world, for a little bit.

“We’re leaving,” Nori says, and he finally sags against his brother, letting Ori support the bulk of his weight. “Come on, let’s go.”

“But – ” Dwalin’s cut off as Gloin surges forward.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Gloin says, brandishing the axe out menacingly, and they all take a step back from him. “There are six vampires, and one associate that led them to us! They killed Bifur, and how many of our friends? This is our chance to finish them off, and I’m not leaving until they’re all dead!”

“I’d like to see you try!” Sigrid shouts, and Fili starts. He had almost completely forgotten about the rest of the vampires in the room, his focus divided between Kili and the Dwalin and Nori drama. She pulls a knife from her boot and hurtles it forward, driving it deep into Bofur’s left thigh.

The man immediately crashes down, blood spurting on to the floor. Kili sucks in a sharp breath and promptly abandons Thorin, diving forward so he can clamp his hand against Bofur’s thigh, trying to stifle the blood flow. She hasn’t nicked an artery, from what Fili can tell, otherwise Kili’s boss would be dead within minutes. Despite Fili’s dislike for him, he knows that losing Bofur would devastate Kili.

Nori jerks forward, like he’s going to go to Bofur, and it’s then that Dwalin surges forward, crossing the floor to drop to his knees in front of Nori. He’s so fucking vulnerable that Fili swears and moves forward to protect him, just in case the fox decides to do something. It’s in that moment that he’s distracted, that all his attention has been pulled towards Dwalin, leaving Kili defenseless.

Gloin takes that moment, he twists it into something ugly and vicious, moving forward with a speed that one wouldn’t expect due to his burly size. “Get away from him, you’ve done enough,” Gloin roars, and he’s swinging the axe before any of them can do anything to prevent it.

It happens in slow motion for Fili. Time suddenly crawls to a stop, and it’s almost like he’s watching a scene unfold on stage, it’s crystal clear and sharp. He doesn’t even have time to move as Gloin swings the axe in Kili’s direction. Kili is still kneeling on the floor, his hands pressed against Bofur’s thigh with his mouth pressed thin in a tight line. He doesn’t even look up as the axe strikes forward, glinting bright in the early morning light before it strikes him clean in the neck.

He sucks in a sharp breath, but it’s wet and rattling, blood pouring from his neck. Unlike Sigrid, Gloin’s aim has been impeccable, striking an artery, and Fili is watching his soul mate bleed out before his very eyes.

Kili hits the floor, his head thumping against the wood, his eyes rolling back into his head as he loses consciousness. Time suddenly blips forward and everything moves at regular speed again, Fili hurtling across the floor to where Kili is. The floor beneath his pants is soaked in Kili’s blood, staining his jeans.

“Balin!” He screams, because he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t stop how to stop this. He’s dealt with wounds all his life, he’s seen death – has caused death – but he’s never tried to prevent the death of his soul mate before.

He’s failed. Kili’s dying, or perhaps even already dead. There’s so much blood. The floor is wet, his hands are wet from where he’s touching Kili, everything is soaked in blood and for the first time, Fili has no desire to taste any of it. He wants to scoop it all back up, put it back in the body of his beloved where it belongs.

“Balin, please!”

There’s a flurry of movement, and when Fili lifts his eyes, the room is empty save the vampires. Sigrid is lurching backwards, plugging her nose as she stares at the blood. Legolas has whirled around, finding a window. Fili scowls at them for their weakness, for being feeble when he needs their strength. Dwalin is still on his knees, his arm out-stretched, but at Balin’s sharp command, he turns and comes to Fili’s side, lowering his large frame back down.

He reaches for the side of Kili’s neck that isn’t wounded, his fingers lipping on the copious amount of blood that is steadily pumping out of Kili’s body. He does what Fili cannot bring himself to do – search for a pulse. “He’s still alive, but not for long,” Dwalin says gruffly. “You’re going to have to make a decision, Fili.”

“I don’t understand,” Fili says, staring at him. His knees feel wet from where he’s kneeling in blood, and he can’t believe this is the time that Dwalin would start to make ill humor.

“Are you going to turn him or not?” Dwalin demands, his fingers digging harder against Kili’s blood soaked skin. “We’re losing him. Fili, you need to decide!”

“I can’t turn him into a vampire!” Fili shouts once the full ramifications of Dwalin’s request hits him. “A human rarely survives it! You’re mad to even suggest it.”

“He’s not going to survive at this rate either,” Dwalin retorts, looking over to Balin. “Can you do it?”

“Of course I can,” Balin says, and he comes to kneel beside Fili.

The thought of Balin tasting Kili’s blood before him makes him furious, even if he knows in the back of his mind that Balin is a logical choice. Fili most likely wouldn’t be able to stop himself once he got a taste. He’d drain Kili dry, wither him like a husk, and kill him anyway. Even though he knows he’s being unrealistic, that still doesn’t stop him from snarling and curling himself protectively over Kili’s prone form. He understands what they’re saying, but there are so many stories about turnings gone wrong, and it makes him sick to think about Kili in pain, his veins burning inside of his body as the vampire venom chases out the last of his humanity.

“Fili…” it’s Tauriel now, kneeling down on the other side of him, and her hand is cool against his heated face. “You need to decide if you’re going to bury Kili six feet in the ground, or if you’re going to attempt to save his life. This is a decision you must make right now, because we are losing him. Kili is going to die right now, unless you decide.”

“He’ll hate me,” Fili chokes out, his vision blurring as the ramifications of the decision hits him. He may have more than decades with his beloved, he could have centuries… or he could still lose him. “He doesn’t want to be a vampire, he still hasn’t even fully accepted that I’m a vampire. He’d never forgive me.”

“He’d never forgive you if you left him dead,” Dwalin says, pulling his hand away. Blood drips from his fingertips. “I can’t feel a pulse anymore. Fili, you need to decide right now, or he’s gone.”

“Do it…” It’s a weak voice, and Fili turns to see where Thorin still lies sprawled on the floor, his face nearly as white as Balin’s beard. He’s staring over in their direction, though, his face pulled in a painful grimace. “Save him… please.”

That makes the decision for Fili. “Do it,” he orders, reaching for Tauriel’s hand. He’s thankful for her strength, for she makes no complaint as he grips her hand as tight as he can, watching anxiously as Balin tucks his beard over his shoulder, and leans in.

His fangs slowly slide out, and then he’s thrusting them deep inside Kili’s neck to grasp the tendons. He seals his mouth shut against Kili’s skin and gives a suck so mighty that Kili’s entire body thrashes on the floor. Fili starts, wanting to pull Balin away, but Tauriel grips his hand even tighter, holding him still.

It feels like an eternity that Balin feeds from Kili, but Fili knows that logically it’s only been a few moments. Kili had bled out the majority of his human blood. Kili’s body no longer twitches, he’s completely void of any life. Now, instead of sucking, Balin’s exhaling roughly. He pushes his breath hard deep into Kili’s veins, the venom from his saliva curling around Kili’s heart, forging it brand new.

He finally pulls back, his lips red. “I’ve done the best that I can,” he says, reaching into a pocket to pull out a handkerchief so he can wipe his mouth clean. “Let’s get him somewhere more secure until we’re sure that this has worked.”

“What about Thorin?” Fili asks, because he’s not about to leave Thorin to bleed out on the floor. He’s Kili’s uncle, and therefore, Fili’s.

“Legolas and I will remain here,” Tauriel tells him. “We’ll clean up the bodies the best that we can. We’ll figure out an alibi to throw off any suspicion from ourselves because we will have to call an ambulance. Thorin needs urgent care.”

“Thank you,” Fili says, finally releasing Tauriel’s hand. He shakes his own out and reaches forward to brush Kili’s long, dark hair back. It’s unnatural to see him lying so still.

“You disgust me,” Sigrid hisses, curling her upper lip in disgust at Fili. “We had the fox pinned, and you let him go – all because of your pet,” she says. She doesn’t wait for Fili’s retort, or for Dwalin’s reaction, but instead leaves the flat like a shadow in the night.

She won’t find her revenge here tonight, and therefore Fili holds no use for her anymore. He doesn’t care, though. He’s glad to see the back of her.

They carefully load Kili up into the back of Dwalin’s car, and Fili sits in the backseat with him, liturgical prayers streaming steadily from his lips the whole while. They take him back to their house, and Fili arranges him carefully in his own bed so Kili is surrounded by Fili’s scent. It should be the first thing he smells if – no, when – he wakes.

He waves Balin and Dwalin off, for he knows that Balin needs to clean himself up, and he’s sure that Dwalin has his own demons to work through right now. It may only be early morning, but it’s already been a long day for all of them. He sits alone beside his beloved, holding his hand, and thinks if he dreams hard enough of a world where Kili wakes up, it will come true.

Chapter Text

All that registers is blinding hot pain.

He feels like he’s screaming at the top of his lungs as everything inside of him burns. He can hear his muscles shifting, his veins expanding, his bones cracking as everything inside of him changes. It’s agonizing, and it feels like it lasts for eternity before it suddenly stops.

Kili shifts on the bed, his body protesting with the movement. Every inch of his skin feels sore, and the sheets feel sweaty and warm. It’s an unpleasant feeling, but he doesn’t have the strength to seek out a cool spot. He squints his eyes open, but the light is so bright that it hurts, and he falls back against the sheets. He needs to know where he is, but everything requires energy that he just doesn’t have.

Plus, he’s desperately thirsty.

“Lie still, you’re still healing,” a soft voice whispers, and he feels a hand that is gentle on his arm. The fingertips sweep down over his skin lightly, soothing and relaxing him. “I’m here, you’re okay. It’s okay.”

“Fili?” He whispers, because that’s who he wants the most right now. It should feel like a betrayal to not want his mother, or even Thorin, but right now he just wants Fili. When everything hurts like it does, he’s not going to apologize for it.

“Yes, I’m here, my beloved,” Fili says, and he feels warm breath against his face before Fili’s gently pressing his lips to his forehead. “How do you feel?”

“Sore,” Kili admits, and he forces himself to squint his eyes open. He immediately sees Fili leaning over him, his face drawn in concern and his eyes so, so blue. Have they always been this blue? It warms Kili’s heart to see his concern, though, and he gives him a hesitant smile. “I’m so thirsty. Can I have some water?”

Fili hesitates before he nods, grabbing a glass of water from the nightstand. He helps Kili into a sitting position, gently tipping the glass towards his lips. Water trickles past his dry lips into his mouth, but it feels like acidic fire, eating away the flesh of his lips, and he spits it out in a furious spray.

“What is this?” He exclaims, feeling much more wide-awake now, and much, much angrier. His hand tightens on the glass, and it bursts into a million shards of glass.

“I’m sorry,” Fili says, and he’s brushing the glass crumbs from Kili’s palm on to the blanket, gently pulling the whole thing off the bed. “I probably should have seen that coming. Will you be okay if I just run this downstairs?” Fili asks, and at Kili’s short nod, he takes the bundle of blankets in his arm and disappears out the door.

Now that Kili’s momentarily alone and feeling more awake, he’s able to take stock of his situation a little better. There’s a slight stinging in his palm, but it fades as quickly as it appeared. He’s glad to see the blanket gone, considering how hot he feels. Every inch of his body is aching, like he’s been thoroughly pummeled. It’s like he got into a fight and lost. Perhaps he did get into a fight, and Fili brought him here to recover…

It’s then that everything slams back into his memories, Ori phoning him and them rushing up from the Underground to rescue Thorin. He remembers Nori, and how he had been shaken to his core to find out that he had a soul mate to begin with, let alone one that was a vampire. He wishes he could have pulled Nori aside and spoken to him. Kili understands what it’s like to have your world flipped upside down.

After that, though, the last thing he remembers is Bofur being injured, and he had gone to see if he could help. Gloin had been so angry, and had swung the axe… his mind was blank after that.

He exhales heavily, his throat dry. His mouth feels full and heavy, like he’s got braces layered on his teeth. Knowing his luck, Gloin must have fucked up his mouth pretty bad, and now he’s got some sort of metal wiring wrapped around his teeth to keep them even.

He climbs from the bed and slowly makes his way to the in-suite bathroom where he can flick on the light and get a better look at the damage that was inflicted on him. Despite how much everything hurts, his skin is completely blemish-free. He’s only wearing underwear, so he’s able to fully examine his skin in the floor length mirror studded on the wall. He has no bruising, which must mean all the injuries are internal.

He hopes Fili has read up on internal bleeding so Kili doesn’t drop dead all of a sudden.

The thought makes him laugh, and that’s when he notices his teeth. It’s not that they’re rearranged, it’s not that they’ve been busted out, or wired shut, or anything normal like that. It’s that there are two gleaming fans where his canine teeth used to reside.

He has fucking fangs.

“Holy shit,” he whispers, stumbling back from the mirror. He charges out of the bathroom, yanking the bedroom door open. In his haste, he pulls harder than he means to, and the entire door comes flying off its hinges. “Fili!”

“Don’t panic!” Fili says, hurrying up the stairs. He stops mid-way when he gets a proper look at Kili, and a snort escapes him. “You owe me a new door.”

