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Kíli sits at his writing desk. The waning firelight, coals unstoked, strains his eyes. The hand holding an inked quill over parchment twitches. Kíli’s vision blurs for a beat over the calligraphic ‘my next visit.’ He blinks away the moisture building in his lower lids, eyes drawn to the fireplace on his left. His neck is stiff. It must be late.How long ago was supper, again?A sharp knock resounds on the wooden door of his bedroom. Kíli’s spine snaps up in alarm. He hadn’t heard an approach.A tired exhale wracking through his lower stomach, Kíli rises from his chair. He drops his quill in the ink pot. An ache throbs in the back of his legs.He steps away from the table and spins on one heel. His work boots scrape against the stone floor. He absently registers the animal furs draped around his unmade bed; a peaceful dead fox’s bushy tail ghosts the ground. Kíli tears his gaze from the sight and forces his feet forward.Reaching the door in heavy bounds, Kíli fumbles with the latch. Temperate fingers, cramped from answering his many correspondences, register a sting of coldness against the iron. He jerks the latch and grasps the ringed knob with his other hand. A deep pull later, the wooden door swings towards him. He side-steps accordingly, entering the yawning space made available.Gimli stands before him, all fiery brows and beard, contrasting sharply with the dull surroundings of Erebor’s Royal Hall. His portly fingers hold up a roll of parchment. “This came for ya. Raven was cawin’ up a storm, sayin’ it was urgent ya got this.”The red-haired dwarrow, only a couple years Kíli’s junior, is disgruntled and skeptical. Kíli pays it no mind, focused on the contents of the parchment. He reaches for it. Gimli gives it up, albeit hesitantly. The paper scratches the pads of Kíli’s fingers, a hasty red ribbon pressing against his palm. Red ribbons are an indication that something is wrong. The knowledge unsettled Kíli’s stomach.Kíli meets the gaze of the dwarrow he’s known since childhood and nods. “Thank you.”Gimli holds it for a beat. A spark in his eyes alerts Kíli that Gimli means to ask a question. Something, though, has him changing his mind. Eyes drop and return. The spark of inquiry vanishes.Bobbing his head, Gimli steps away from Kíli’s door and walks towards the other rooms. The Royal Halls are silent, which means the Company and Amad are already asleep.When Gimli rounds a corner and is gone from view, Kíli shuts the door and resets the latch. His heart jumps up to his throat at the red ribbon. Whatever is in this letter must be important.And bad. Definitely bad.Kíli only makes it a few steps before his tired legs knock against the edge of his bed. He sits, princely attire bunching up against the animal furs. His hands knock against his knees, the letter quaking at the adjustment.Exhaling again, unsettling him all the more, Kíli tugs at the ribbon. It comes undone and falls across his kneecap. He leaves it and unrolls the parchment.Recognizing the handwriting immediately, Kíli arches forward in surprise and reads:‘Kíli,I should begin this letter with an apology. If I had known the events of the past day would unfold in such an appalling fashion, I would have written and sent this correspondence much earlier. I’m sorry, my dear friend, for I have horrible news. Legolas has fallen into a comatose state. His magic has finally reached its maturity, but in the worst possible series of events which I will hasten to describe here.As you are well aware, your foolish husband has a habit of hiding his ailments. He has confided in me that he does this not out of ill intent, but out of respect for the strong bond and magic that you both share, as well as your peace of mind when distance parts you. Do not deny, my friend, that you are an incessant worrier where your husband’s well-being is concerned.When I arrived in Mirkwood less than a week ago, Legolas simply looked paler, as he often does when you are both apart for weeks at a time. He was of his usual cheer and countenance upon conversing with me. He brightened, even, because it has been so long since my Ranger path has crossed his lands. We had a calm supper of reminiscences, and his pride and love for you, Kíli, was apparent. However, upon Legolas rising from his chair to break for the evening, his eyes grew distant and his face became ashen. This warning was all I had before he dropped to the wood floor in the dining chambers. He has not woken since.Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien, who I believe you have met, and Lady Arwen of Rivendell have been called to aid Legolas in awakening. They believe it is the fog of Mirkwood causing Legolas’s distress, but they do not know what we know. Kíli, you are the only one who can help your husband. Make haste, my friend. I shall look for you at the gates of Mirkwood during your usual traveling hours.Safe travels,Aragorn’A swoop of lightheadedness causes Kíli’s vision to blur at the edges. Wetness fills him up, and he absently feels a coldness on his cheeks. Oh.Inhaling sharply, Kíli tucks up his legs, drawing them up to the bed. He lets the red ribbon on his knee fall to the floor. He loosens his grip on the letter, the unrolled parchment drifting down with the ribbon. The dry air carries it.Numbly, Kíli unlaces his work boots and toes them off. They make a loud clanging sound against the stone. He barely registers it.He is too tired and weary from the day to dare to travel in the heavy night. But could he sleep, with the knowledge that Legolas-Violently, just to give his hands something to do, he swipes away the tears gathering on his face. The bristle of his beard, which never grew thick and long like a proper dwarrow’s, only reminds Kíli of Legolas’s hands, Legolas cupping his face, holding him, comforting him-Kíli rolls on his side, still fully clothed, and lays on the pillow. He gathers his knees up to his chest, facing the stone wall, curling up like a babe. He exhales shakily and forces his eyes shut. The softness of the pillow on his cheek is barbed and lumpy. His layers of clothing rumple and catch at strange places in the furs. At the jostling movement, the dead fox falls to the stone, joining the rustling parchment and his work boots.He couldn’t feel his husband’s magic. It usually comes to Kíli with the single thought of it, summoning to his consciousness like a spell from a staff. But the magic that Legolas shared with him, that was given to him in marriage, more valuable than Erebor’s gold and jewels and crowns, was gone. The magic was still there, certainly, for something freely given couldn’t be rescinded, but Kíli struggled to access it, assess his husband’s state for himself.Legolas did that on purpose, like Aragorn alluded to in his letter, to ensure Kíli did not fall into a comatose state as well. Kíli would have words to exchange with Legolas on the matter. But that was assuming Legolas would wake. Nothing of the sort would happen until Kíli slept. He would leave Erebor at dawn.Sighing, Kíli relaxes his body and slackens his tightened jawline. He counts breaths. Exhaustion returns in a slow creep, and he falls headfirst into darkness.~20 Years EarlierThe winds sway the tall trees. Sunlight streams between the leaves. The brook titters softly between rocks and dirt and grass. As Kíli steps into the light and away from the Blue Mountains, he smiles. It’s a perfect day to begin his expedition.A dwarrow’s coming of age trials was an intensive ritualistic nightmare. While Fíli was bound by secrecy not to discuss the particulars of his own lone journey in the wilderness, as are every other dwarrow, Kíli’s older brother did not take well to the stress.Kíli, though, was ready for some excitement. He’s lived within the confines of the Blue Mountains for seventy years. While he loves his family dearly, he was eager to know who he was beyond them. Out here, he was not the youngest heir of Durin, or even a prince. He could just be.Carrying supplies and his weapon, Kíli sets off at the base of the Blue Mountains. He’s never travelled this far from his family before. Melancholy hits him, but doesn’t stick. He was free. He had until Durin’s Day celebrations to do whatever he wanted all by himself. While Kíli spared a thought for his brother, since they often did everything together, Fíli did this same coming of age expedition and never spoke a syllable about it. Kíli looked forward to having something to himself, for himself, like Fíli did.Following the stream, Kíli skirted around boulders and listened to his boots crunch the grass. A bird would chirp in the trees here and there, filling out the sound of water and the light breeze.He does not know how long he walks, but he soon hears a rustling from eastward. Halting in his tracks, Kíli hides behind a tree trunk and listens. After a moment, his hearing is able to pinpoint the exact direction.It’s foolish of him, but Kíli advances anyway, closer and closer to the noise. It morphs from rustling to whistling. Then, voices. Kíli cannot pick out what they are saying, but they are there. One deep, one melodic. Two male voices.Using the trees as cover, Kíli walks, light on his feet. He pretends he is outside the lower levels of the Blue Mountains, hunting with Dwalin and Fíli. He breathes shallow, gaze darting around