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Chapter Text

Fili wasn't entirely sure what it was that drew him to the stage, as a child growing up he watched old films happily snuggled up against his Grandma on her battered couch both of them lost in a world of music and make-believe.

Fili would sit for hours lost in this other world, a world where men would be handsome, women would be beautiful and there was always a happy ending. Life was tough, his mother worked long hours at the diner and then there always seemed to be men sniffing around at the end of her shift and more times than not his mother never came home,so It was left then to his Grandma to raise the small blonde, to give him the love and affection so terribly missing from his own mother.

Fili was a happy child despite everything, okay his upbringing was a little unorthodox but it didn't dampen the little blondes spirit, the best days were when Granny had saved up a precious few coins and dressing her little Grandson in his best clothes they took the bus to the nearby town. Laketown was home to a dusty old theatre that was way past it's prime but for a couple of coppers, Nana and Fili could be thrilled and enchanted by live theatre , Fili sat in awe his little hand gripping tightly to his nana's as the stage lights dazzled and the little orchestra struck up a tune.

"Fili, Fili Thranduil's looking for you " The blonde was pulled from his thoughts by Bilbo.

"Is he leaving ?" Fili emptied his coffee cup and disposed of it in the sink.

"Yes, he was wondering if you would sit in with me for the chorus auditions, it's the usual stuff and I think we pretty much have everyone we need but you never know there may be a standout"

Fili grabbed his jacket, it was always cold in the auditorium and auditions could go on for hours, Fili disliked the auditions, he had way too big a heart, he felt for the endless rows of young hopefuls having their hopes and dreams shatter before them as they were rejected and sent on their way.

"Please you know I can't do this alone " Bilbo was as soft as Fili and the blonde wondered how the little man, known for his good humor and big heart ever found himself in charge of casting.

The boys reluctantly settled themselves in the darkened auditorium and apart from themselves there was also Ori, Bilbo's runner and a small Orchestra in the front pit ."I don't think we're in surprises, a lot of these names look very familiar "Bilbo frowned and looked at Fili. Fili hated this a lot of the dancers they plowed through time and time again, every time not quite making the grade. he imagined how it must feel to be constantly dismissed and to have to return home with a suitcase full of unfulfilled dreams but you never knew the day may well throw up a few surprises.

They had been there now for just over two hours when Bilbo called for a break ."Okay, twenty minutes everyone" Ori arrived with hot coffee and Fili took it gratefully. Apart from a stunning redhead who moved like liquid sin, erotic enough to give two gay men semi arousals, it was pretty ordinary and Fili and Bilbo agreed to give it another half an hour and then call it a day. "Twenty minutes later and the lights dimmed once again the small orchestra striking up a melody, Fili's vision was beginning to blur, all the dancers just figures on the stage and he would be glad when he could go home and rest, the rehearsals had been exhausting Thranduil was legendary for setting a punishing regime for his dancers and although fit, Fili's body felt abused and sore.

"On the left at the back, the tall brunette, I don't remember him being there before " Fili's eyes searched, finally settling on the tall dark haired dancer Bilbo was talking about and now that Bilbo had pointed him out Fili found his eyes wandering back.

"There's something not quite right, it's almost as though he's hiding" Bilbo nodded in agreement.

"Okay folks let's call it a day, can Tauriel and Kili stay behind please, the rest of you can go and thank you for your time ", Fili waited as the stage emptied leaving only the redhead and the tall brunette.

"Okay I want you two, to run through it again and this time I want to see you give it everything okay ".

The redhead was great and now they could see the brunette properly, they could tell he was every bit as good, he just seemed to be lacking the Redheads energy.

"Okay Tauriel we will see you tomorrow, please give Ori your details, Kili one more time please ".

Fili and Bilbo watched as the Brunette danced as though his life depended on it, this time there was no mistaking it, the boy was talented.

"Okay Kili, we'll see you tomorrow, get some rest, I want you full of energy okay ". Nodding a thank you the brunette left the stage.

"You liked him, Fili turned to his friend ".

"He had something and I want to give him a chance, I could be wrong, who knows ".

Outside Tauriel was waiting "Tell me you got it " Kili nodded ."Why the hell were you so late ?.