“This isn’t funny,” Kili says, his voice shaking. He tosses the door to the side, and it slams against the wall. He feels angry, angrier than he’s ever felt in his life.
Emotions are swirling up inside of him, dark and cloudy, and he doesn’t know how to process them. In an instant, though, it disappears, fading as quickly as it came, leaving him empty and void. He feels paper-thin. “What did you do to me?”

“Fili didn’t do anything to you. I did,” a voice says, and Kili turns to see Balin coming up the stairs, Dwalin following close behind him. “I saved your life.”

Kili feels entirely too exposed for this conversation, and he wraps his arms around his chest. “I didn’t know I had lost it,” he says, his lips feeling numb. The thirst is persistent, and his throat burns to be quenched. He wrenches his mind away from the thought and tries to focus on the matter at hand. “What happened?”

“Put some pants on and we can talk,” Dwalin says, walking past Balin and Kili, back into Fili’s bedroom to sit down on an over-plushed chair that sits in the corner.

They follow him into the bedroom, and Fili silently passes Kili a pair of sweatpants. He hastily tugs them up over his hips, feeling better now that he’s less exposed. He turns to ask Fili a question, but the look on Fili’s face makes the question fade from his lips. Fili reaches out and touches Kili’s bare neck gently, and Kili peers down to see the start of a silvery white line along his skin. It runs from the meat of his shoulder, up past his neck where he can’t see it any longer.

He shivers when Fili touches it, though, and lifts his own hand to brush against it. “What is this?” He wonders softly.

“It’s your death mark,” Balin replies, lowering his frame down on to the edge of the bed. “It’s where the axe pierced you, and where you bled out. For all intents and purposes, you died.”

Kili stares at him, and then wheels his gaze to look at Fili. He’s not laughing, his face is pinched, his lips pursed as he stares at the floor. His hand still rests against the hollow of Kili’s throat, and it trembles. Balin must not be joking then, despite how strange his story sounds. He must be telling the truth then, and Kili actually died.

“I couldn’t have you die, not when I had just found you,” Fili whispers, and he raises his gaze. His blue eyes are shimmering, nay – mesmerizing, as Kili stares at him. “I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know if you would want this life. Thorin… he told us to save you, so we did.”

“I’m like you,” Kili says, and his voice sounds flat to his own ears. He doesn’t know how he feels about any of this yet. The agonizing thirst is making everything harder to focus on, and he can hear Fili’s heartbeat thrumming steadily in his chest.

It makes him want to curl his fingers in Fili’s hair, force him to his knees.

“You’re one of us, now,” Balin says, distracting him with a small smile. “And we protect our own. You will never have anything to fear again, Kili.”

While he appreciates the sentiment, all he can focus on is the driving pain of hunger, and how Fili’s neck is looking more and more appealing to him. Before, the idea of Fili, or Tauriel, or any vampire drinking blood used to turn his stomach. Now, he thinks about drinking blood, and his stomach flips in a whole new way. It makes his mouth feel itchy, and he feels desperate – like he would agree to anything if it meant his hunger could be sated.

“I’m so thirsty,” he admits, swallowing hard and forcing himself to take a step away from Fili.

He doesn’t trust himself in this new form.

“Of course you are,” Dwalin says, pushing himself to his feet. “Follow me to the kitchen. I will get you something you’ll like.”

Kili glances uneasily at Fili, who gives him an encouraging smile. It does nothing to bolster his confidence, but he falls in line behind the rest of the vampires as they go down the stairs and through the mansion to where the large kitchen is. He has been with Fili long enough to know that he does eat, but he doubts its to the caliber that this kitchen boasts.

Dwalin opens up one of the fridges, and it’s completely stocked with nothing but glass bottles of blood. Kili’s stomach rolls, but not in the disgusted way that it normally does. He doesn’t want to drink blood. He doesn’t want to crave it, and become the monster that Thorin hates.

However, the moment Dwalin pulls a bottle out, his mouth begins to itch, and he steps forward involuntarily. He’s so fucking thirsty.

Dwalin pulls down a pot that’s hanging over the stove, and he pours the content of the bottle into it. He flicks the gas stove on, the flame flickering at the grate, and then sets the pot on top for a low simmer. He feels so impatient, he’d rather drink it cold than not at all, and the fact at what he’s become makes him want to cry.

“I can’t drink that,” he says, wiping at his eyes. For the first time since he woke, he feels low burning resentment at Fili for allowing any of this to happen, to introduce Kili to such a life, and flipping his world completely upside down. “I never wanted this lifestyle.”

“I know, but you need to drink,” Balin says gently, and he’s close enough to Kili to lay a hand against his shoulder. “You will drink it regardless, your new form will allow no other recourse, but it is better if you choose it.”

“It’s human blood, but we will eventually wean you off on to animal blood,” Fili says from the other side of him. He rests his hand against Kili’s other shoulder, and despite his reluctance towards everything, his touch grounds Kili in a way that nothing else does. He leans gratefully against Fili, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, and the rough drag of his voice as he speaks. “I know it’s not ideal, my love, and I would have spared you from this if I could have. I couldn’t let you die, though.”

“Where’s Thorin?” He asks, suddenly remembering the battle, and how Thorin had been so still on the floor as blood had flowed steadily from his side. He pulls away from Fili so he can look him in the eyes at the silence. “Where’s Thorin, Fili?”

“The doctors tried their best, but… the damage was severe,” Fili says haltingly. “Tauriel was with him the whole time… she offered to turn him, but Thorin said no.”

“Thorin said no for himself but yes for me?” Kili clarifies, his mind whirling. “Can I see him? Perhaps I can change his mind.”

“My love,” Fili says, his voice catching, and he’s reaching out for Kili. “Thorin is… dead.”

Kili allows the touch, simply because he’s gone completely numb. “You mean, Thorin died?” He repeats, and he feels hot and cold all over, breaking out into a sweat above his upper lip. “Thorin’s dead?”

“Yes,” Fili confirms, and his hug tightens around Kili’s frame. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry that we didn’t save him. Nori and the rest… they were just too quick.”

There’s a noise at the mention of Nori, but Kili doesn’t bother looking at Dwalin. He doesn’t care that the hunter is technically the vampire’s soul mate. He doesn’t care about their drama, not when his own is so intense. He pulls away from Fili, unable to stand the feel of someone else against him, not when he has so many emotions rolling through this new body.

Nori will pay for this, he will pay with his life.

“There’s no shame in his death,” Balin says, and while logically, Kili knows that he means well, he just can’t stand to hear a trite comment.

“Fuck you,” he says, slamming his fist down on the countertop, and the ceramic tile underneath his fist cracks. “How dare you be so blasé about his death? I suppose you’d have to learn not to care about death, being the monsters that you are… the monster that I am – ” he breaks off, sucking in a shuddery breath.

“I meant no harm, laddie,” Balin says, and he’s taking an ivory tea cup from Dwalin, holding it out towards Kili. “You’re upset, but the thirst is making it worse. Drink this, and I promise you that you will feel better.”

“How am I supposed to feel better knowing that my uncle is dead?” Kili sneers, but he accepts the cup anyway. He can smell the blood, the warm rich iron, and he’s practically drooling from the anticipation.

Christ, he disgusts himself.

He sets the tea cup down carefully on the counter and takes a step back from it. He doesn’t want to resort to drinking the blood, to accepting that he’s now become this monster. His uncle is dead, and he has no word on whether or not his mother is safe. His entire life has not only been turned upside down, but now has been turned inside out, and he no longer even knows who he is.

“My love, I know you’re afraid,” Fili says softly, and he reaches out to Kili again. This time, Kili allows his palm to slide along his arm until it settles on his back, cupping the back of his neck and squeezing gently. It soothes him in a way that he can’t explain.

“Please,” he whispers, although he’s not even sure what he’s asking for. He’s so thirsty that his throat burns, his chest aches, and his mouth is watering. His hands are beginning to tremble, but he can’t bring himself to lift that tea cup to his mouth.

“Better to drink it while it’s still warm,” Dwalin says gruffly, and Kili gives the older man the best glower he can. He doesn’t need any more of his foolish advice.

“Do it for me,” Fili says, and he reaches for the tea cup with his free hand. He brings it to Kili’s mouth, and he can smell the blood so fiercely that it hurts. “Do it for me,” Fili repeats, and closing his eyes, Kili helplessly obeys.

The first drop of blood explodes on his tongue, bursting life behind his eyelids. The blood is warm and rich as it slides his way down his throat, sliding into his veins, breathing existence back into his form. He stops caring that it’s vile beyond reproach, he doesn’t care any more that there are eyes on him, watching his every move, calculating. All he can focus on is the blood, and drinking it as fast as he can. Eventually, the cup drains dry, and he whimpers as Fili draws it away from his lips.

“There will be more, in time,” Fili says, and Kili opens his eyes to gaze at him. “You don’t want to make yourself sick. It’s a bit like when you run for a long stretch of time, and are thirsty. If you drink too much water, you’ll be sick.”

“Do I look like someone who runs for a stretch of time?” Kili says, and he’s surprised to find that he’s laughing, that the world hasn’t ended after all.

“I told you you’d feel better,” Dwalin says, and he steps forward. “I didn’t trust you at first, nor like you. I thought that you would prove to be ill news for this family, but I am pleased to admit that I was wrong. Because of you, I have discovered the true purpose of my life, even if it is not an easy road. You make Fili happy, and therefore, we are pleased with you.”

“Thank you,” Kili says, although there’s a hollow feeling in his chest now when he thinks of how Thorin will never truly meet Fili. They’ve met, but it was under bad terms, and now his uncle will never get to experience the joy that Fili can be. “When will we learn about my mother? I need to know if she’s all right.”

“We’re still searching for her,” Fili admits, and he cups the back of Kili’s neck again, giving it another squeeze. “Whatever the outcome is, we will face it together.”

It doesn’t soothe the worry in his heart, but it does make him breathe a little easier. He goes upstairs with Fili to get properly dressed, now that energy is coursing through his body and giving him life. Fili promises him that in another few minutes, he can have a second cup of blood, and while Kili’s knee jerk reaction is to say no, his mouth tingles in anticipation, and he knows he would agree to anything if it meant drinking more. His body doesn’t feel nearly as sore as it used to, and he rolls his shoulders. He feels like he could take on an entire army of hunters now.

The thought sobers him, and he bites his bottom lip as he follows Fili back downstairs. He’s definitely lost his job now, and if Bofur was to see him now, he would surely try to kill him. Would Kili attempt to kill Bofur, though? Has he really become some mindless, blood-lustful animal? He certainly doesn’t feel that way, but how would he react when presented with a human?

“How is this going to work?” He murmurs, reaching out to touch Fili’s elbow, drawing him to a stop.

“How’s what going to work?” Fili turns to face him, his handsome face still pulled in concern. He’s so damn handsome that it makes Kili’s chest hurt. How did he not notice how blue Fili’s eyes actually were? “I promise, being a vampire isn’t really that different or exciting than being a human. We do everything humans do, we just need a little blood to boost our way.”

“No, not that,” Kili says, because he’s not ready to think about his future as a vampire. “How’s this going to work with Nori? He’s Dwalin’s soul mate, right?”

“Yes,” Fili says carefully. “Dwalin has claimed him as his own.”

“That’s going to be a problem,” Kili says, the anger beginning to course through him once more. “That man is responsible for the death of my uncle, Fili. The next time I see him, I’m going to put him into the ground.”

“You can’t – ”

“Don’t you dare try to fucking tell me what I can and cannot do!” Kili shouts, and his voice echoes off the high, white ceilings. “You have turned me into an animal, so don’t be surprised when I behave like one! That man killed my uncle, the only father figure I’ve had in my life. He owes me his life!”

“That is Dwalin’s soul mate,” Fili replies, his voice low and even. It grates Kili’s nerves to know how calm Fili is. “He will kill you for trying to harm him.”

“Then let him kill me! I should have already been dead,” Kili retorts, yanking the collar of his shirt down so Fili can see the silvery-white scar that he bears. “I was meant to die.”

“No, you weren’t,” Fili argues, and he takes a step closer to Kili, his face twisting. “We saved you, at great cost! You don’t get to have a death wish because this isn’t the life you would have chosen for yourself!”

“Of course I get to, it would appear that’s the only choice I have left!”

“We were all humans, once! We have all survived not only the transformation of our bodies, but the transformation of our lives! Do you think it’s been easy living for years and years, alone because you know it’s pointless to get involved with a human who will eventually wither away and die?”

“Death is natural,” Kili says stiffly, and he folds his arms over his chest. “That’s how life should be!”

“Just because something should be one way, doesn’t always mean it goes that way,” Fili says, and he reaches out for Kili, drawing him close against his chest. “My beloved, we mustn’t fight. I have been alone for years, the very core of my heart is loneliness. And then you came along, and breathed new life into me. I couldn’t sit back and let you go, not when I had a chance to be happy.”

“What about my chances?” Kili pulls back enough so he can look Fili straight in the eyes. “The whole time you were selfishly deciding your future, did you ever stop to consider how I would feel?”

“Of course I did,” Fili replies. “In fact, you almost died because I couldn’t make the choice, I didn’t think it was fair, and I wasn’t sure this is what you would have wanted. Trust me, Kili, I know you better than you think I do. I knew you’d be angry, and I was prepared to damn myself to an empty, bleak future.”