for sharp movements.As Kíli approaches a clearing, he stays within the camouflage. He hides behind a thick tree trunk and peers at the image.A blonde elf clad in forest green is firing arrows at a target on an adjacent tree trunk. He lets another loose, splitting several arrows on the bullseye. Splinters of wood and tufts of red feather litter grass and dirt patches below the target. Kíli’s eyes flit back to the elf’s stance: rigid, but loose at the shoulders and elbows. The elf’s bow, thin and intricately-curved wood, is lowered to favor one side of his body. His bright eyes flick away from the target to his companion.The second figure was a man. His hair was dark and wavy, brushing against his shoulders, similar to Kíli’s own. His bone structure was sharp, defining the start of a beard. His eyes, though, betray the man’s youth; perhaps he hasn’t yet reached his maturity as a man. Yet, he wore the garb of a Ranger; Balin had spoken of these nomad men before, and told him stories of their countenance and mystery.The man draws his own bow. His posture is a bit shaky, like Kíli was when he was first learning archery from guard dwarrow. The elf is beside him in an instant to mutter an instruction on his elbow placement.The elf was training the man how to be an archer. How interesting.Kíli cannot help himself. He chooses to tactfully step out of the shadows and make himself known.Only he steps on a loud fallen branch, cracks it loudly on his boot, and trips onto the grass.He is barely registering his horizontal position on the ground by the time he feels the weight of heavy gazes on him.Heat flares up his cheeks. Kíli’s palm presses flat into the grass. He recognizes the scratchy sensation and looks down, his hair falling half in his face. Shadows are suddenly there, filling the light spaces in the dirt. Kíli braces himself and uses his knees to get up, tipping his head upwards.The elf’s face above him is drawn in curiosity, sunlight playing about his angular features. While his eyes betray skepticism, his brows pinch in concern. Kíli notes a flash of dark green in one eye, so he trains his vision to it. A sleeve.And a hand, fingers outstretched towards him.On instinct, Kíli flushes. His dry lips part. “Heh. Um.” Swallowing thickly, he shuts his mouth and fumbles with his hand. “Hi.”“Hello,” the elf chimes. Nothing in his face or tone evokes a negative connotation; no accusations of ‘why are you watching us’ are implied.Kíli has heard plenty about elves from Uncle Thorin and Amad. They made sure he and Fíli knew all about King Thranduil’s betrayal and refusal to help the dwarrow protect Erebor. They painted elves as unemotive and cruel. Kíli has always known that assumption was merely a stereotype, like the stereotype of dwarrow only caring for jewels, but if he so much as brought up the idea that not all elves could be callous, he would be shut down faster than Bombur did when he caught Kíli snooping around the kitchens for sweets. It has always been a point of contention, especially since Kíli had no evidence to draw upon for himself to refute Uncle Thorin’s ideology.But now, he was right in front of an elf. And that elf was offering him a hand.Realizing he’s probably been staring at the elf for a bit too long, Kíli forces himself to his feet. “Sorry, I.” He can’t find an excuse. His head whooshes with the quick adjustment to an upright position.And oh, he had his pack on his shoulder. That’s why it hurt a little. “This is a nice bow,” the man says. Kíli whirls around to face him; the man was quite young, indeed. He definitely hasn’t reached his maturity yet.The man holds the bow delicately, like he expects to break it, and admires the carvings. Oddly enough, Kíli does not feel worried at a stranger holding his most prized weapon.The man then looks at Kíli. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”“I,” Kíli stops, then starts again, “thanks.”No one had ever complimented his craftsmanship before. Kíli wasn’t a skilled craftsman in any respect, so it was very difficult to make the bow. It was even more difficult to design it without breaking it. But he kept going, kept trying, and he was glad that he did. Crafting his bow, more than any other task, gave Kíli the confidence to pursue what his heart most desired, even though it was ‘just archery’ to his kin.The man steps towards Kíli and offers the weapon back. “I’m Strider. The elf is Greenleaf.”An invitation. The names were clearly not the ones assigned at birth; they were chosen, perhaps given with honor. Kíli was too young to have such a name, even though Strider was clearly the youngest, so Kíli would have to make one for himself. Right now.Kíli grasps the bow. “I’m Kel.”