"Bard was late for his shift "

"Have you eaten? " As she spoke she saw Kili's legs buckle beneath him. "Shit Kili lets get you some food,you're a bloody idiot you know that ".

"We got the job through " Tauriel grinned, pulling her friend into a hug.

"We did, now all we have to do is keep it ".

Chapter Text

Fili pulled his exhausted body from the car, grabbing his kit bag as he did so. After a few minutes of struggling to find his keys that were buried deep in his pocket, he unlocked the door.

Frerin had left is crap strewn across the floor and although his body protested Fili bent down and scooped it up, adding it to his own sweaty kit he threw the lot in the washer and hit the start button.

Flipping on the kettle he moved to the bathroom and began run the water, what he needed was a long hot soak in the tub and after Rummaging around in the cupboard he found the muscle soak and added a generous amount to the bath, he watched briefly as the water frothed and foamed then stripping himself of his undies he returned to the kitchen and made himself a herbal tea and downing a couple of painkillers he finally sank into the comforting water.   

"Fili" The blonde sat up, opening his eyes to the sound of his friend.  

"In the bathroom " The door was immediately pushed open and Frerin's face appeared from behind it. The other blonde grinned as his eyes roamed over the body of his friend. 

"Is that water still warm? " Fili knew where this was going and sure enough within seconds the other blonde had stripped and plunged himself at the opposite end of the bath.  

"Hard day? " Fili nodded "Thranduil is a bastard isn't he, I remember when we were doing Chicago, he would have me practicing the same thing for bloody hours, nearly fucking killed me "

"You got amazing reviews though " Frerin grinned.

"Yeah I have to admit, he may be a bastard but he sure knows what he's doing ". Frerin leaned back closing his eyes, letting his body relax against Fili's own. Cracking open one eye he added, "I bought Italian from your favorite Deli ", Fili leant forward and placed a chaste kiss on his friend's lips.  

"You spoil me you know that "Frerin nodded. 

"That's what rich and successful friends do remember, now just how tired are you ? ".

"Here eat this", Aragon pushed a plate of eggs in front of Kili and watched, arms folded across his chest as the brunette devoured the food."You're a bloody idiot, you know that ?" Kili sat back in his seat, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt "And a slob, with no table manners ". Kili caught hold of the older man's shirt and pulling him towards him placed a kiss on his lovers' lips.

"Sorry " Aragorn knew the young brunette meant it, in fact, it was Bard's fault for being so late the brunette had been too busy to grab anything to eat and nearly missed the audition altogether.

Tauriel was now behind the bar and the evening rush was just about to begin, so handing her the keys with instructions to call him if it got really busy, Aragorn gestured for Kili to follow him up to the small flat upstairs.

Kili sank into the tatty sofa, while Aragorn pulled two beers from the fridge after handing one to Kili Aragorn settled beside him. Kili let himself lean into the brunette's body. "I'm not kidding Kili, you've got to start looking after yourself, you know what happened last time and I don't want to be racing to any hospital again in a hurry okay ", Kili pulled on his beer.

"I'm sorry, I promise I'll cope this time, things will be different, you'll see, besides I'll have Tauriel there to take care of me ".

"It isn't  Tauriel's job to look after you, she can barely look after herself, no Kili I mean it, this time you have to behave responsibly, Thranduil is known for his discipline, just one wrong move and he will throw you out" Aragorn hated being strict with his young lover but only six months ago they thought they had lost him, a victim of his own neglect. Kili went to move but Aragorn pulled him close and held him there just relishing the closeness of the brunette, he could feel the beating of Kili's heart quicken, Kili didn't take kindly to being given advice even if it was meant for the best,Kili may have earned himself a place in the chorus line but what concerned Aragorn was his ability to keep it. They had just sat there for a while neither speaking, Aragorn gently ran his fingers lightly over the olive skin, causing it to react to the touch.  

"You're tired, you should get some sleep " Kili nodded, pulling himself up from the sofa.

"Come with me " He held out his hand and Aragorn took it.

"Let me check with Tauri first " Kili nuzzled into Aragorn, comforted by the closeness and essence of his lover.