“But Thorin convinced you otherwise,” Kili says, and his voice sounds dull and rusty, even to his own ears.

“Yes, Thorin told me to save you, and it was his dying wish. I respect that.” Fili reaches underneath his chin with two fingers, prompting his head up so he can slowly press their lips together.

And that’s at the heart of the matter – he can’t argue with that. Thorin’s dying wish has been honoured, and it’s now Kili’s responsibility to learn to live with it. If his mother is alive, then surely it is better than she find a supernatural son, then no son at all. The thought of Fili living out such an empty existence, of spending year after year lonely, knowing that he has buried his soul mate, makes his chest ache, and he hauls Fili in even closer. He kisses him hard, delving his tongue inside of Fili’s mouth to properly explore.

Fili groans and presses him against the wall, his hips immediately seeking out the heat of Kili’s, and Kili doesn’t hesitate in rolling their hips together. With his new found strength and energy, he feels like he could go for ten rounds in the bedroom, that he could fuck Fili right through the floor.

“Oh my,” comes a voice, and Kili wrenches himself away, his face reddening in embarrassment.

Fili, who apparently has no shame, simply rolls his eyes and adjusts himself in his pants. “What is it, Balin?”

“I apologize for interrupting, but I was just going to mention that I’ve prepared a second cup for Kili, and if he’s feeling up to it, he can probably drink it.”

“That would be – ” Kili breaks off with a snarl. Senses are coursing through his body, and every single one of them is heightening. A new smell has caught his attention, and he inhales sharply. A familiar scent floods his nostrils, and his fangs immediately punch out.

“What’s wrong?” Fili demands.

Kili’s beginning to shake, and images are firing through his mind with rapid fire succession. His vision is going red, and all he can smell and envision is him, the one that he needs to destroy. He strides to the front door and yanks it open.

Knelt on the door stop is Nori, his eyes wide and his hands open in a defenceless gesture. “I come in peace,” he says quickly. “I need your help. I need Dwalin… please.”

Kili snarls again, not liking the emotional tug he can feel in his mind. He’s at war with his emotions, and he knows that he should step back and let someone else deal with him, but he can’t. This man is a vampire hunter, this man is responsible for Thorin’s death! What kind of nephew would Kili be if he stepped back and allowed his uncle’s killer to remain at large?

“I will spill your blood,” he says, reaching up to grab Nori by the collar of his shirt, and he drags him inside the house.

“Kili, no!” Fili shouts, charging forward and he wrestles Nori away from Kili, shoving Nori against the wall and putting his body between Kili and Nori’s. “Kili, stop, please!”

“I will kill him!” Kili shouts, and he hates that Fili is in his way, that Fili doesn’t understand how important it is that Kili exacts his revenge.

“Kili… you have to help me,” Nori says, and Kili snarls once more. “They’ve got Ori, and they’re going to kill him.”

Chapter Text

Kili stills at the mention of Ori, because despite the new found strength that is coursing through his veins, there is still enough humanity left in his soul to associate Ori with harmless, safe, friend. He loves Ori, as much as he could love a friend. Ori had transcended the role of roommate a long time ago, and had firmly cemented his place as brother in Kili’s life.

“I’m defenceless,” Nori says, holding his hands up. “They stripped me of my weapons, and they said they were going to kill me.”

“How did you escape?” Fili asks, and he’s moving away from Nori, moving closer to Kili so he can brace a hand against Kili’s shoulder.

“They set me free,” Nori replies, his mouth twisting. “They sent me here, and said that Dwalin would kill me before he ever saved Ori.”

“I would never,” comes a soft rumble from the doorway, and Dwalin is standing there. “This proves that they have never had any true understanding of our ways.”

“They have my brother,” Nori repeats, a flush coming to his cheeks at the sight of Dwalin. “Will you help me?”

“Of course – ”

“No,” Kili interrupts swiftly, and he pushes past Fili. He ignores the growl from Dwalin, but does halt his movement. “You killed my uncle, and my mother is missing. Ori may be my best friend, but you are in no position to ask for my help.”

“I didn’t know that Thorin died,” Nori says, and he drops his gaze away from Kili’s.

Coward.

“Well, he did, and I hold you directly responsible,” Kili replies, fighting to keep his voice even, and to keep his fangs slid away in their proper position. It takes every ounce of self-control that he can muster up. “Where is my mother?”

Kili doesn’t need Nori to answer, he gets his answer when Nori’s gaze cuts over to Fili, instead of Dwalin. It’s in that moment that he knows Nori is relying on Fili to hold Kili back when he tells him the truth that he’s suspected for a while now – his mother is dead.

“I think it not only pretty ballsy of you, but also fairly tasteless of you, to ask for my help, when it was your hand that ordered the deaths of my uncle and my mother,” Kili says quietly, ignoring Fili’s sharp intake of breath. “I will help you save Ori, if I can, but not because you have asked me. I will save Ori because thanks to you, he is the last person alive I can call family.”

He turns and walks out of the room, because he’s not sure if his legs will hold him for much longer. He climbs the long flight of stairs, idly noticing the sterile walls. This house is gigantic, it’s an actual bloody mansion, but it feels so cold and empty to Kili. This isn’t a home, this isn’t a place where someone comes to relax. He sorely misses his tip of a flat with Ori, with his lumpy mattress and chipped plates.

As much as he appreciates his relationship with Fili, he won’t deny that there is a part of him that wishes he could give it all up and go back to how life used to be.

He goes into his bedroom and wishes he could shut the door for complete privacy, but of course he had ripped it off its hinges earlier in a temper tantrum. Huffing out an annoyed breath at himself, he climbs on to the bed and rolls over to face the wall. He’s hardly had a moment to even settle on the unfamiliar mattress when it dips down beside him, and a hand is cautiously sliding along his spine.

“Are you all right?” Fili asks, and Kili can hear the worry that’s colouring his tone. “I’m… sorry, my love. I’m so fucking sorry about Thorin and your mother.”

He tenses at the touch. He doesn’t know how he’s feeling, there’s so many different emotions rolling inside of him, under his skin, that everything feels tight and itchy. He shifts slightly forward so Fili’s hand falls from his skin, and Fili has the good sense to not try again.

“I think I’d like to be alone now,” Kili says, and he’s so fucking proud of the way his voice doesn’t even shake.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Fili asks, and he cannot boast of the same thing. His voice trembles, and then cracks as he says, “Christ, Kili. I’m so sorry. I feel responsible.”

“You didn’t kill them, Nori did,” Kili says evenly, although he won’t deny that Fili doesn’t play a role in their deaths. He’s the one who turned Kili from innocent to aware, he’s the one who thrusted Kili into his world and made him realize just how much bigger the world actually was.

However, hating Fili won’t do anything for him now, it’ll only isolate him further, and leave him even more alone in this world than he already is. The thought causes a thin sheen of sweat to break up upon his upper lip. Thorin had left this world at odds with Kili, and now they’ll never have a chance to fix things. In fact, Kili had spent the better part of the year pushing both Thorin and his mother away, and now he’ll never be able to draw close to them again.

“Once we find Ori, you’ll feel better…” Fili trails off, as if he realizes just how utterly stupid he sounds.

“Shut up,” Kili says, shifting his knees up higher against his chest. “Leave me alone, please. I’ll be down in a few minutes so we can form a plan.”

“Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No.” Kili fights to keep the sharpness out of his voice, for alienating Fili will not help him in the long run. However, his self-control is rapidly running thin, and he just wants to be alone to grieve the loss of his family.

“All right,” Fili says, and the mattress shifts as he rises from the bed. “I’ll see you downstairs when you’re ready then.”

Kili remains silent as he can hear Fili’s footsteps fading from the room and then padding lightly down the stairs. There’s nothing but silence now, he can’t even hear their voices, something he is supremely thankful for. The last of his dignity is shredded from him as he bursts into tears, and he thinks to hear Nori’s voice in the dark sea of grief right now would surely cost him all.

Fili’s heart is heavy, and his mind full, as he makes his way back downstairs to where the others are waiting for him. Nori is pressed up against the door, his eyes darting between Dwalin and Balin, who are standing by the entry way to the living room, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Fili would have more sympathy for Nori, because he can’t imagine that spending your life destroying monsters, only to need them later is a pleasant one, but he’s responsible for the murders of Kili’s family.

“No one is going to hurt you,” he says shortly, feeling irritated with the fucking fox. He should have killed Nori before Dwalin had the chance to lay eyes on him.

“You’ll have to forgive me if it takes me a while to believe otherwise,” Nori says, with a smile that’s too full of teeth to be genuine. “I’ve dedicated my life to hunting, and to be in the home of vampires is deeply unsettling.”

“You’re not in the home of vampires,” Dwalin says, and Fili absolutely despises the pleading tone that’s in his voice. “You’re in my home, which means you are safe beyond measure.”

“For Christ’s sake,” Fili mutters, and strides past them to go into the kitchen. He rummages around in the cupboards to find a deep glass so he can pour a few fingers of whiskey into it. He swallows it down in three gulps, gasping as it burns.

He’s not a fool, he knows that he’s sounded just as pathetic with Kili as Dwalin does with Nori. However, there is a large difference between Kili and Nori, and that makes all the difference. Dwalin shouldn’t believe that he has a future with Nori, because Fili cannot see a path where the vampires will trust him. He has made too great of a name for himself, which has become his undoing. The hunters no longer trust him, and nor will the vampires.

“Go easy on him,” Balin says from behind him, and when Fili turns to see him, Balin raises his eyebrows. “And go easy on the drink.”

“I’m fine,” he says, wishing he could return upstairs, tuck himself around Kili, and hold him close while he cries. He’s pretty confident that’s exactly what Kili is doing, but he’ll respect his need for privacy. Fili doesn’t even know how he’d act if Balin and Dwalin had been murdered, and then the murderer was invited into his home.

“I don’t think you are,” Balin replies, stepping forward to remove the bottle of alcohol from Fili’s reach. “A lot has transpired in the past few days. Actually, within the past month. You haven’t known Kili all that long, and yet now he is a vampire and bound to you.”

“He’s not bound to me,” Fili says, and his heart stings at the words. “You heard him earlier – Ori is the only person left he considers family. He doesn’t hold me in that high of regard.”

“Not yet, perhaps, but in time he will.” Balin sets the bottle of alcohol away, and then returns to Fili’s side to lay a hand against his forearm. “Fili, I will caution you now more than ever to be careful with him. It’s been some time, but think back to how you felt when you were first turned. You had so many emotions coursing through your body that you didn’t know which one to settle on.”

“I remember,” Fili says shortly. He had been angry and desperate and had drained how many innocent people of their blood.

“That was a normal transformation. Kili has been turned under great duress, and some of his first moments awake were learning about the deaths of his uncle and mother. That will affect who he is as a vampire. He is bound to be angrier, quicker to wrath. He will need stability to balance him out. You will need patience to accommodate him.”

Fili wishes they had been able to spend more time Underground. He had originally felt claustrophobic and isolated down there, but now he’d willing drag Kili back down if it meant keeping him safe, and keeping them separated from this world. He doesn’t fault Kili for hating Nori, there’s a part of him that does as well. He’d kill Nori himself, just to see Kili smile, if it wasn’t for the knowledge that he’d be breaking Dwalin’s heart.

“I know,” Fili settles on saying. Patience has never really been his forte, but he thinks for the sake of Kili, he’ll find it easier than usual. “We’ll just have to find a way to keep Kili and Nori apart.”

“If Kili was still human, I’d suggest letting them hash it out, but with his newfound strength Kili would most likely kill Nori,” Balin says. “However, I don’t like the idea of them sending Nori to us and withholding his brother. It feels like a trap.”

“That’s because it is a trap,” Dwalin says as he walks into the kitchen, Nori trailing nervously behind him. Even Fili, who isn’t attuned to Nori’s scent, can smell the fear on him.

“We’d be fools to go then,” Balin says.

“We’re going,” Nori shoots back, his eyes wide. “You can’t sit back and do nothing – they’ll kill him!”

“Why would they kill him? He’s a harmless teenager,” Balin retorts. “They might rough him up, but if they don’t get a reaction, then they’ll probably believe you to be dead, and release him to grieve.”

“You don’t know them the way I do,” Nori argues, folding his arms over his chest. “They’re not going to simply give up, and let him go. It’s only a matter of time before they kill him.”

“Then they kill him,” Fili says, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Dwalin. “If this is a trap, then I fail to see why we should risk our lives. This is a squabble amongst your own. This is a hunter problem, not a vampire one.”

“He’s my brother,” Nori says softly, and he suddenly looks a lot closer to tears than he did a moment ago. “It was my mother’s dying wish that I protect him.”

“You’ve done a poor job of it,” Fili remarks. He feels bad for being so callous, but there’s something about Nori he just doesn’t like – or trust. For all he knows, Nori is baiting them back to the hunter lair, where he’ll kill them himself.

“He had no idea about this world until you got involved with Kili!” Nori shouts, stepping forward, but he sags back when Dwalin straightens up. “I always knew that brat was trouble.”