“Well met,” Greenleaf says, inclining his head in a polite greeting. Kíli finds himself mimicking the slight motion. “Well met.” He holds his bow by his side, oddly captivated by Greenleaf. The elf seemed unperturbed by the excess attention. “Are you from the Blue Mountains?”“Aye,” Kíli answers. While he replies too quickly for his own liking, he registers Greenleaf’s genuine curiosity in asking the question. Kíli supposes it is acceptable that they know the general area where he lives.“First time away?” Strider guesses.Kíli shrugs at the young man. “Just adventuring, is all.”Greenleaf perks up, blue eyes lighting up like a child’s. “An adventure?” Kíli has surpassed the expertise of dwarrow archers years ago. He could do with a challenge. With that in mind…“Aye,” Kíli says, his wits finally returning to him, “and I’ve already found a pair of archers to train with.”A smile overwhelms Greenleaf’s face, reaching his expressive eyes. Any thoughts of cold and unfeeling elves are lost to the breeze. Greenleaf doesn’t look away from Kíli. “That you have.”Those words of friendship would change the course of Kíli’s entire life.~Fíli stands on one of Erebor’s balconies. The deep purple dawn casts an eerie light on the mountain and the fields below. He sighs; he doesn’t know why Uncle Thorin insists that his own kin take turns guarding the mountain. The gold sickness was long gone, thanks to Bilbo, but Uncle Thorin’s skepticism remains. A remnant of his time as an uncrowned ruler in the Blue Mountains.It was strange, actually being inside the Lonely Mountain he had heard tales about as a young dwarrow. Erebor had seemed fantastical and otherworldly, up until Fíli stepped inside the tunnels of the mountain and saw the stupid abundance of wealth for himself.A movement appears from the west gate of Erebor. Looking down in confusion, Fíli squints and leans over the balcony.Even though it is still dark, Fíli somehow knows it is his brother on a horse, riding at a breakneck speed away from the mountain. Since the other guard dwarrow are used to Kíli’s comings and goings as Erebor’s ambassador, they do not raise any alarms. But Fíli has a warning pounding in his heart. The entire royal family of Erebor was aware of Kíli’s travel schedule. Today was not on that schedule. And neither was any day for the next month.Whirling around, Fíli strides away from the balcony and enters the mountain. He flies past droves of dwarrow preparing to light the forges. He climbs a precarious staircase and enters the Royal Wing of Erebor. Fíli’s footsteps resound loudly in the emptiness. Undeterred, he stalks to the end of the hallway.A stone door opening halts Fíli. He stops and turns to the left.Uncle Thorin pokes his head out. His eyes are alert and curious. His courtship braids are still secured from the previous day. “Fíli? What is it, son?”Bilbo squeezes in the small space Uncle Thorin left between himself and the doorway. His blonde curls bounce as he steps into the hall in nightclothes, dwarrow beads clinking in their dual braids. Bilbo’s voice offers a soothing tone, both like and unlike the hobbit at the same time. “It’s alright, Fíli.”Swallowing a lump in his throat, Fíli says, “Kíli’s riding away.”A door opens and slams against the stone. Fíli jumps and lurches. Amad’s blazing eyes trail her a path into the hallway. She stands beside Bilbo, who she got along with splendidly. Her beard outlines a scowl. “What did you say?”Fíli does not repeat himself; Amad hears him. Kíli was leaving.“Dís.” Uncle Thorin tempers Amad’s emotions with just her name. Brother and sister share a look, a hobbit between them.Fíli takes advantage of the moment to continue his path. Kíli’s bedroom was at the end of the hallway.When he reaches the area briskly, the door is left wrenched open. Fíli looks into the doorway.The entire bedroom is in a state of disarray. It is nothing new for his brother; Kíli was always messy with his belongings.This, though, was another level. Fíli could practically feel the aura of panic resonating in waves across Kíli’s small private space. Animal furs are scattered across the bed and floor. His writing desk has unfinished rolls of parchment. The ink was not stoppered, resulting in a dry dye and sticky quill. Kíli’s royal clothes are unfolded in a pile next to the lumber, a fire hazard waiting to happen.And on the ground near his bed is a rolled piece of parchment, the clear cause of Kíli’s anguish.While bending over to pick it up, Fíli hesitates. He freezes while crouching down, fingers outstretched in midair.Is it right to be snooping through his brother’s things? An ambassador’s work isn’t meant to be shared with