"Don't be too long " Aragorn shook his head and gently cupped his young lovers face, drawing him forward and placing a kiss on soft lips.

"I'll be quick, I promise.

Fili sat in bed, his back supported by numerous pillows, they had fucked and now Frerin had gone to fetch the food. The blonde wandered in with a large tray, heaped with treats from their favorite Deli and Fili's nose twitched at the heady aroma of freshly baked lasagne, warm garlicky bread, and Basil salad.

"Thank you for this " Frerin smiled and settled himself alongside the blonde.

"Figured you might need it after a day with Thranduil " Fili grinned around his bread;"Has he mellowed or is he still an utter Bastard "

"If he's mellowed he must have been an utter shit before, I swear at one point I was on the verge of collapse, but thank goodness Bilbo insisted we took a break ."

"Bilbo still works for him " Frerin forked a large chunk of the lasagne and put it in his mouth.

"Yup the man's a bloody angel " Frerin scoffed 

"He gets paid very well to put up with that shit, I can tell you " 

"Either way, I'm very glad he's there, now are you going to eat that garlic bread ?"

Aragorn watched as Kili rose again only to sink back down, the brunette's head was thrown back, long, dark hair tumbled freely over his narrow shoulders, Kili was a joy to behold when he was like this, completely lost in the extasy of sex. Aragorn again admired the smooth olive skin that had bearly a blemish, so desperately soft to the touch, Aragorn had never dreamt that the brunette would stick around but they had been fucking for six months now. 

Kili had walked in one day looking very much like someone who hadn't eaten a decent meal in a while and had fallen on hard times, Aragorn knew when someone was sleeping rough and Kili showed all the signs, the brunette had ordered a straight black and then huddled up on the sofa to feed on the warmth of the radiator that sat just behind it.

Aragorn had gone over and placed a dish of chicken and rice in front of the brunette and with a knowing smile left him to devour it gratefully. Kili had tried to pay but Aragorn had refused, saying he could wash dishes in exchange, a week later Kili was still there, he was too pretty to be alone on the streets, life out there was tough and another month later he was in Aragorn's bed. Aragorn watched as his lover slept it wasn't Kili's dancing that concerned him it wasKili's inability to fend for himself. 

Across the city Fili couldn't sleep, he stayed with Frerin for a while, quietly watching the gentle rise and fall of the other man's chest, feeding off the comforting warmth of his lover, tomorrow was the first full day of rehearsals, in his heart Fili knew he was more than capable but so much was riding on this, finally after years of chorus lines and bit parts, this was going to make him a star. 

Chapter Text

They were glad when the break finally came, Tauriel had been behind Kili watching him constantly, he had definitely been better today clearly an early night had been beneficial and it showed in his dancing. When Kili got his act together his was a terrific dancer, the trouble with him was he didn't have enough discipline to ever reach his potential and seriously lacked motivation, he also had a tendency to think the world was against him when in truth it wasn't and lots of people not only loved but supported the young brunette. Tauriel remembered back to the day she first met him, Aragorn had been an ex-dancer himself and with the money he had earned he had invested in a small cafe right in the heart of Theatreland, It had very quickly become popular with young actors and dancers and it often provided somewhere they could meet, study scripts and socialize, Tauriel had immediately managed to secure a job in the cafe and she was grateful as it provided her hot meals and a decent wage.

Kili had arrived several months later, Aragorn was known for being soft and having a big heart and it didn't surprise Tauriel at all when he had taken pity on Kili, a lot of dancers came to the city full of dreams but quickly fell on hard times, she knew she had been lucky but Kili had shown all the signs of someone who had been finding life tough, Aragorn had noticed this and shown him some kindness.

Tauriel hadn't really paid the brunette much attention, so many young people came and went but Kili was different, he had worked hard and kept to himself and she was pretty sure he was living on the streets, it was only after Aragorn offered Kili the use of his flat and bathroom to clean up that they could see that under those baggy clothes and mop of unruly dark hair was a really good looking guy.