“I am trouble,” Kili confirms, striding into the kitchen. He’s wearing black jeans so tight that they’re practically painted on, along with a black t-shirt and a black leather jacket. Fili doesn’t even know where he’s found half the clothes, but with his dark hair streaming behind him, he looks fucking magnificent. “Don’t you think you could use a little trouble right about now?”

“You’ll help me, then?”

“I’ll help Ori,” Kili corrects, and he interlocks his fingers together, pressing down until there’s a strip sound of cracking. “Where’s Dori in all of this?”

“There’s another one?” Balin clarifies, rolling his eyes. “That’s exactly what we need – more liability.”

“Dori can take care of himself,” Nori retorts, and his mouth twists sharply. “My brother and I are estranged.”

“Not for long,” Kili says, and there’s a wicked glint to the curve of his smile. He reaches into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulls out the cell phone that they had been given Underground. “I’ve already called him. He’ll be here shortly.”

Nori’s face pales. “You little shit.”

“Absolutely,” Kili hisses, tucking the phone away. “You can call me whatever you like, and you can believe whatever you want, but in the end, if you want to see Ori alive then you’ll need my help and you’ll trust my instincts.”

“And your instincts are telling you we need Dori?” Fili asks, raising an eyebrow. Instincts are something every person has, but it normally takes vampires decades to hone theirs into something sturdy, something reliable. Kili shouldn’t have that ability so soon after transformation.

“Yes,” Kili says, his tone becoming solemn. “I absolutely believe that if we are going to get Ori out of this alive, then we will need Dori’s help.”

“Fucking Dori,” Nori mutters, sagging back against the wall.

“Fucking Dori,” Kili agrees with a broad smile, and Fili can’t help but echo it.

There is still a hollow spot in his chest where his grief resides, whisper-thin that sneaks through his veins, chasing the vampire venom. If he allows himself to stop and think about his loss, to allow the full ramifications of being an orphan, of being alone, wash over him, he thinks he might actually go mad with grief. So he makes himself tamp it down, push it away to the back of his mind where he doesn’t have to dwell on it, and instead sharpen his mind to focus on something that is more important right now – Ori.

While they wait for Dori to arrive, Nori tells them everything that he knows about the vampire hunters’ stronghold. Kili watches him carefully, trying to catch him in a lie, but Nori’s heartbeat remains steady the longer he talks. The only time it skips is when he looks over at Dwalin. Normally, Kili would find that a tad romantic, but right now it just irritates him further.

“This still doesn’t feel right,” Fili murmurs from his spot beside Kili, and he’s looking down at the maps that Nori had quickly sketched out. “We can’t possibly know how many they’ve recruited. If they know we’re coming, then we’ve lost all elements of surprise.”

“Don’t be stupid, we never had any elements,” Kili says shortly, and he taps his index finger down on the front entrance. “So we’ll use the front door.”

Fili frowns even harder at that. “That feels like an unnecessary risk.”

“It is a bit of a risk, I suppose,” Kili agrees, and he nudges his shoulder against Fili’s. “Have a little faith.”

“Hard to have faith in someone who has never led a raid before,” Dwalin rumbles from the corner of the room.

Kili scowls over at him. Learning to live with Dwalin for hundreds of years now will be the hardest adjustment, he thinks. “I might be relatively new at this – ”

“Relatively?” Dwalin scoffs and pushes himself away from the wall. He stalks closer to the table. “You’re completely new at this.”

“Thanks to your lot,” Kili retorts, hot anger coursing through him, and he can feel his fangs punch out.

“Enough,” Fili says sharply, and he’s stepping between Dwalin and Kili, although Kili couldn’t say for whose protection. “Don’t rile him, Dwalin. His newfound strength is something that even you’d find a challenge.”

“I’m not going to fight him,” Kili says, and he runs the tip of his tongue over his new teeth. “However, the fact that I even have to lead a raid is completely your fault, so don’t get on my back for it. Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to solve anything, though, and it’s not going to help Ori any quicker.”

“Exactly,” Fili says, and Kili doesn’t miss the pleading look he throws Dwalin’s way. “Let’s just all get along.”

The doorbell chimes at that moment, and Nori stiffens from his place against the wall. Kili glances around the room and when no one makes a move, he crosses the room himself and heads for the front door, sensing Fili trailing behind him. He takes a deep breath and pulls open the heavy oak door to reveal Dori standing on the front stoop, a small overnight bag in his one hand and a gun in the other.

Fili immediately steps back, but Kili simply rolls his eyes and opens the door further. “Hello Dori,” he says, reaching out to take the bag from him. “Thanks for getting here as quickly as you did.”

“Where’s my brother?” Dori demands, and then there is finally an expression of emotion rippling across his face before it disappears. “Where’s Nori?”

“He’s in the kitchen,” Kili replies, and Dori falls in step behind him. They move quickly into the kitchen, and Kili turns to rest a hand against Dori’s forearm. “Try not to kill him,” he says, and he’s only half-joking. He doesn’t think that Dori will kill Nori, despite how angry he is. After all, they’re still brothers.

“Dori, let me explain,” Nori says, and he’s ducking past Dwalin’s broad shoulder so he can hurry over to them.

“How could you?” Dori whispers, and Nori stops dead in his tracks. “I trusted you with him, even though I knew it was foolish to do so. You swore that he had no knowledge of this world you involved yourself in, and that he would be safe.”

“He didn’t have any knowledge – ”

“For years I tried to keep our location a secret from you, because I knew that you would ruin everything. You managed to find us every time, and you convinced him that I was stifling, that I was mother-henning him. Rather than go to university and live under my safe roof, you encouraged him to move out on to his own – like he has any idea how to take care of himself.”

“That’s not fair – ”

“So he gets an apartment with this tosser,” Dori spares Kili a scathing glare, and even though Kili could kill him in a second, he still leans away from him. “And suddenly he’s kidnapped, and his life is in danger, and you’re cosy in the home of the monsters that you dedicated your life to slaying. Have I missed anything?”

“It’s not my fault that Ori got kidnapped,” Nori cuts in, his bushy eyebrows lowered down into a scowl. “I kept my word. Whenever Ori visited me in Bristol, I refrained from hunting and we just did regular things. I never once introduced him into this lifestyle. I didn’t want him to become hurt any more than you did.”

“It’s Fili’s fault that Ori learned about the supernatural world,” Kili chimes in helpfully, and he ignores the glare that Fili sends him. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m sick of your pissing content. You both fucked up, I fucked up, Fili fucked up… let’s face it, we’re all monsters, in our own ways. That’s not the point right now – the point is how we’re going to save Ori, because I refuse to lose one more person.”

The room is silent until Dori finally exhales slowly, and looks down at the map on the table. “All right,” he says, his voice gruff. “Let’s start at the beginning. Nori, tell me everything you know about these bastards.”

“You know Dori, it’d be my pleasure,” Nori says, a wicked little smile playing around the corners of his lips.

Having already heard most of the information, Kili takes this time to sidle around the group so he can slide an arm around Fili’s waist and burrow in close to him. If he focuses hard enough, and tunes everything else, he can hear their heartbeats pounding steadily away, separately at first, but then slowly synching up together.

“Do you think this is going to work?” Fili whispers to him, pressing his lips against the shell of Kili’s ear. “I wish you’d let me call in my friends.”

Kili shivers. “I don’t trust them,” he says, and he’s unapologetic in it. There may be an army of hunters against them, but he’s done aligning with people he doesn’t know and trust. This is what it will take to get Ori out of the situation alive, or they will all die trying.

Kili refuses to be guilty for ruining anything else.

“At least let me call Legolas and Tauriel,” Fili says, and the tip of his tongue is now tracing along the soft skin of Kili’s ear lobe. “They’re on our side. You can trust them.”

He’s half hard in his jeans, and he wishes that the rest of the world would disappear so he could satisfy this itch between them. However, now especially isn’t the time to start up anything romantic, plus he can feel the jealousy wafting off of Dwalin at their easy touches of affection, so he pulls away.

“You can call them,” he says, even though he hates the idea of Tauriel getting injured. “However, that Sigrid bitch can stay the hell away from us. She’s – ”

“Useful in a fight,” Fili interjects quietly.

“Perhaps,” Kili allows, but he won’t change his mind. “However, she’s unpredictable. She’s a wild card, and that’s something we can’t afford. Our every move needs to be careful and calculated, unless we want to risk losing someone. Can you honestly say that she will listen to my every command?”

Fili hesitates before he admits with a rueful smile, “No.”

“That’s what I thought,” Kili says, and he twists his body to hide himself from view as he brushes their lips together. “Trust me, please.”

“All right,” Fili says, and he’s leaning in to deepen the kiss. It’s really not the time for it, but surely in a moment such as this, they’re allowed to indulge, at least just a little.

Chapter Text

The moon is hanging high in the sky by the time the eight of them have assembled outside of the sprawling home that Nori insists is home base for the hunters. They’re right in the heart of Surrey, and Kili won’t lie – he’s a little surprised by the grandeur of it all. He had expected, based off of The Prancing Pony, something a little grittier. The hunters only pretend to be average, it would seem, and they’re actually wealthy beyond measure.

He lets out a low whistle. “Fancy.”

“Of course it’s fancy.” Nori rolls his eyes. “D’you have any idea how much a hunter is paid for the head of a vampire?” There’s nothing but silence following his statement, and Nori shifts uneasily. “It was a rhetorical question,” he adds.

“It was a stupid question,” Dori mutters.

“Moving on,” Kili says before Nori can open his mouth. He scans the large mansion in front of them, and feels his mouth pinch down in a frown. “I expected it to be big, but I didn’t expect it to be this big.”

“They’ll be expecting us, which means they’ll be armed to the teeth,” Nori says, his face pale.

“Correction – they’ll be expecting you,” Kili says, tilting his head to the side as he focuses on the stronghold. It has large windows evenly spaced on the bottom and top floor, but Kili would put money on the table that those windows are bullet proof. “Which, I’m afraid, is why you’re sitting out this raid.”

“Like hell I am,” Nori spits out. “That’s my baby brother in there.”

“That you endangered,” Kili shoots back, because he can’t even think about Ori getting hurt without wanting to punch Nori in the face. “Regardless, you’re sitting out, and so is Fili, and Dwalin, and everyone else. You’re in good company,” he says before pausing. “Oh, except Dori. I think Dori and myself will do just fine.”

“You’re mad,” Nori says, his mouth flattened into a thin line. “I’ve had enough of you pretending to know what you’re doing. It ceased to be amusing a long time ago. From now on, I’m leading this, and we’re going to get Ori out.”

“You’re going to back the fuck up, actually,” Kili says, and gives a slight nod of his head. Despite his size, Dwalin moves like lightening, and is instantly flanking Nori’s side. Kili doesn’t miss the look of betrayal and disgust that Nori aims Dwalin’s way, nor the way Dwalin drops his gaze.

It was cruel of him to ask Dwalin to refrain Nori from entering the mansion, but his hands are tied. He’s pretty confident that Nori will die if he enters the mansion, and so all he had to do was tell Dwalin that restraining him would mean saving his life, and the older vampire had readily agreed. Their relationship is so precarious, and Kili knows that it pains Dwalin to cause further anger in Nori’s heart towards him, but it’s for his own good.

Kili isn’t a complete asshole, and he’d like to see Nori spared if he can.

Fili starts beside him, his golden eyebrows furrowing. “My beloved, I admire that you have a plan you are confident in, but I’m worried that perhaps you are lacking some discretion.”

“I lack nothing,” Kili retorts, even though his heart clenches in his chest at the lie. He lacks his humanity, but that is gone from him, never to be reclaimed again. It’s gone, and Ori will be dead soon, unless he acts now. Ori can still yet be saved. “I knew you’d be unhappy in this order, which is why I didn’t tell you until now. Please, Fili, don’t follow me inside.”

“I’m not going to leave you unprotected,” Fili replies, jutting his chin out stubbornly like Kili knew he would.

“I’m not unprotected, I will have Dori with me,” Kili says. He gives another slight nod of his head, and this time it’s Balin that steps forward to stand beside Fili.

Fili looks over at Balin, and lets out a snort of laughter. “I’m not letting this happen,” he says, and Kili finds it slightly endearing, but mostly irritating that Fili still believes he has control over Kili’s actions.

“It’s not up to you,” he says, but he doesn’t want to part on bad terms, so he slides his hand along the sharp curve of Fili’s jaw so he can pull him in for a rather indecent kiss. “Trust me,” he murmurs against the softness of Fili’s mouth.

Fili’s blue eyes are clouded with worry when he pulls back, but he makes an effort with his smile, and nods his head. Kili hates that he’s making him worry, but it can’t be helped. He’s not going to put Fili in a position of danger, not if there is anything he can do to prevent it.

As it stands, the hunters probably think Kili is dead, and if Nori is telling the truth, then they likely have no idea who Dori is. Once they see Kili, he’s going to have to convince them of his humanity pretty quickly, but he’s fairly confident he can do it. He has proven his loyalty to Bofur – it even cost him his life. Gloin won’t trust him for a second, but as long as Kili can get to Bofur, he stands a good chance of getting inside the mansion.

And once they’re inside, his new-found strength should be enough to blaze a path to Ori.