anyone besides the king. Yet, Uncle Thorin hasn’t mentioned anything amiss with Kíli’s duties.The fact that Kíli had taken such an interest in negotiating and maneuvering through such delicate politics, ever since Erebor had been reclaimed, has been a years-long mystery. What was even more strange was that Kíli was so skilled at it.Fíli sighs; he wouldn’t get answers unless he looked. His fingers close around the roll of parchment. He unrolls the lengthy letter. The handwriting isn’t anyone that he recognizes. Considering the writer used only Kíli’s first name, he must be trustworthy. A friend.Fíli reads the letter. He stops after every sentence and starts up again, his brain unable to process it. Then, he reads it again. And again. And still can’t process it.Uncle Thorin’s footfalls resound in Kíli’s small room. His shadow falls over the parchment.A tear drops on the wrinkled corner. Fíli blinks in surprise. When did he start crying?“What’s the matter?” Amad asks softly, her shadow appearing off to one side. Bilbo must not be far behind as well.It’s all too much. Fíli cannot process what’s happening, what’s in the letter, why-Fíli forces his arm up. He offers out the unrolled parchment in one hand. He does not look at anyone, just the stone wall. He can’t look at anyone right now. What would he say? What would he do?Amad takes the parchment. Even though he can’t see any of them, Fíli knows exactly how all three are reacting as they read it. No reaction could adequately express what they’re feeling right now.Kíli’s married. He’s married to Legolas Goddamn Thranduilion, the Elven Prince of Mirkwood. And he hadn’t told anyone. For years, presumably. What had they-“What have I done?” Uncle Thorin says gruffly.“What have we done?” Amad corrects. “We’re both to blame here.”“Wait a minute,” Bilbo scoffs, “you’ve both changed for the better since I’ve met you.”Fíli finally sits on the stone floor. He spins so that his back leans against the side of Kíli’s bed. He looks up at Uncle Thorin, Amad, and Bilbo, who are huddled around the unrolled parchment in the middle of Kíli’s room.Oh, Kíli…Fíli swipes away tears that are starting to dry uncomfortably in his beard. He huffs, “we were too late.”Three pairs of eyes swivel towards him. Amad murmurs, “what do you mean?”Fíli doesn’t look away from her. “Changing. We took too long to change.”Uncle Thorin furrows his brows. “What are you suggesting, Fíli?”It clicks for Fíli. “This marriage can’t have been recent. It was before.”Before the journey. Before the Company met and traveled across Middle Earth. Before they let loose a dragon and waged a war.It hurt Fíli to think about Kíli keeping this to himself for that long. And the same pained expression is reflected in three more faces.“We have to fix this,” Amad says, “we have to go after him.”“Agreed,” Uncle Thorin rumbles, “I’ll get the Company together. We’re riding to Mirkwood.”~20 Years Earlier‘Ho! Ho! Ho! to the bottle I go
To heal my heart and drown my woe.
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
And many miles be still to go,
But under a tall tree, I will lie,
And let the clouds go sailing by.’“Well this is a cheery song,” Kíli remarks, tipping back a tankard of ale.Greenleaf laughs beside him at a corner table. The Bree pub was packed with men playing cards and making bets. “No matter where I travel, I hear it in every pub.”Kíli regards Greenleaf for a moment. The golden lights do his natural looks justice. “They must have come up with other drinking songs by now.”Amused, Greenleaf shakes his head. Whatever he was going to say is cut off by Strider’s appearance. He drops down into a chair next to Greenleaf with another serving of ale. His eyes are unfocused and his cheeks are ruddy from the strong effects of alcohol.A concerned Greenleaf taps his friend’s shoulder, garnering Strider’s attention. “I think this ale will be your last.”Strider quirks an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. “Is that a challenge?”Greenleaf rolls his eyes. He crosses his arms on the table, his spot having been empty of ale for the entire evening. His views on abstinence, while originally uptight in Kíli’s mind, were starting to make sense. Greenleaf was in charge of Strider, so that must mean he had to look out for both of them, not just himself.They had only known each other for several days, but Kíli felt an undeniable connection with them. Greenleaf and Strider permitted him into their archery practices and into their lives without a second thought. Kíli helped Strider improve with a bow faster than Greenleaf could have taught him, or so Greenleaf claims. Kíli, meanwhile, learned crossbow techniques from Greenleaf