She wasn't quite sure when Aragorn and Kili got together, it had happened so slowly, Kili had been moved from pot wash to waiting tables with her and Bard and the brunette very quickly became a popular member of staff. Aragorn was famously bisexual and Tauriel had watched as the man had a string of one night stands but Kili changed that, Aragorn no longer bed hopped but moved the young brunette into his flat and into his bed, Kili had thrived for a while with somewhere to sleep and good food in his stomach ,he had become stronger and healthier but then he had suddenly disappeared for weeks and nobody knew where and when he did finally return the brunette was pale and sick.

Aragorn had been away at the time Kili returned, Tauriel had seen the brunette briefly but he had quickly disappeared upstairs and It wasn't until Aragorn returned later that they realized how very sick he really was, Aragorn had immediately called for the paramedics, Kili had been unconscious and running an alarmingly high temperature and within minutes the young brunette had been put in an ambulance and taken to the hospital, since then Kili had remained weak and easily tired but under Aragorn's care he had very slowly started to flourish again although the cause still remained a mystery and something the brunette refused to talk about .

"Tauri " Kili pulled her from her thoughts, the brunette was slumped up against the wall, next to her." What do you think about our star? ".

Tauriel hadn't really given it much thought but now as she watched the blonde man run through his part of the routine she could see just what an amazing dancer he was."He's pretty incredible isn't he " Tauriel had to agree, the man could dance and the two friends watched as the blonde filled the stage with fluid movement and strength, his muscles moving under his tight-fitting clothes, he was hypnotic to watch and they could easily see why he had been chosen as their lead.

"His names Fili Durin " Kili quirked a brow and smiled.

"No way " Tauri nodded her eyes going back to where the blonde was going through his paces.

"Yeah, this is his first leading role, he's been co-starring for a while but this is his big break " Kili looked quizzically at his friend.

"How do you know all this? " Tauri smiled.

"Because I read an article on him in stage magazine, his boyfriend is Frerin Oakensheild, the guy who's staring in Chicago at the Royal " Kili's eyes wandered back to where Fili was now standing, taking directions from Thranduil, Fili was the definition of a leading man, his body was pure muscle and although he was on the short side he drew your gaze much like a moth to a flame .

"Time " Bilbo's voice came somewhere out of the darkness, "back in an hour please guys ". Kili sighed and standing up stretched his long body, easing out the knots, beside him Tauriel grabbed their kitbags.

"Come on I'm starving " Kili stopped stretching and followed the redhead down the narrow corridor "I need to pee, you find a table " Kili did as he was told and upon entering the busy canteen scoured the place for a couple of empty seats, finally, he spotted a couple and headed in the direction of the table.

"Can we join you? " A guy looked up from his food and nodded beckoning Kili to take a seat, Kili settled himself and threw his kit bag on the other for Tauriel, the guy stopped shoveling pasta into his mouth and smiled.

"I'm Bofur " he extended a hand for Kili to shake.

"Kili " the other man then introduced the rest of the table one by one '

"This is Bifur, Dwalin, and Balin and the distinguished guy at the end is Thorin our estimed conductor "Kili acknowledged them one by one, caught temporarily off guard by the startling blue eyes of Thorin but by now Tauriel had joined them and immediately joined the conversation.

"You guys aren't dancers, what do you do? " Kili eyed there bulging bellies.

"We're your orchestra, we are the ones down in the pit "Bofur grinned  " Thranduil's a bastard isn't he ? " Kili nodded " don't worry we've got your backs" and with a wink, Bofur returned to his food.

Fili's body flexed and stretched as once again he made the demanding moves, in the corner Thranduil stood studying him.

"Okay enough " Fili collapsed in a heap on the floor and Bilbo immediately ran across with some water.

"Thranduil that's enough " Bilbo knelt down and checked on Fili's breathing, Thranduil had been relentless, making Fili practice the same move for hours now "Fili needs a break "Thranduil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose 

"Fili you can finish for today, I need to concentrate on the chorus, who are simply a disaster ".Fili pulled himself up and after stretching, collected his kit bag.

"You did well today " Placing a hand on Fili's shoulder Thranduil gave it a gentle squeeze, the gesture was gentle but the smile was predatory and Fili was all too aware of Thranduil's reputation.