If Fili or any of the other vampires tried to enter the stronghold, though… they’d be turned to absolute dust. Kili knows the hunters aren’t idiots, they’ve proven that well enough. They’ve shown that they’re a formidable enemy, and to under-estimate them means a death warrant.

“I don’t like this, Kili,” Tauriel says quietly, and she meets his eyes. “I understand that Ori is your friend, but you are relatively new to this world. I wouldn’t see you injured due to over-confidence.”

“I don’t feel confident at all,” Kili admits, and it rings hollow in his chest that he can accept criticism from her, but would have snarled at anyone else who would have dared to speak against him. The supernatural world is a very complex, fucked up one, in his mind. “However, my gut is urging me in this route, and I will trust my gut.”

“All right,” she says, giving him a tremulous smile. She clasps his hand in hers, and squeezes gently. Her touch is ice-cold. “You are a very brave soul.”

He ducks his head, unable to accept the praise she’s offering. He’s become many things, monster being the leading title, and he’s not certain that brave falls anywhere on the list.

“This is obscene,” Dori comments, his upper lip curling. Kili resists the urge to roll his eyes, he’s always found Dori absolutely insufferable. “Why on earth would they flaunt their wealth like this? If they were smart, they’d try to be a little more subtle.”

“It’s not about being subtle,” Nori says, and he’s gazing wistfully at the mansion. Kili can’t fault him for it – until very recently, it was his home. Apparently the little box of a flat in Bristol was just a ruse. “If they chose a warehouse at the docks, or a business location – something a little more cliché, it’d be overrun with bloodsuckers before long. This house gives them extra protection. It takes a very old and very strong vampire to break into an actual home that he hasn’t been invited into.”

“A very strong vampire… like someone who has been freshly turned,” Fili says slowly as it dawns on him. Kili resists the urge to preen, but it’s a close call.

“Precisely,” he says, rather magnanimously, in his opinion. “Of course, the goal is for them to not realize that I am turned and to be invited in, but if it comes to it, I think I will be able to force my way in.”

Kili double checks to make sure the two knives he tucked away are still there. He’s not foolish enough to assume that he’s not going to have to use them, but he can’t focus on that just yet. He doesn’t like the idea of taking a life – in fact, if he stops to think about it, then he feels like he can’t breathe as the panic claws at his throat. And if he really stops to think about how he doesn’t even need the knives because he has fangs… he shudders and pushes the thought down and away, locking it deep inside of himself so it can’t bubble out of control.

He can’t afford distractions like panic attacks right now, not when he has to drive all of his attention to the idea of rescuing Ori.

He’s broken out of his thoughts as Fili presses their foreheads together. “Be safe,” Fili implores, but then he’s stepping back, stepping away from Kili, because he trusts him to handle this dangerous situation. It floods more warmth into Kili’s heart than it should.

“I will,” he says, even though that’s not a promise that he can make.

Dori finishes sliding a silver pistol into the inside pocket of his jacket, and meets Kili’s gaze evenly. “Let’s go get Ori,” he says.

Nori starts forward once more, but falls still as Dwalin’s hand gently lands on his shoulder. “Dori…” he says, trailing off.

Dori’s face is impassive as he turns to face Nori. “If he doesn’t live through this, then I will never forgive you,” he says, his voice as hard as flint. “You will be no brother of mine.”

Nori takes a step back, away from them, and Kili uses that moment to break away from the rest of the group, Dori following behind him. The vampires fade into the cover of the darkness, and Dori is silent beside him. Kili risks a glance at him, and immediately wishes he hadn’t. Dori’s face is pale and hardened in a way that Kili has never seen before – which is saying a lot considering how much of a hardass Dori was when he’d visit.

It’s silent as they tread up the cement path to the house, pebbles crunching underneath their shoes. Adrenaline is coursing through his newfound veins, thirst at the back of his mind, but he pushes that thought away as well. The last thing he plans on doing is draining a hunter of his blood. The hunters are probably expecting an elaborate plan, or perhaps they assume Nori is already dead and they’re debating what to do with Ori.

Either way, Kili doubts that they expect to find him at the front door… or at least, that’s what he’s banking on.

Taking a slow, deep breath, he raises his hand and knocks on the door. It groans heavily under the weight of his fist, and he eases up. He doesn’t want to lay all his cards on the table just yet. There’s nothing but silence behind the door for a moment until there’s a sound of scuffling, and then the front door swings open. Gloin is standing in the doorway, holding an impressive shotgun. He stares at Kili before his gaze swings to Dori, and then back again.

“We’re here for Ori,” Kili says quietly, trying to keep a submissive look on his face. He’s positively begging for Gloin to under-estimate him.

“You should be dead,” Gloin says, and it’s clear that he’s surprised to see Kili. He looks around them, and then back at Kili, his face wrinkled in confusion. “How are you alive? That’s not poss – ” he breaks off, and then sneers. “Of course. The leeches got to you.”

“I can imagine what you’re thinking right now, but that’s not the correct assumption,” Kili lies, and he tucks his thumb inside of his fist to hide the trembling. He’s not afraid – he’s furious. “I’m not sure why you hate me so much when I have done nothing to warrant it.” He keeps his voice as quiet and docile as possible. “In fact, one could almost argue that I am a true victim of circumstance.”

That last comment was probably a tad too much, given Gloin’s snort as he tightens his grip on the gun. “Oh, ye bleeding heart.”

“I was thrown abruptly into a world that I had no knowledge of, all because I took a job to earn some money,” Kili continues, and the wave of self-pity washes over him once more. He shoves it away, though, because this isn’t the time for it. It’s not fair, everything that has happened, but dwelling on it will solve nothing. “I never had a problem with you – not until you tried to kill me and my boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend is an abomination,” Gloin retorts, and he’s placing one hand on the edge of the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we’re busy.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d tell Bofur that I’m here, and I’d like to talk to him,” Kili says, deciding to try one more attempt at being civil because all hell breaks loose. “Perhaps you can remind him that I saved his life.”

Gloin’s features only harden further, and the door begins to swing shut. “I’ll tell him you stopped by.”

Enough of the niceties.

Kili reaches out to quickly stop the door, and the wood cracks underneath his grip. He shoves the door wide open, ignoring Gloin’s sharp intake of breath. Kili looks down at the threshold, and a slow, smug smile sneaks over his lips. He raises his gaze so he can look directly into Gloin’s eyes as he takes a large, deliberate step inside the stronghold of the hunters.

“That’s not possible,” Gloin says, taking a step back. “That’s not how it works!”

Idiot.

“Like I said, as usual, you’ve drawn the wrong conclusion,” Kili says coolly, because he’s still going to attempt humanity if he can. He can sense Dori following him inside, and the door swings shut with a heavy thud. For better or for worse, they’re inside the den of hunters.

“I saw you die,” Gloin protests, and he fumbles the shotgun up against his shoulder.

Kili might be able to take a bullet to the face, but it’s not exactly how he wants to spend his evening, so it appears the ruse is up.

“Like I said, we’re here for Ori,” Kili says, and he dives forward. He moves at record speed, his hand on the barrel of the gun before Gloin even realizes he’s moved, and he twists it up, the metal whining unhappily as it’s twisted and distorted. The power of the venom is thrumming through his veins, he feels almost dizzy with it. “We don’t want any trouble, just our friend.”

“You will return my brother to me,” Dori says, and he flicks the safety off of his pistol. “You have already destroyed the life of my one brother, I won’t let you do it to another.”

There’s a thud around the corner, and then suddenly Bofur is hobbling into view. He’s using crutches, his leg bandaged tight. “What’s going on here?” He demands. It’s then that he sees Kili, and Kili is relieved to see the way his face blossoms into a sheepish smile. “Kili! My lad, I didn’t think I would ever see you again.”

“Bofur,” Kili breathes, and he doesn’t bother to keep the relief out of his voice. He brushes past Gloin, leaving Dori to watch him, and hurries over to Bofur’s side. “I’m so glad that you’re okay. I tried my best to stop the bleeding.”

“You did a right fine job, I’m all patched up!” Bofur says, and then his mouth twists as if he’s bit into a lemon. “You shouldn’t be here, though. There’s a war going on, and you’re already caught up enough in it. I want you to go home, Kili.”

“I can’t do that,” Kili says apologetically. “Trust me, I’d really like to. I miss my flat, even if it was a complete tip most of the time. I’m fed up with this pissing contest you’ve got going on with the vampires. If you ask me, you’re all equally wrong, and it’s time everyone minds their own. So yes, I would like nothing more than to go back to my home, but there’s something missing from that, something I need to complete that cosy little picture.”

“Ori,” Bofur says his name as an exhale of breath.

“Ori,” Kili confirms. His heart leaps in his chest at the idea of his best friend, and he hopes that he’s not hurt, that the hunters have treated him kindly. He swallows hard at the thought of his mother, and of Thorin, and how the hunters didn’t treat them kindly at all.

“Kili – ”

“Bofur, please,” Kili says, and despite the change he’s gone through, he doesn’t care what anyone says – he still has humanity running through his blood, and it shows in his trembling voice. “My mother and uncle are dead. I am grieving desperately for them. The only family I have left in this world is Ori, who is my best friend and my flat mate. Please don’t force me to be alone.”

“You’re not actually believing him, are you? Don’t listen to him!” Gloin blusters, his face beet red. “He’s a bloody vampire! We saw him die, I killed him!”

“I didn’t see anything, because I was dealing with my wretched leg,” Bofur says, but he’s studying Kili more intently now. “You tried to save my life, lad. You wouldn’t harm me, would you?”

“Never,” Kili says readily, because it doesn’t matter how much of a monster he has become. Bofur took a chance on him, and had always been a decent fellow towards him. As long as Bofur doesn’t try to kill Fili, then Kili has zero quarrel with him. “Please, let’s just end this, Bofur. Let me take Ori and leave. We just want to go home.”

Bofur hesitates, and reaches up with his hand to rub the back of his neck. “This isn’t your fight, lad,” he finally says, sighing heavily. “This is a matter between Nori and myself.”

“Nori isn’t able to be here,” Kili says, and he’s not going to outright lie to Bofur, but he’ll let him believe whatever assumptions he comes up with. “Unfortunately, he’s been… dealt with.”

A nasty smirk, so uncharacteristic of Bofur, flashes across his face. “Yes, I imagined that he would be,” he says. “He was a damn good hunter, but he cost us greatly in his moment of betrayal.”

“I know,” Kili says, thinking back to the blood sprayed walls. “So please, let us take Ori away from this madness. Like me, he previously had zero knowledge about any supernatural events. We’re just a bunch of kids, and we’d like to get back to that.”

“All right,” Bofur finally says. “Lord knows I have trouble saying no to that sweet face of yours.”

“Thank you,” Dori says, and his voice is rusty. “I have done my best to shelter Ori from this world, and I’m sorry to say that I failed. Thank you for the chance to do it again, and do it right this time. I will be removing Ori far from London, and you won’t have to deal with either of us again.”

“And I’ll go with them,” Kili says, and he doesn’t know yet if it’s a lie. He doesn’t know what the future holds yet for him and Fili. Space from London will do him well, he thinks. He needs to get out of the city and go somewhere he can grieve the loss of his family, but he has yet to decide where that will be.

Knowing Fili, he’ll make the decision for them.

“Bofur, you can’t just let the kid go,” Gloin says. “He’s the only leverage we’ve got against Nori!”

“Like my friend told you here, Nori has been dealt with,” Dori says, and he’s storming closer to Gloin. “Do I really need to repeat it for your thick head? My brother is dead, and I’d like to save my other one!”

Kili never had any idea that Dori was such a talented actor. The tremor in his voice sounds absolutely believable, and if Kili didn’t know any better, he’d think that Nori was dead and Dori was heartbroken over it.

“We want proof,” Gloin says, although he takes a cautious step back from Dori, who’s practically bristling with rage. “If Nori is dead, then I want to see some proof before we let the kid go.”

“We don’t have any proof,” Kili says, and he licks his dry lips. This is taking too long, and he’s worried that the vampires are going to get restless and coming barging in. He wishes he knew how this soul mate bond worked better; he’d try to send Fili calm, reassuring thoughts.

“We didn’t stick around for proof,” Dori says, and his voice trembles. “Do you really think I’m enough of an idiot that I will dawdle around monsters? Trust me, I want absolutely nothing to do with this world. I plan on getting as far away as I can… with Ori.”

Bofur reaches into his pocket and Kili stiffens, but he’s only bringing out a walkie talkie. “Bombur… bring the boy to me.”

There’s static before a gruff voice mutters an affirmative. Kili’s breathing has begun to pick up, and he forces himself to remain calm. They’re so close, though. They almost have Ori, and then they can leave and not a single person that Kili loves will be hurt further.

There’s silence, the only sound echoing in the grand foyer is the harsh, accelerated breath of Gloin. Finally, Kili hears the sound of footsteps – multiple ones – until finally Bombur comes lumbering around the corner, and behind him, Ori is led in handcuffs and a blindfold. Ori’s pale and trembling, but there’s no obvious sign on injury. Dori snarls loudly, and steps forward, but falls still when Kili whip his hand out.