and realized his weapon of choice is more versatile than he’d imagined. Even though their races separated their experiences, they were all so alike that it didn’t matter. Damn politics and damn prejudice, Kíli had friends who appreciated him.He hates that this is his last night of freedom. After tonight, Kíli had to make his return journey to the Blue Mountains. On Durin’s Day, he would finally be acknowledged as a fully grown dwarrow. There would just be some rituals and battles, then he will have completed his coming of age trials. Kíli would be The Second Crown Prince of Durin’s Line behind Fíli, and a sitting member of Uncle Thorin’s Council. He would have duties and responsibilities that he could not shirk.Strider waves a hand in Kíli’s face. He blinks, realizing he zoned out in the present. “It’s alright,” Greenleaf’s soft voice causes Kíli to look at him again, “we’ll come visit you when we can.”“We’re in Bree,” Strider says, unsteady from his drink, “this place needs all the help it can get, Rangers and elves alike.”Greenleaf hums. “I always go where I am needed the most.”Melancholy washes over Kíli again. Somebody needed Greenleaf more than him? More than Strider? It seemed unlikely, but it must be true; elves not lying is one of the few stereotypes, Greenleaf said, that is correct.Kíli forces himself to speak to keep his sadness at bay. “The clearing, right?”Strider nods once, his seriousness overpowering his previous giddy drunkenness. “Always. Spring and summer.”Greenleaf nods his affirmation as well. “We have an accord.”Strider grins messily. “I’ll drink to that.”‘Ho! Ho! Ho! to the bottle I go
To heal my heart and drown my woe.’As the drinking song begins again, more raucous than the first time, the trio dissolves into fits of laughter.~‘Rain may fall and wind may blow,
And many miles be still to go,
But under a tall tree, I will lie,
And let the clouds go sailing by.’The drinking song seeps from the doors and windows of the pub. Kíli’s horse clacks slowly on the pathway. The fog of Mirkwood wasn’t at its thickest yet; this pub sat on the farthest outskirts of Lake-town and marked the mouth of the forest. Kíli sighs as he drinks in the pub. It was a newer fixture in the area, both in the middle of nowhere and somewhere at the same time. It sat on the crossroads for dwarrow, men, and elves alike. He’s not sure how drunks were able to get home properly.Several horses were eating bales of hay on the side of the establishment. One horse in particular had Kíli whistling to his own horse to halt.Staring at the pale horse, a sore thumb amongst the rest, Kíli tugs at the reins. He clicks his tongue. His horse walks onto the cobblestone where the other horses await their masters. Kíli moves the reins once more to get the horse to stop. He lightly touches the horse’s mane, and receives a calming huff in reply. Deciding against tying up his horse, Kíli slips off the creature. He motions to the haystacks, and the horse dips down, understanding the offer.Without any further delay, Kíli enters the pub. It is more full than he expected, but no one looks at him strangely. He surveys the establishment, and finds exactly who he suspected was there.Approaching the barstool, Kíli takes the empty seat. He arches a brow and studies the old man’s profile. Blue eyes look back at him.“Ah,” Gandalf holds his unsmoked pipe in his veiny hand, “if it isn’t Ambassador Durin. How are you, dear boy?”“Fine,” Kíli skips pleasantries for once, “what are you doing all the way out here?”“The same thing you are,” Gandalf says, “I presume.”Aragorn did mention that magic users were being called to aid Legolas. Kíli just didn’t expect a wizard’s help to be required.It didn’t matter, though. Kíli was the only one who could save Legolas.Gandalf pushes slightly on an empty glass of ale. He casts his eyes to the tabletop. “You and Legolas have grown quite…close, have you not?”Kíli is glad the wizard isn’t looking at him. “Sure.”“Ah,” Gandalf says. He doesn’t continue, and Kíli raises mental alarm bells.“Well,” Gandalf skirts away from the table, his stool moving outwards, “would you like to ride together?”Kíli very much wanted to be alone in his self-deprecating thoughts, but he knew it wasn’t good for him. If he became his brooding Uncle Thorin, he was truly lost.“Aye,” Kíli agrees.