"Thanks, same time tomorrow? " Thranduil nodded but as Fili walked away he could still feel the other man's eyes watching him, boring a hole in his back. Fili was just leaving when the chorus began to filter back on stage, he couldn't help but feel sorry for them he could sense that Thranduilduil was in no mood to be messed with and chorus dancers demanded no respect, they were in for one hellish afternoon. Turning the corner he walked straight into a tall brunette, hurrying in the other direction.

"Shit sorry " the other man looked flustered, Fili smiled.

"No worries, you'd best hurry, he's baying for blood back there " The brunette groaned and made off in the opposite direction and Fili watched him go ,he hoped that Thanduil wasn't too hard on the poor guy and throwing his kit bag over his shoulder he made for the door .   

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                                                                                                       The Chorus 

Everyone knew that Thranduil could be difficult but today he was being an absolute bitch and Kili really wasn't sure if his body would withstand much more of this punishment, beside him Taurial was doing her best to keep him strong, the routine they were working on wasn't a particularly complicated but Thranduil wanted perfection and Kili felt like reminding him that they had only done three days of rehearsing and what the hell did he expect.

Thranduil was insisting on having them repeat the same few steps time after time, picking out people for individual critisism and Kili was relieved that he wasn't one of them, being on the receiving end of Thranduil's temper was not something he wanted to experience any time soon, so he considered himself lucky when the blonde finally called time after another hour of watching, quietly the blonde took center stage, dramatically closing his eyes as if in pain. 

"This just isn't working " He stood silently for a moment which made everyone extremely uncomfortable "I need to see everyone again individually, " From behind him Bilbo appeared with a large takeout coffee and handed it to Thranduil. "Everyone please go to the canteen, Bilbo will call your name when I'm ready for you ".This was not great news, the implication being that they were now having to re-audition for parts they thought they had already secured. Quietly the chorus filed out, quiet mutterings of discontentment coming from all of them, they were utterly exhausted and it was already late in the day so unsurprisingly the mood in the little cafe was now subdued a stark contrast to the happy chatter there had been earlier.

"You alright? "Taurial was uncharacteristically quiet and placing his hand on her shoulder Kili gave it a gentle squeeze, Tauriel responded with a half smile.

"I'm good, just knackered that's all " Kili hummed.

"I knew he could be a bastard Tauri, others had warned me but I had no idea things would be this bad "They were standing in a long the queue for coffee and after what seemed like an endless wait Kili eventually ordered himself a straight black and Tauri a soy latte.

By now the place was full and seats where scare but they found themselves some opposite a couple of fellow dancers and Tauriel being Tauriel, was quick to introduce herself, Kili often accused her a collector of people, an accusation Tauriel didn't deny .

"Hi I'm Tauri and this is Kili " Haldir the man opposite shook her hand and smiled introducing both himself and the strikingly beautiful man sitting next to him "this is Legolas", the blonde was busy texting on his phone but looking up he smiled. 

"You danced for Thranduil before? " Haldir took a sip of his coffee and both Kili and Tauriel shook their heads, Legolas who was now putting his phone away joined the conversation and Kili could see him studying them.

"What else have you been in?".There it was the question Kili hated the most and the one he was inevitably always asked, Tauri knowing this was quick to deflect.

"Oh nothing recently, not since Phantom " Go Tauri, Phantom always got a reaction from other dancers, it had been notoriously hard to get into and Tauri was extremely proud of the fact that she was one of the few people to make the grade.

"Wow, you were in Phantom "The two men looked impressed, Tauri sipped her coffee with a sudden air of superiority which would have been annoying had it been anyone else. 

"Uh hum, I was in it for a couple of years in London, then we took it on the road "Legolas sat back looking suitably impressed, Kili sensed that he was just about to say something when Bilbo arrived looking extremely flushed and the first list of names where called out, as luck would have it both Haldir and Legolas were on the first run .

"Fuck Tauri, what if I don't make the grade " Kili sank back into his chair, running his hands through his hair, it was something he did when he was stressed and the more he waited the more stressed he became.

"Kili " Tauri's voice was stern "I'm going to fetch more coffee, you are going to fix that crazy hair of yours and then we're going to kill this audition, do you understand me? "Kili nodded, damm he loved Tauri.