“Easy,” he mutters, shooting Dori a warning glance. They’re so close now, he’s not about to fuck this up.

“Take the cuffs off, and give him to Kili,” Bofur says.

At the sound of his name, Ori’s head whips up, and there’s an audible sob. “Kili? Get out of here – it’s dangerous!”

“I know it is,” Kili says softly, and he keeps his gaze trained on Bofur as he steps forward. He ignores Bombur who is unlocking the cuffs from Ori’s thin wrists. The skin is reddened and raw, dried blood staining his pale skin. It drives a fury in Kili’s gut and his gums burn as he fights to keep control. He gently puts a hand on Ori’s shoulder, and draws him away from Oin. “It is dangerous, and we’re both going to leave, okay? We’re both leaving.”

“Okay,” Ori breathes out, and then his head is dropping down against Kili’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Bofur,” Kili says, swallowing hard. “I appreciate your cooperation and compassion in this matter. We’re going to be leaving now.”

“Of course,” Bofur says, and there does seem to be a touch of regret on his face. “I’m sorry that you got mixed up in this world. I feel like I’m ought to blame. I should have known better than to hire an innocent.”

It’s instinct to tell him not to worry about it, but Kili swallows those words away. It’s not okay that any of this happened. Because Kili accepted a job at a pub so he could pay rent, he lost both his mother and uncle, and there’s nothing Bofur can say that will bring them back. As much respect as Kili has for Bofur, he also knows that he’s ultimately responsible for the hole in Kili’s chest, and he’ll never forgive him for that.

“Take care, Bofur,” is what he settles on saying.

Bofur nods his head, and motions for Gloin to step back to let them pass. Dori has come around to Ori’s other side, and he’s supporting him so Kili can mostly guard their flanks as they back up towards the front door. Dori’s just reaching his hand out towards the knob, Gloin and Bombur turning away from them, when the door bursts open with a loud, heavy thud.

Nori darts inside, and he’s thrown a knife in Bombur’s chest before anyone can even react. Sharp betrayal steals over Bofur’s face and he jerks forward, wrenching the shot gun out of Gloin’s grip. He cocks it and aims it at Nori, biting his bottom lip between his yellowed teeth in anger.

“Bofur, no!” Kili shouts, and he dives forward, driving his shoulder into Bofur, knocking him aside. The gun goes off with a CHOOM, and the room is silent save for the sound of a wet, raspy gurgle.

Dori’s collapsed on the floor, cradling Ori in his arms, as the blood pumps in spurts from Ori’s chest. The smell of blood floods his nostrils, and Kili’s fangs punch out as he lunges forward with a snarl.

Chapter Text

Kili’s entire world tunnels down into a single, narrow line that leads him straight to Ori’s side. He hasn’t come this far just to lose the last link to his humanity. He skids to a stop beside Dori and drops, his eyes flickering over Ori’s chest as he surveys the damage. The bullet has torn through his skin, and Ori’s losing blood rapidly. His face is already pale, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he loses consciousness.

The smell of blood is thick in the air, and Kili’s fangs burn as he reaches out towards Ori, helpless on how to fix this. There’s too much damage done, he doesn’t know how to save him.

“Get away from him,” Nori shouts, and he’s yanking at Kili’s shoulder as he tries to shove him away. “Don’t you fucking touch him!”

“I’m trying to help!” Kili whirls around with a snarl, and Nori skitters backwards, away from him.

“You’ll kill him, you idiot,” Nori says, and his eyes are wide. “You’re not going to be able to control yourself!”

“I’m not an animal,” Kili retorts. He can smell the blood, but it’s not accelerating the energy in his veins. It’s thick and cloying, turning his stomach. His appetite for blood isn’t whetted in the least – Ori’s life force is draining out of him at a speed that Kili can’t control, and it breaks his heart more than anything.

“He’s gone,” Dori whispers, and there’s such a void in his voice that it makes Kili’s breath stop.

He looks down at Ori’s white face, and red chest, and something inside of him cracks. He has endured the loss of his mother, his uncle, and his humanity, but the loss of Ori’s best friend is the final straw in the proverbial haystack, and Kili’s entire world is burning around him.

“I didn’t mean to shoot the boy!” Bofur’s voice breaks through the haze of rage, and Kili looks up to see Nori advancing towards Bofur with a wicked sharp dagger in his hand.

“Get Ori out of here,” Kili tells Dori, reaching out to lay his hand on the sleeve of Dori’s forearm. Because Dori is infinitely better than Nori, he doesn’t jerk away from Kili’s touch, even though Kili’s leaving a bloody handprint. “Get him to Balin. It doesn’t have to be like this… he doesn’t have to go.”

Dori glances at Nori, and then returns his gaze to Kili, meeting his eyes evenly. He swallows hard, but nods, pulling Ori into his arms and staggering to his feet. He disappears out of the house and down the pebbled path, and Kili cocks an ear to ensure that he’s made it to Balin. Gloin snarls and steps forward, his round face red.

“You’re letting them take him!” He shouts, spittle flying through the air as he quivers. “They’re just going to make another monster!”

He’s ignored as Nori continues to advance towards Bofur, and Kili moves like lightening. He clamps his hand down on Nori’s shoulder and pulls him back. He’s forgetting his newfound strength, though, because Nori is flying back until he hits the wall and collapses with a grunt.

Bofur’s staring at him, staring directly at his fangs, still cradling the gun. His fingers are itching back towards the trigger, and Kili doesn’t care anymore that Bofur was his boss and gave him a chance. It doesn’t matter how decent Bofur seems, because at the end of the day, he leads the vampire hunters, and he is responsible for destroying Kili’s life.

Despite what Nori says, it isn’t Fili that is responsible for that. Kili could learn about vampires and survive that truth, he would have been able to adjust to a supernatural boyfriend. A world without love, though, a world where Kili has lost every single family member… that is what will destroy him, and Fili isn’t responsible for that.

Bofur is.

“Don’t,” Kili says, his mouth dry. He doesn’t trust himself to move any closer. “Don’t make me do it, Bofur.”

“You lied,” Bofur says, and his upper lip is curling in Kili’s direction. “You’re a monster, just like them.”

“Whose fault is that?” Kili asks. He can sense Nori shifting behind him, but he’s not worried about Nori right now. He can take care of himself.

All he can focus on is the thrum of Bofur’s pulse, and how satisfying it would be to tear his throat open. He’s horrified at himself, horrified that he’s even considering it, but this man has stripped Kili of everything, and the least Kili is owed is his life.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Bofur says coldly, tightening his grip on the gun. “I liked you, Kili, but I regret ever hiring you and introducing you to this world. You’re not cut out for it. You’re weak.”

Red swims through his vision, and he lunges forward. Bofur’s aiming the shotgun and pulling the trigger, the impact jerking him backwards. Kili darts out of the way of the bullet and shoves Bofur to the floor. His appetite for blood has been whetted now – he can hear, feel, smell the dizzying flow of Bofur’s blood, and he’s going to drain him dry for thinking that he can fuck with Kili one more time.

“I’ll show you weak,” he snarls, and rips Bofur’s shirt from his neck, revealing the stubbled skin. His fangs are burning, and he leans forward to dig in when there’s pressure on his shoulder, halting his movement. He growls and pulls away, flipping over Bofur’s body so that he’s facing the threat that is sure to be Nori.

However, Nori’s still sitting against the wall, catching his breath and Dwalin is crouched beside him, his hands skimming over Nori’s clothes to check for injuries. Instead, the new threat comes in the form of Fili, who is kneeling with his hands outstretched, his usual mirthful eyes serious, and his mouth pinched flat.

“Beloved,” he breathes, and the word washes over Kili like a warm wave, drenching him in Fili’s love. “Please don’t hurt him.”

Bofur is still under his hands, and Kili glances down at him. There’s a look of pure terror on the older man’s face, and while it would normally fill Kili with regret, today he just snarls and shakes his head. He doesn’t care that Bofur is afraid. He doesn’t think that Kili isn’t afraid? For the first time in his life, Kili is all alone in the world – he’s an orphan.

He’s fucking terrified.

“You’re defending him?” He asks incredulously, the words slightly distorted as he fights to speak evenly around his fangs. “After everything he’s done, you’re going to deny me my retribution?”

“Always so fucking dramatic,” Nori mutters from behind them, and Kili lets out another snarl.

He’s not being dramatic, he’s finally handling the situation with the appropriate response. He has defended Bofur this entire time, going as far to losing his life in order to spare Bofur’s, and now he is done. Bofur has shot Ori, the last part of Kili’s fragile world, and he is not going to spare him the consequences any longer.

“Shut it, Nori,” Fili snaps, annoyed. “You’re not helping. Dwalin, get him out of here.”

“I’m not – ”

“Dwalin,” Fili says, and his voice is measured even, but Kili doesn’t miss the twitch in his jaw as he clenches his teeth together.

The room is silent save for the sound of Dwalin and Nori’s retreading footsteps, and when Kili looks around, he’s surprised to see that Gloin has even fled. He’s either gone after Nori, but Kili doesn’t think he has it in him to march towards any enemy alone. Gloin has proven to be more bark than bite, and Kili would be surer that he’s gone to recruit more help.

“We need to leave,” Fili says, and Kili would hate the way that it seems like Fili is reading his mind, except it anchors him right now in a way that nothing else can.

“I want to kill him,” Kili says bluntly. “He has taken everything from me. I am owed his life.”

“He hasn’t taken everything,” Fili says, and he’s reaching out towards Kili with one hand. “He cannot take your kindness from you, nor your compassion. Don’t let him turn you into something you are not.”

In the distance, there are the sounds of heavy footsteps thudding their way, and Kili knows that Gloin has succeeded in gaining his backup. Fili’s right in what he’s saying, and even through the thick haze of revenge, Kili is able to know that if he killed Bofur right now, he would never forgive himself. It would be a sin he’d atone for, for the rest of his days, and after everything he has been put through – he deserves better than that.

He shoves Bofur away and takes Fili’s hand, allowing him to pull him to his feet. He curls his free hand into the collar of Fili’s jacket and pulls him close, running the tip of a fang over the fullness of Fili’s bottom lip. He shudders against Kili, and Kili smirks. He did not stop to think about what sort of change this would have on his sex life, but apparently it’s going to be a good one.

“Go to Ori,” Fili finally pulls back to say, and he squeezes Kili’s hand gently. “I’m right behind you.”

Kili slides his eyes over to Bofur’s face, and curls his lips. He’s thankful that Fili is here, because if he hadn’t, then Kili would have killed Bofur. He would have torn him to shreds and drank his blood, and although hatred for him burns brightly in his heart, he would have hated himself more for indulging such weakness.

He flees the house as the footsteps grow louder. The pebbled path feels like silk under his feet as he dashes over the terrain. He can smell Ori’s blood, the scent burning his nostrils. It’s an easy trail to follow, and he passes Dwalin and Nori in the night in his haste to find Ori, to see that if perhaps it’s not too late for his friend after all.

Bofur’s silent as Kili disappears out the door, and Fili rolls his shoulders. He can hear the footsteps approaching them, but they’re still a minute away, and that gives Fili more than ample time to accomplish what he needs to. He’s in the den of vipers, and despite what he had told Kili, he would be amiss to not strike while he can.

“I refuse to let him hurt you,” he says, keeping his voice low and soft, lulling Bofur into a false sense of security. “Kili is not a fighter. He is kind and caring, and he is full of curiosity. He never posed a threat to you.”

“You ruined him,” Bofur says, straightening up. He’s breathing hard, holding his side. Fili’s pretty sure he’s got cracked ribs. “You’ve destroyed his life.”

“I saved his life,” Fili retorts, shoving his irritation down. He doesn’t have time to let emotions get in the way. “He died protecting you, and I saved him. Perhaps not in the way you deem acceptable, but that’s the difference here – your opinion means absolutely nothing to me. I don’t care if you don’t like me. I don’t seek your approval.”

“You don’t, but Kili does,” Bofur says, and his breathing has grown even more labored. “He looked up to me, I think. Viewed me as a parent figure, you could say.”

“Probably because you killed his,” Fili says, and now he’s angry. How dare Bofur consider himself any sort of authority figure in Kili’s life when he is the one directly responsible for Thorin and Dis dying. “You have stripped my beloved of almost everything he has, and unlike Kili – I am not so forgiving.”

Bofur sneers at him, curling his upper lip. “I don’t fear you, same as I don’t fear death. I was born a hunter, and I will die a hunter.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Fili says, and the footsteps are growing closer. He’s running out of time. “You are going to die, and Kili and I are going to live. You have tried for years to stamp out my existence, but you have failed in your singular life goal. Do you know how much pleasure that gives me?”

“Fuck you,” Bofur snarls, and he starts forward, reaching a hand behind him into a back pocket.

“No, I think I’ll give Kili that privilege,” Fili says, and he lunges forward.

His hand snakes into the matted curls on Bofur’s head, and he yanks the head back to reveal the pale throat, stubbled with a day’s growth. His teeth punch out, and he doesn’t hesitate in digging them deep into the tendons of Bofur’s neck. He wrenches back with a growl, and promptly tears his throat wide open.