~15 Years Earlier“You should tell him,” Aragorn says.Legolas draws himself away from watching their horses clack against the cobblestone. They were just entering Bree for the fifth spring and summer in a row. Children of men were beginning to stare at him, as they always did around these parts when they saw an elf.He gives his friend a sharp look. “He doesn’t even know who we are. Who I am. Not really.”Horseshoes clack. The children walk alongside them now. Parents scold them to return, but Legolas sends out impish smiles anyway.When he returns to look at Aragorn, he is still wearing an amused smile. “It didn’t stop you from falling in love, now, did it?”Legolas sighs; when Aragorn jests, he is insufferable. He looks out at the rows of houses and inns that compose Bree. “We’ve all been friends for years now. I wouldn’t want to break up such a merry group.”“We can’t be a merry group if one of our members is not,” Aragorn parries. “You should tell Kel. He may be hiding secrets from us too, you know.”If Legolas was being honest, he hadn’t thought of that. Kel was endearingly genuine, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t withholding information.Legolas makes the mistake of looking at Aragorn again. His smile remains plastered to his scruffy face. “I knew you’d see it my way. I’ll go tomorrow, not today. That should give you enough time.”Aragorn isn’t going to let up, so Legolas simply sighs in acquiescence. Their horses halt on their own in front of their usual inn. The gazes watching them enter Bree finally turn away and return to their daily tasks.Legolas busies himself with retrieving supplies from their horses and paying the innkeeper for a long stay. The portly woman who runs the inn simply nods and gives them their usual rooms upstairs.While unpacking in his room, Legolas recalls Aragorn’s words. Should he confess to Kel? He isn’t sure if Kel reciprocated. Kel was equally friendly to him and Aragorn. Kel may hold Legolas’s gaze longer than was necessary, sometimes, but what if he was simply seeing things?Legolas shakes his head, dismissing his uncertainty. He would see Kel, and he would see if something was there. Once his supplies are settled, Legolas opens the door. Aragorn stands in the hallway between their rooms, leaning against an arch. He winks and salutes Legolas. “You can do this, friend.”He snorts and rolls his eyes. “If you say so.”Deep-seated fear and hesitance must shine too starkly, because Aragorn steps forward and holds Legolas’s shoulders. “Listen to me,” Aragorn murmurs, “Kel lights up whenever you arrive. When both of us approach, he looks at you first. He even has a specific smile just for you. I call it the Greenleaf grin in my head.”Legolas furrows his brows. How could Aragorn notice this and he didn’t?Aragorn chuckles, catching onto his thought process instantly. “If Kel’s reactions to you are any indication, he reciprocates. All you have to do now,” he pauses, releasing his hands from Legolas’s shoulders, “is tell him.”Oddly set at ease, Legolas nods. “I’ll do it.”Before Aragorn could get too excited, Legolas smirks mischievously.“If,” Legolas continues, “you promise to tell Arwen.”Aragorn scoffs, shaking his head. “Of course you’d do this to me.”“You’re asking me to take the largest leap I ever have in my life, my friend,” Legolas justifies, “so it’s only right that you leap too.”Aragorn exhales deeply out of his mouth. His conflicted eyes meet Legolas. Slowly, Aragorn bobs his head. “Fine.” He holds out an arm. Legolas clasps it in agreement. He keeps a victorious grin to himself. Legolas had quite the challenge ahead.“Good,” Legolas releases his hold on Aragorn’s arm, “I’ll return for supper.”Then, Legolas locks the door to his borrowed room and leaves the hallway. He descends the stairs and exits the inn, paying no mind to Bree’s afternoon shuffle. Retrieving his horse, he rides for the clearing where they frequently meet with Kel. His thoughts wander all over the place, not in any particular direction. Thankfully, his beloved horse knew where to go and what to do.He isn’t sure when he fell in love; he wishes he could pinpoint the moment. But, he supposes, it could have been a collection of moments and actions. Kel is just so good-natured, so humorous and witty. He never ceased to astound Legolas with his quick mind and bright features. And Kel was handsome, of course. He didn’t look like a typical dwarrow, which Kel has admitted makes him feel misplaced, but Legolas thought it made Kel all the more mesmerizing. He knows quite a bit about feeling misplaced amongst his own race.Legolas is there faster than he anticipated. The horse slows its pace, slogging through thickets blocking the empty pathway.The trees break, and Legolas is treated to the sight of Kel slumped on the ground. He is hunched in the middle of the grass, wearing riding leathers and sporting intricately-braided hair. Kel’s bow is out of reach, and his quiver is empty.Studying the tree they used for archery practice, Legolas finds every arrow splintering into