After what seemed like an eternity it was Kili's turn to dance, Arriving on stage he noted that Thranduil looked as though he could happily commit murder at any time and Bilbo just looked stressed, to make matters worse, the dancers who had already succeeded in the new set of auditions were all sat in the front row and Kili was pleased when he spied a familiar head of red hair amongst them .

"Name? " Thranduil's voice boomed across the stage, making Kili jump.

"Kili " Thranduil studied him for a moment.

"Do you like dancing Kili? " The question caught him off guard, but he at least managed to nod ."Well, I need more than that Kili, I need to love dancing, to live to breathe dancing, can you do that Kili? " He nodded again, what the fuck, had he lost the power of speech all of a sudden. Thranduil prowled forward, like some kind of predator and Kili found himself frozen to the spot, unable to move, Thranduil continued to prowl around, eyeing him up and down."Tell me Kili, will you give me your body and soul, night after night, week after week, month after month? " Kili nodded again, he nearly missed it but a slight smirk played on Thranduil's lips ."Good now tell me where you last danced ". Kili hummed.

"I was at the Arthouse in Battersea "Thranduil swung around to face him.

"You danced for Elrond " Kili nodded.

"It was a small production but it got great reviews " Thranduil moved forward, this time studying him more closely.

"Do you have a lover Kili ? " again the question caught him off guard but he managed to nod."If you get this job Kili you belong to me, do you understand, you all belong to me, mind body and soul " Looking out at the others he sighed "You eat when I tell you, you sleep when I tell you and you fuck when I tell you, have you got that " 

"Yes, " Thranduil stepped away.

"Good as long as we understand each other, now music please, let us see just how good you really are ". 

                                                                                                                  Two Days Later 

"After the problem with the chorus Thranduil had given everyone a day off but now it was back to business as usual. Yesterday evening Fili had received an Email requesting that he came to the theatre early before official rehearsals started and he was just working through some stretches when Thranduil arrived with three young men.

"Good Morning " Fili nodded and smiling Thranduil beckoned the three men over," Fili I want you to meet Legolas, Kili, and Bard " Fili extended a hand, welcoming each man in turn. "I've asked them to come early because I want them to dance for you " Fili looked briefly puzzled " I'll explain later, but if you care to take a seat with me in the auditorium " Fili shrugged.

"Sure". Following Thranduil into the darkness, he settled himself in one of the seats "What's this all about? " Thranduil smiled.

"Your understudy, of course, I've narrowed it down to these three but the final decision is yours ". 

It wasn't easy deciding, all three men were exceptional dancers and with extra training could play Fili's role easily, but it had been the brunette with the wild hair that had held Fili's attention the most, there was something about the way he moved it just made him a bit special, the way he stretched out with those long limbs of his with endless grace and it seemed that Thranduil agreed .

"Bilbo will you have Kili come to my office " The small man nodded and disappeared off to find the brunette. "You'll have to work hard on him, Thranduil looked thoughtfully," he's got a lot of rough edges" Fili knew this but you couldn't mistake that spark that makes someone special.

"Will you train him separately or with me " Thranduil looked thoughtful.

"I haven't decided yet, let's see " Moments later Bilbo remerged with Kili in tow. " Please, Kili take a seat ". Kili felt a little overwhelmed, he wasn't sure what this was about but he was pretty certain it was nothing good."Kili you've met Fili " the brunette nodded, damm now he was close up he could see just how gorgeous the other man really was and he felt himself blush.  "Kili we would like to offer you the role of Fili's understudy, it means extra training and working closely with both myself and Fili but we see great potential in you if you're willing to work hard, I can't promise it will be easy but nothing really worth having ever is ". Kili's eyes grew wide, which was utterly adorable.

"But " Kili looked at Fili "He's perfect, I can't replace him " the words were out of his mouth before he had time to think and it made both Fili and Thranduil laugh, Kili meanwhile blushed.

"No he is rather special " Thranduil positively purred "But given time so will you be, you could be good Kili if you work hard and I'm not known for making things easy, you should know that most days you will hate me  " Now that was something Kili could believe, he shouldn't even hesitate and he could hear Tauriel screaming yes in his ear but he was flawed he knew that .