Blood sprays into the room, and Fili drinks what oozes into his mouth. It tastes metallic and bitter, though, and he spits out a mouthful on to the wall. Bofur’s heart is struggling now, feebly beating in his chest even as the blood oozes in thick, dark pumps down his shirt.

“You are never going to hurt him again,” Fili says, and he shoves Bofur away from him.

The older hunter hits the wall with a grunt, and then slides down on to the floor, his hand clenching his throat. The blood streams through his fingers, though, and the door bursts open as five more hunters pour into the room. Fili’s confident that he could take them, but he’s not about to get cocky now, not when there’s so much more at stake.

He bares his teeth at them in a fierce smile and then darts for the door, whipping through the air as he moves. The lights of London stream past him as he moves, and he follows Kili’s scent back home, and up the stairs to one of the ample spare bedrooms.

Kili’s leaning against the wall, his brows pinched in worry as he watches Balin hovering over Ori. There’s fresh marks in his neck, and Fili knows that Balin will have already attempted to turn him. There’s no sign of Dwalin and Nori, something that Fili is thankful for.

He still doesn’t know what happened. Dwalin had been given one task – keep Nori contained. Things had been going so well, the vampires had been cooling their heels like Kili had instructed, and even though it had been taking longer than Fili was comfortable with, he hadn’t felt any danger. He doesn’t know how Nori got away from Dwalin. He would almost be impressed if he wasn’t so annoyed with him.

“I’ve done everything I can,” Balin says, looking down at Ori with a frown. “I’m not sure about him… there was a lot of blood loss, and a hole in his chest. However, time will tell.”

“Thank you for trying,” Kili says woodenly. Fili crosses over to him, and presses his lips against Kili’s temple. His beloved smells like worry. However, Kili pulls abruptly away from him, his frown deepening into a scowl. “Don’t touch me,” he says sharply. “Don’t think I’m not mad at you.”

Fili inhales slowly, drawing up patience. Kili is still freshly turned, and still grieving. It’s predictable for his mood to be all over the place, especially as Ori lies on the bed in front of them, caught between life and death. “I’m sorry you’re upset with me,” he says. “I’m not exactly sure why you’re mad, but if you were to give me a hint, I could apologize a lot quicker.”

“Stop trying to be charming!” Kili snaps, and he pushes his way out of the room, so Fili follows him. “I had everything under control! I had Ori safe in my arms, and we were about to leave. It was going perfectly, and now he’s dead!”

Fili lets out his breath in a rush, and rubs the back of his neck. He fucking hates Nori. “I don’t know what to tell you. I thought Dwalin had him contained, I thought that someone as old and strong as Dwalin would be able to keep one single human under control, but apparently I was wrong. Once Nori barreled in, I had to follow him. I knew it would be trouble, and I wanted to help you.”

“We were so close,” Kili shakes his head. “I should have known that you wouldn’t have it in you to let me do this.”

“That’s not fair,” Fili cuts in, wounded. “Don’t pretend this is something that it isn’t. I had absolute faith in your abilities, it was Nori that I didn’t trust. Once he went inside the house, I knew that would disrupt everything, and it’s my job to back you up, Kili. I know you’re still adjusting to this life, and I’m patient, I truly am. But at the end of the day, you are a vampire now, and those hunters wouldn’t have thought twice about killing you. Even Bofur wanted you dead once he knew what you were. It’s my job – nay, my duty – as your soulmate to ensure that you are safe. I won’t apologize for that.”

“The only flaw in the plan was entrusting my brother with anything,” Balin says from behind them, and he shuts the door to the bedroom. Fili doesn’t think that Ori can hear anything, but it’s best not to argue in front of him regardless.

“Apparently,” Kili says, his upper lip curling. “He doubted me from the beginning, and yet it was him that fucked everything up!”

“Dwalin is not to be trusted with Nori, that much is clear,” Balin says, and he puts his hands on his hips. “And now with Ori being turned, this makes the situation even more complicated.”

Downstairs, the door slams and Fili stiffens. He can smell that Dwalin is home, and there’s two other heartbeats with him, which must be Dori and Nori. Kili is tensing beside him before hurrying down the stairs. Fili exchanges an uneasy glance with Balin and then follows him down, because if Kili tries to attack Nori, Fili knows that Dwalin will be an idiot and try to get involved.

“Where’s my brother!” Nori shouts the moment he sees them. “What have you done with him?”

“We saved him, no thanks to you!” Kili shouts, striding across the room towards Nori.
Dwalin steps forward with a growl, and Kili falls short. “You will not harm him,” Dwalin warns, and he gives Fili a calculated look.

Fili rolls his eyes in response. “I think everyone needs to calm down,” he says. “Tonight didn’t go as planned, that much is obvious. However, Ori should have a chance to live, thanks to Balin. We will teach him our ways, and accept him into our family. He is Kili’s friend, and therefore my friend.”

“He’s got a family of his own,” Nori sneers.

“You great idiot.” It’s Dori finally speaking, and Fili is relieved to see that he’s directing his anger towards Nori, rather than Kili. “We had it under control. Kili was absolutely amazing – he had convinced them to give us Ori without any damage, and then you had to charge inside without thinking – per fucking usual.”

“It’s not in my nature to sit by the sideline,” Nori shoots back. “You don’t know them like I do. I didn’t think it was possible for you to succeed.”

“That’s because you’re a bloody idiot who doesn’t think,” Dori snaps, and then whirls to face Dwalin. “And don’t growl at me, you lumbering ox! It was your job to ensure that Nori stayed put, and apparently you can’t even handle a simple task as that! I don’t know why everyone speaks to the strength of vampires… you’ve certainly proven to be a disappointment.”

Startled laughter slips from Fili’s mouth, and he tries to disguise it into a cough. Judging from the look Dwalin gives him, he’s not entirely successful. “What happened?” He settles on saying. “Dwalin, you were supposed to contain him.”

Dwalin flushes, and drops his gaze. “No one is more disappointed in me than myself. Nori has proven to be my greatest weakness.”

“Haven’t even gotten a leg over, and you’re already whipped,” Kili mutters.

“You want to say that again, boy?” Dwalin shouts, charging forward. Fili darts between them, and pushes his hand against Dwalin’s chest, shoving him back. “Say it to my face!”

“You haven’t even tumbled him, and yet you’re already acting like a bloody fool!” Kili scoffs, and he slides up behind Fili. “Due to your incompetence, my best friend is dead. Since meeting Fili, I have lost my mother, my uncle, and my best friend.” His voice is wobbling, and Fili reaches behind with a free hand to press his touch against Kili’s hip. “How am I supposed to be a part of this world? You have made me one of you, but so far you haven’t shown me that it’s anything to admire.”

“Stop blaming Dwalin,” Nori finally says, his voice low. “I’m not an idiot, I understand how the soulmate bond works. I’ve been involved in this lifestyle enough to learn how your kind works, and I exploited that. I took advantage of his bond to me, and used it to get inside. If you’re going to be upset, blame me.”

“Oh, trust me! I do,” Kili laughs, but there’s nothing joyful in it. It’s jagged and torn, and Fili can feel the bitter pain permeating through their bond.

“You used our bond against me?” Dwalin echoes, and Fili doesn’t think he will ever forget the look on the older vampire’s face.

It hurts his chest to see the absolute heartbreak bleeding out of every pore. Kili has often been ignorant of their bond, and that has been painful enough. Fili isn’t sure how he would respond if Kili had purposefully twisted their bond into something evil, into something for his own selfish gain.

“Of course I did,” Nori sneers, his thin upper lip curling. “Did you actually think that I would ever consider a future with you? I have spent my life dedicated to destroying vampires, and nothing is going to change that. Just because there’s some supernatural bullshit bond at play here doesn’t change anything.”

“Nori, stop,” Dori whispers. “You’re being cruel.”

“Of course I’m being cruel,” Nori says. “You have to be over the top blatant for anything to get through that thick skull of his. You’re not my soulmate, you’re a monster, and I simply used you to try and save my brother.”

“Which you did the exact opposite of,” Kili cuts in, and he throws Nori a savage look. “You’re directly responsible for Ori’s condition right now. If he dies, his blood will be on your hands. And if he lives, he will be one of us – a monster, just like Dwalin.”

“My brother is dead to me, whether he’s six feet under the ground, or if he becomes a vampire,” Nori says softly.

“Get out,” Fili says, and he pushes past Dwalin. He is done with listening to this conversation, and he is done with Nori. The vampire hunter has done nothing but cause an entire headache for Fili’s family, and he is finished with it. “If what you say is true, and that is what you genuinely believe, then you can get the fuck out. I hope the rest of the hunters find you, and slaughter you where we stand, and spare us the sound of your very existence.”

“With pleasure,” Nori scoffs, and he turns away from Fili. What a disappointment. “Dori, let’s go.”

“No,” Dori’s shaking his head. “For years I have disapproved in your choice of lifestyle, and I am not going to indulge you any longer. I am not a fan of this supernatural world, but these are good men, and they are trying to do right by Ori. I will stay here until I know the outcome, and if I have to bury Ori, then it is for the best that you’re not there, because I will bury you, too.”

Fili raises his eyebrows, he’s impressed by the fervor in Dori’s voice. “I think you best leave now, before one of these monsters forget their manners.”

Nori pauses, his eyes cutting across the room to where Dwalin stands. Dwalin is breathing heavily, his eyes bright, but he’s not reaching out to Nori, which is a relief. Nori opens his mouth to say something, but falls silent, shaking his head. He turns on his heel and slips out the front door, closing it quietly. Fili can hear the sound of Nori’s footsteps fading into the distance, his smell growing further and further away until he cannot sense him at all anymore. Nori has truly left.

“You should have let me kill him in the beginning,” Fili says. He’s half-joking, but sort of serious as well. Things wouldn’t be so complicated now if Nori was dead.

“Be quiet,” Dwalin says, but there’s no heat in his words. He turns and lumbers up the stairs, and the sound of his door closing is heard. Fili knows Dwalin well, they’ve spent enough time together for Fili to understand just how heartbroken the older vampire is, and how this is a blow that will be difficult to recover from.

However, they can’t sit back and let Dwalin grieve the loss of his soulmate, not when it’s still so dangerous.

“We need to put the house on lockdown,” he says to Balin. “Dori may stay if he’d like, but we need to commence lockdown immediately. I know he’s your brother, but he has proven to be most disloyal, and I don’t trust him. He knows where we live, and he could easily lead a raid against us.”

“You’d think Bofur would come after us again?” Kili asks, and he’s pressing closer against Fili’s back.

Fili pauses, and swallows hard. He has not yet told Kili the truth about Bofur, not in the commotion. He won’t lie about Bofur’s death if he’s asked directly, but there is no sense in angering Kili against him, not when they are so vulnerable. “I don’t think Bofur will be troubling us ever again,” he settles on saying. “I think we made our position quite clear.”

There’s a beeping sound as Balin punches in the lockdown sequence, and then the whirring as the metal plates begin to slide down over the windows. “There, that makes me feel slightly better, but still not fully at ease,” Balin says. “I think once we know Ori’s fate, we need to consider the possibility of relocating.”

Fili groans, because moving is always such a bitch. There’s so much paperwork to file with the Council, and there’s packing because you’re going to be leaving your house in lockdown mode for decades on end. It’s an absolute pain, but Fili knows that Balin is right. As long as Nori lives, it’s best that they leave London altogether, and go somewhere that Nori can’t find them.

“Let’s discuss it this evening, once Dwalin is with us,” he says, because he wants to get Kili alone for a bit, and strengthen their bond. It’s nothing but a waiting game right now for Ori, and there’s plenty of things Fili can think of doing to fill the time. He slides his hand into Kili’s, and tugs him towards the stairs. “We’ll be in my room, if we’re needed,” he says. “Tell us the moment Ori wakes.”

“Of course,” Balin says. “I’m going to the office to make some phone calls. We’re going to have to get some things in order.”

Dori follows them up the stairs, but he splits off down the left hallway so he can go back into the room where Ori resides. It’s not wise, but Fili has honed his senses over the century that he’s been alive. The moment Ori begins to wake, Fili will be able to hear him, and he should be able to get between them at time. Kili had been a lot more subtle in his transformation, and had been able to restrain his thirst. Fili suspects it’s because of the bloodshed he had seen, and because he knew the savage impact a vampire could have. Ori, on the other hand, is a lot more innocent in the supernatural world, and Fili suspects that he will be a lot more exuberant in his blood lust.

He shuts the bedroom door shut behind them and flops down on the large bed, Kili immediately curling up against him. He runs his fingers through Kili’s tangled dark hair, and slowly begins to feel at peace. “How are you feeling?” He asks, because so much has transpired in such a short amount of time, and he’s sure that Kili is still reeling not only from his transformation, but from the overwhelming sense of loss as well.

“Hollow,” Kili says, exhaling slowly. He shifts on the bed until he’s pressed from head to toe against Fili’s side, and it gives Fili more satisfaction than it should. “I feel like I should be tired, and yet I’m not.”

“You’ll adjust to that,” Fili reassures him. “It takes a little time for your mind to realize that your body doesn’t need the maintenance it used to. Two to three hours a day is all the rest you need, and you’ll find that human food won’t appeal to you as much, nor will it keep you as sustained. The best diet is blood.”