"I " biting his lip he hesitated "You should know that I was really ill a while back " He lifted his eyes to see Fili studying him intently "I was in hospital and nearly died, erm sometimes I get tired, my breathing " Thranduil sat back in his seat 

"I see, this does change things Kili, but I admire you for being honest with us, I need to talk to Fili will you take a seat outside ".Kili wanted to cry, his stupid chest, his stupid lungs but that's what you get when you almost drown, it leaves you weak.

"What do you think? " Fili honestly was disappointed, he loved the way the other man moved but that wasn't enough, he needed to have stamina.

"I don't know, he's a risk " Thranduil looked thoughtful."Not if we have two understudies, we keep Kili but train Legolas as well, " Fili thought, Legolas had been excellent and if he'd been asked to choose a second it would have been him.

"Deal " He felt relieved, it was very rare that you needed your understudy but you needed someone strong that you could depend on and that was Legolas. "Shall we put Kili out of his misery? " The brunette was ushered back into the room.

"Okay Kili here's the deal, we have two understudies, yourself and Legolas Greenleaf, this minimizes the risk, let's see how you get on if it's too much then at least we tried," Kili nodded, he hadn't expected that either, he seriously needed to start looking after himself and get himself strong, he'd talk to Tauriel, she'd know how to help  . 

"Thank you " He was blushing again.

"Go with Bilbo, he'll draw up your new contract and Bilbo, please send Legolas in " Kili thanked them again and as he left he pondered what Thranduil had said, a new contract, did that mean more money, he certainly hoped so, just wait till he told Tauriel.

Chapter Text

New Friends

After a couple of weeks, they had fallen into something resembling a routine, Thranduil liked to rehearse early, which for Kili and Tauriel meant very early mornings, now Kili had to be up at about at six thirty and out of the door by 7.15 having just enough time to shower and dress himself in sweats and after hooking up with Tauri they would make the short tube journey to the rehearsal studios situated in Camden and in order to improve Kili's stamina and general well being they would take time out to grab a quick breakfast at the organic cafe, this was an attempt by Tauri to install some better eating habits in the brunette, porridge with honey and blueberries plus toasted pumpkin bread had quickly become Kili's favorite and he found he was quite enjoying Tauri's mothering ways .

For his part, Aragorn had been understanding when they explained that they would have to drop their shifts at the cafe but he had insisted that they both still helped out on a Saturday evening, Kili had briefly worried if his new job would have an effect on their relationship but the way the other man had fucked him hard into the mattress recently, Kili decided that no it probably wouldn't .

Kili's role as understudy now meant that his practices differed slightly to Tauriels, they both did general rehearsals in the morning but then Kili joined Legolas and Fili for an additional two hours mid-afternoon. These rehearsals were the toughest both Legolas and Fili where physically very strong and on one, particular afternoon, Kili watched spellbound as the two blondes commanded the stage.

"Excellent " Thranduil clapped his hands and praised the two men "Legolas you need to make sure you extend your arms fully and don't be frightened to use your height, its an asset "It was just gone three and out of the darkness appeared Bilbo, carrying Thranduils coffee, turning round to where Kili sat watching he instructed the boys to take a short break " Legolas you can finish for the day, I only need Kili and Fili, for this final hour, you did really well, thank you "

Kili's heart sank a little, Legolas was proving to be quite a formidable dancer and he found himself doubting his own ability so pulling himself up Kili made for the small cafeteria, he usually spent his afternoon break with Legolas, whom to kill's surprise had turned out to be a really nice guy, he was funny and caring and Kili found it hard to resent the fact that he may take his understudy role from him at any given moment, so wandering through alone he spotted an empty table and after grabbing a flat white he settled himself down. He was quietly flicking through his phone when he suddenly became aware of someone hovering close by and looking up saw Fili standing there.

"Hi, mind if I join you "Kili placed his phone down and gave Fili his full attention.

"No, take a pew " Fili dropped his coffee on the table, then straddled one of the seats, Kili tried really hard not to stare at the way Fili's thighs bulged in his tight sweat pants and really, really tried not to imagine how it might feel to have the other man pin you down, trapped helplessly between those muscular thighs.

"Kili I was hoping to have a quick word " Kili's heart sank a little, this wasn't a social visit then, had Thranduil sent him to tell him he was no longer needed, that the part was now Legolas's,Strangely It was as if Fili could read his thoughts "It's nothing bad the blonde sipped at his coffee, simultaneously giving Kili a reassuring smile "It's just that I have noticed a change in your dancing recently, it's " he hesitated "It's almost like you've stopped fighting, given up almost ". Fili smiled again " Is everything okay ? ". Kili shrugged

"Yeah, everything's fine " Kili eyed the blonde, who was staring at him intently, dam he had pretty eyes, "It's just Legolas is so good and you dance so well together, the way you move around each other on the dance floor it's hypnotic to watch",Kili started fiddling with his hair, a sure sign that he was nervous, that and the fact that Fili was fuckin hot.

"Listen to me Kili " Fili moved closer " I want you to forget about competing with Legolas, yes he's good but believe me when you actually concentrate on your dancing your better than he is, yes he's technically better than you but you have that little spark in you that makes you special, don't lose that Kili " The brunette blinked, absorbing what Fili was saying, Fili thought he had something special.

"Why are you here, why are you telling me this " Fili snorted and sitting back in his chair, he smiled.

"Partly because I want to help you but also for selfish reasons" Kili frowned "You see Kili, this is my chance, it's what I've worked for all my life and I need the people around me to be motivated , you have the ability to do that, when your on the top of your game, your as good as anyone else I know and that's the Kili I want to share the stage with, the one that makes me want to up my game ". Kili blinked, wow that was flattering and Kili struggled to process all Fili's words.

"You honestly believe in me "Fili nodded.

"It's your tendency to be lazy and your lack of ambition that concerns me that most " Ouch, that hurt."Listen let us go back in there and blow this out of the water, kick Thranduil's ass ". Kili studied Fili, his face full of enthusiasm those baby blue eyes, dancing with mischief, it was infectious.

"Okay " Now Fili had him hyped Kili found he couldn't wait to get back on stage, prove him wrong, he did want this and he'd fight Legolas even if it took everything he had.

It was late when Fili arrived home, he was relieved to see lights coming from the windows, which meant Frerin was in and when he opened the door he was hit by the smell of his favorite Chinese.

"Hi honey I'm home " From the kitchen, he could hear Frerin laugh.

"What time do you call this? " Wandering in he eyed the food and reaching forward snagged a warm prawn cracker.

"Hey "Frerin batted him away "Go wash up and let me plate it properly "Fili nodded and planting a quick kiss on Frerins lips made for the bathroom.

"We've got noodles, rice, salt, and pepper chicken, Sichuan prawns, chow main and wontons, I picked your favorites, there are also some Asian greens " Fili settled in beside Frerin on the sofa and the other man handed him his chopsticks. "Good day? "Fili nodded around a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, really good actually "Stabbing a wonton Fili continued "There's this other guy Kili, he's an awesome dancer, a real raw talent when he chooses to be " Frein smiled.

"I sense a but coming " Fili nodded.

"He's lazy and has problems with his breathing but I swear Frerin if he put his mind to it, he could be good, really good. Frerin was well aware of Fili's competitive streak, especially with other dancers, it was what motivated him.

"Did you talk to him? " Fili nodded, stabbing another wanton.

"Dam these are good ". Stuffing another in his mouth, he continued to talk "Yeah I had a little chat in our coffee break, told him to up his game " Ferrin chewed his food thoughtfully.

"And did he " Fili nodded

"He did " Ferrin put down his food

"Is he hot? " Fili chewed thinking about Kili "Yeah, but more pretty if you know what I mean, big brown eyes and long dark hair, the sort of hair you want to fuck with "

"I see and now you're all hyped " Fili grinned, Frerin knew him so well.

"Yeah " Reaching out Frerin took Fili's plate from him.

"Let's see what we can do about that " Leaning in Frerin pressed a kiss to Fili's lips, he tasted of Shacha and soy, the kiss instantly deepened and Frerins hand wandered down Fili's torso until finally disappearing inside the band of Fili's joggers.