Kili makes a face, but Fili doesn’t miss the shiver that runs through his frame. “I think that’s something I will struggle with for a bit. While I never believed in monsters like Nori did, I can’t say that a diet of blood is something desirable.”

“And yet…”

“And yet I’d drain you dry,” Kili admits in a low voice, shifting the front of his body against the curve of Fili’s hip.

Fili can feel the heat of Kili’s cock, even through the material of their clothes, and it makes him shift closer to him. “You’re probably going to be thirsty soon,” he says, running his thumb along the swell of Kili’s bottom lip.

A pink tongue sneaks out to curl around Fili’s thumb, licking the salt from his skin. “I already am,” Kili admits, but then he’s rolling on top of Fili. “However, I have another thirst I’d like to sate.”

Fili groans and tilts his head backwards so Kili is able to suck a mark into his neck. He wishes that Kili could litter in skin in bruises, so every one that Fili saw would be able to recognize that he was taken, that he had found his soulmate. However, the only thing that burns brightly in his veins his in venoms, and it heals any mark that is left on his skin.

Time fades away the longer they spend in the sheets, and it’s such a relief to know that while he will still treasure every moment with Kili, he no longer has to desperately cling to him. They will have more than a lifetime together, and he will not have to sit by the wayside and watch Kili grow older without him. Instead, they are both permanently caught in the prime of their youth, and the future is theirs.

The morning sun hangs high in the sky by the time that Kili has sated himself, and he lays back in the dirty sheets, brushing his sweaty hair back from his forehead. He needs a shower, but all he can smell is the scent of their deeds, and it would be a shame to wash that all away. Fili lays beside him, his eyes closed, but Kili can tell that he isn’t sleeping. Instead, he has his head slightly cocked to the side, and that’s when Kili hears it.

A sixth heartbeat has joined the house.

“Ori,” Kili breathes, scrambling from the bed to find the remains of his clothes. Fili had all but shredded them off of him with his teeth, and so Kili rummages around in Fili’s wardrobe until he can find something new. There’s no helping his hair, so he pulls it back up into a messy bun, and barrels out of the bedroom.

Fili is hot on his tail, and they run into Balin as they reach the doorway to the spare room. Balin raises one eyebrow and Kili flushes.

“Sorry,” he murmurs. He really should have taken the time to shower, but Ori is awake, and Kili is desperate to see his best friend.

“Don’t apologize,” Fili drawls, and he gives Balin a wink. “I could tell you stories about Balin.”

“I think not,” Balin huffs and then opens the door, cutting off the remainder of the conversation.

Dori is pressed against the wall, a blade in his hand, and a wary expression on his face as he watches Ori, who is sitting up in the bed. He’s paler than he used to be, but Ori was always more of the indoorsy type, and tended to be pale anyway. He’s staring at Dori, his pulse beating rapidly, and a look of pure confusion is muddled with desire on his face.

“Ori,” Kili says quietly, because he understands what it is like to wake up and not know who you are anymore. “Ori, you all right?”

“I feel quite strange,” Ori confesses. He opens his mouth and runs his tongue along the curve of a fang. He lights up at the sensation, and grins at Kili. “Does this mean I’m like you now?”

“Yes, you’re a vampire,” Kili says, and he crosses the room to sit on the edge of the bed. “It can be a massive adjustment, so don’t feel bad if you don’t feel good. I’m still getting used to everything.”

“I can smell so much,” Ori marvels, and he leans forward to grab Kili’s hand, examining it closely. He suddenly makes a face and drops his hand, scooting backwards on the bed. “You had sex today!”

“Shut it, Ori,” Kili says, his face feeling hot, even if there is no blood flushing his skin. He at least washed his hands, all right? He changes the subject, talking over Fili’s snickers. “You must be really thirsty.”

“My throat is burning,” Ori says, and he swallows hard. He glances at everyone else in the room and shifts further on the bed, his gaze downcast. His hand is trembling in his lap, and he opens his mouth before closing it.

“What is it?” Kili asks, because he’s tired of secrets and lies.

“I can’t help but think that perhaps… Nori was right,” Ori whispers, and he clenches his eyes shut. “I can hear the blood in Dori’s veins, and I want nothing more than to taste it. I am a monster.”

Dori blanches from his spot against the wall, but Kili simply laughs. “Ori, you’re not a monster,” he says. “You’re freshly turned, which means you’re going to have some needs. You only want to do that because Dori is human. Once you get your condition managed, you’ll be able to be around him just fine. I haven’t killed him yet, have I?”

Which is a miracle in itself, Kili thinks.

“In the past few days, Nori has filled my head with all sorts of – ”

“Garbage,” Dori says firmly, and he walks over to stand beside the bed, laying a hand on Ori’s shoulder. Kili tenses, because he knows Ori would never forgive himself if he injured Dori in any way. “Anything Nori told you was absolute garbage, and you ought to chuck it in the bin where it belongs.”

“Look at how your brother isn’t afraid of you,” Kili says, nodding his head toward Dori’s hand. “If you were genuinely a mindless, blood thirsty monster, we wouldn’t let you be in the same room as Dori, let alone have him so close. You are still you, Ori.”

“Where is Nori?” Ori asks, and he looks at Dori before he swings his gaze to Kili. His eyes are narrowing, and Kili knows this look. Ori can be a bullheaded dog when he wants to be. “Where is my brother, Kili?”

“He’s gone.” The voice that answers him comes from Dwalin, standing in the doorway. His face is pale and blank, nary an emotion on his face. “Nori has left us. He cares not if you live or die. If anything, he probably wishes for death, because otherwise he will be forced to cut you down where you stand.”

Ori scowls at him. “That’s not true. Nori is my brother, and like I’ve told Kili countless times in the past… it doesn’t matter what kind of situation is going on around us. Nori would never hurt me.”

“Oh, my little gem,” Dori exhales roughly, collapsing down on the bed beside Ori. “He speaks the truth. Nori has broken himself away from our family, we cannot trust him. As long as you are a vampire, Nori is your enemy.”

Ori’s mouth drops open, and Kili crawls down on the bed beside him, so Ori is sandwiched safely between him and Dori. He understands the pain of loss, but at least Ori has the chance to reconcile himself to Nori, should Nori ever come around. Kili doesn’t have that option – his family is lost to him, and all he has right now are the people in this room.

“I’m speechless,” Ori finally exhales on a heavy breath. “I always thought that his love for me extended far past any of his prejudices.”

“Perhaps some day we will be reunited with Nori,” Dori says, and he’s smoothing Ori’s fuzzy red hair down. “But as of right now, he is on his own, and we are together. We are going to leave London.”

Panic flares brightly in Kili’s chest at the thought of Ori leaving, but he tamps it down.

“We all need to leave,” he says, glancing over at Fili. “I think it’s important for us to stay together.”

“We can’t impose on the generosity anymore,” Dori says, shaking his head.

“We have turned Ori, and he is our family now,” Balin says firmly, meeting Dori’s eyes evenly. “We will care for him, and show him how to adapt to our world. You are more than welcome to stay with us, for you are family, too.”

“We couldn’t – ”

“I’m afraid I must insist,” Balin cuts smoothly in. “You see, it’s not safe to let Ori out on his own right now, not until he learns how to manage his condition. So it’s essential that he stays with us, and we would enjoy your company as well.”

“Please, Dori?” Ori asks, and he tightens his grip on Kili. “Can we stay?”

“All right, we’ll stay for now,” Dori says.

Kili grins at Ori and elbows him gently in the side. Despite everything that has happened, they’re back to being flatmates, and that makes Kili feel more normal than he has in a long time. Of course, this time they’ve got a few extra additions, but Kili’s still confident that they’ll find a new normal in their relationship and it won’t be long until Kili is cooking up terrible pasta for them while Ori picks a trashy show on the telly for them to watch.

“We should go to our home in Vancouver,” Fili says, and he settles on the edge of the bed beside Kili, his weight warm and steady. “We haven’t been there in ages.”

“I’ve got no complaints against it,” Balin says, glancing over at Dwalin. “Brother? What do you think?”

Dwalin’s silent, and Kili doesn’t miss the shuttered expression on his face. He can only imagine how the older vampire is struggling with the idea of leaving London, of leaving Nori, even though he knows of the hatred in Nori’s heart towards him.

“I’ve got a life here,” Dori says, and then he glances down at Ori. “However, if you think moving is the best option for Ori, then I will of course settle my affairs and join you.”

Kili has never really travelled anywhere before, so this is extremely thrilling to him. He turns his head to grin at Fili, and can’t resist brushing his lips against the curve of Fili’s jaw. His skin is cool underneath Kili’s lips, and a flashback of Fili spread out on white sheets gives him shivers.

“It’s settled then,” Balin says, apparently not waiting for Dwalin’s agreement. “I will draw up the paperwork and submit it to Council this morning. Dori, if you have anything you need to settle outside of this house, I will come with you to ensure your safety. We will leave in three days time.”

It all happens a lot quicker than Kili realized it would. They sneak out in the middle of the night and return to his old flat that he shared with Ori. It’s been mostly destroyed, and there’s police tape everywhere, but they slip underneath it and steal upstairs.

Kili’s room is mostly the way it was when he left it, although Fili takes one look and declares, “They’ve ransacked it.”

“Er, no,” Kili says sheepishly. “I’m just this messy.”

“Unbelievable,” Fili mutters, picking up a sock that is mostly grey and tosses it into the closet. “All right, you obviously can’t take everything, so just pick the important bits. We can replace clothes and whatnot.”

That seems reasonable, and so Kili uses his time boxing up his favourite comics, movies, and other various knick knacks. He makes Fili stop at his mum’s place and while the back door is kicked in, the house is silent and dark. It feels hollow, carved wrong, just like Kili’s heart, and so he’s quick to comb through it and grab all the photo albums that his mother had updated for years.

The entire process goes smoother than Kili ever anticipated it would, but Balin is obviously well used to the practicing of moving across the country every century or so. They hire a private plane, and the six of them fly out to Vancouver one rainy London morning.

It’s raining in Vancouver when they finally arrive, and there’s a car waiting for them at the airport. Balin drives, with a silent Dwalin in the front seat, and the rest of their belongings will arrive behind them on a truck. Kili would be suspicious of the transportation men, but one of them had licked his lips with a forked tongue, and there’s probably questions here that Kili shouldn’t even bother with.

The house in Vancouver is settled out in the outskirts in Richmond, close to the ocean. It’s nestled in a gated community, made completely of stone, and looks more like a castle than a home. The long driveway keeps it back from the road, and heavy iron gates close behind them as they drive up. It’s the grandest house that Kili has ever stepped inside of, and it’s such a stark contrast from his flat that he feels laughter bubble unexpectedly out of his throat. Ori comes up beside him, and grins at Kili.

“I don’t think we’ll have to ever fight over the telly again,” he says, his eyes following Kili’s over the large marble living room that spills into a dining room where over 100 guests could fit.

“I don’t even think we’ll see each other unless we want to,” Kili replies.

He wishes, not for the first time and certainly not for the last, that Thorin and his mother were here to see this house. They would realize that Fili was taking caring of him, providing for him like he had promised, and that despite their reservations, Kili really was safe here with the vampires.

He also wishes that he could have stayed behind to see them properly buried, and to lay flowers on their graves, but it’s just their bodies that he left behind. Anything that had made Thorin himself was gone now, had left when he had sacrificed his own life so they could save Kili and give him a future. All the qualities that had made his mother her tenacious way had ceased the moment she had died unjustly.

“It has eight bedrooms, so there’s ample space for everyone,” Balin says cheerfully. “I think it makes the most logical sense to give Dori the master bedroom, as it has its own private ensuite and is set further apart from the rest of the rooms. We will reinforce the door with steel and a private lock, so Dori will be properly protected from… any mishappenings.”

Ori looks alarmed. “What sort of mishappenings?”

“I’m sure absolutely nothing,” Fili says, cutting Balin a glance. “However, it’s just wise to take precautions when you have a human living with vampires. Balin is just being proactive in safety, however unnecessary it seems. None of us would hurt your brother, Ori.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Ori says, exhaling in a rush. “Does anyone mind if I have the room closest to the master? I’d like to go have a look – ” He heads up the winding staircase, Dori hot on his heels, and they disappear.

Kili turns to look at Fili and grins at him. “What kind of room are we going to get?”

“Let’s go have a look,” Fili replies, reaching out to catch Kili’s hand in his own.

In the end, they select a room that’s on the end of the house, with a terrace that opens up to face the Pacific Ocean. It has a wide king size bed in it, and while Kili knows they won’t use it much for sleeping, he thinks that there will be lots of other reasons to press Fili down against the sheets, and slowly kiss him until it feels like they’re drowning.

Once they’re unpacked and settled in, Kili uses his new phone to send Tauriel a text, explaining the situation to her. Distance will be harder on their friendship, but they have thousands of years ahead of them to bond, Kili doesn’t think that a few years will matter that much.

He may not have Tauriel, and he may have lost Thorin and his mum, but at the end of the day, he goes to bed every night with Fili. He feels full and empty all at once, but most importantly, he feels loved, and that’s not something he can ever bring himself to regret.