one another. Arrowheads smashed into the bullseye, swaths of feathers piling into the dirt. Returning to Kel, it is clear that he is not expecting company on this day. While he isn’t crying, his anguish is all over his face. He stares at the destruction he caused, glassy and lost. It makes Legolas ache more profoundly than he ever has before.He places a steady hand on his horse, silencing and stilling the creature. Legolas slides off the saddle and walks into the grass. He is swift and quiet, but apparent nonetheless. As his shadow approaches, Kel lolls his head upwards. Shock spills over his features, sending a jolt to his body. “Greenleaf?”Legolas smiles sadly, crouching to be level with him. “Hello, Kel. Happy first day of spring.”For some reason, Kel laughs: his Greenleaf grin. It seems to reach into Kel’s being and give him life, brightening his dark eyes and causing him to bend his legs upwards. Resting his lower arms on his knees, Kel sends Legolas one last chuckle; it crinkles his eyes. “Happy first day of spring.”Aragorn was right. By the Valar, he was right.A spark of magic within Legolas responds to Kel’s positive shift in mood. He smiles too, but it is edged with concern. “Bad day?”Kel’s smile falters on one side, but his shining eyes hold true. “Not anymore.”The fingers on Kel’s right hand twitch. Legolas notices it in the lower corner of his eyes, and it suddenly becomes all he can see. He tips his head, tearing away from Kel’s bright expression.Then, the hand flips, palm up. Fingers stretch towards him. Legolas clamps on his jaw and swallows.Shifting closer, Legolas regards the invitation with wariness. He doesn’t dare look up to read Kel’s face. He doesn’t know what he’ll find there.“Hey,” Kel says lightly, “can I ask you something?”Legolas levels his gaze with Kel’s. He’s sure everything he doesn’t know how to say is written all over him, but Kel simply smiles. Legolas can only muster a weak “hm?”Nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared Legolas for what Kel asked next: “Do they have Ones in elven culture?”The wind is knocked entirely out of Legolas. His lungs constrict and struggle for purchase. Gooseflesh clams up his arm hairs and causes his pointed ears to flush. His tongue is dry and monstrous in his mouth.The vibrancy of the sun hits him, flooding him with warmth. The life beneath his boots thrums in his eardrums. The air freshens and opens his lungs. He blinks to shade away the heavy afternoon sunlight. Moisture returns to his tongue, blood flowing at its normal rate.“Th,” Legolas’s brain falters, and he tries again, “they’re called,” he switches to a stuttering form of Sindarin, “m-meleth m-marthannen.” He swallows again to regain more moisture, then translates, “destined love. Elves only get one meleth marthannen.”Legolas knew, then, that Kel was his meleth marthannen. He’s not sure how he didn’t know immediately, but he supposes it’s good that he figured it out at all.And that meant-“Gi melin.”Inhaling sharply, Legolas’s eyes grow wider, searching the face across from him. Did Kel just say-“I said that right, didn’t I?” Kel asks sheepishly, looking dazed and embarrassed. “It’s not like there are very many Elvish books in a mountain full of dw-”Legolas places a finger on Kel’s lips. He is shocked at his own boldness, but he does not retract it. He’s still processing that this is happening right now.Kel’s smile splits between Legolas’s forefinger. His eyes dance in satisfaction. “I did say it right.”Legolas only has the wits to bob his head. He had to brace himself for a moment. He had to tell Kel everything before they went any further.Exhaling shakily, Legolas says, “I have a confession to make.”“You are,” Kel says, “we are right now.”“No,” Legolas drops his eyes, “this is about something else.”The mirth of discovery finally leaves Kel’s demeanor. He leans closer, and Legolas realizes there wasn’t much space between them, now.Legolas gathers the courage to look at Kel’s sobered face. “My name,” he murmurs. “You should know the weight of my name first.”A strange feeling crosses Kel, changing the composition of his entire expression. Kel holds his gaze and nods for Legolas to proceed.“My name is Legolas Thranduilion.”At first, Kel doesn’t react. When Legolas does not jest, Kel begins to comprehend it. He tilts his head a little to the side.Kel hums. “I feel much better about sharing my name, then.”Legolas holds his breath. Aragorn was right again; Kel had his secrets, too.Kel grins. “Nice to meet you, Prince Legolas Thranduilion. I’m Prince Kíli Durin.”An exhale shakes Legolas to his core. Kel is Kíli Durin, an heir-in-waiting to the wealth of the lost Lonely Mountain. Thorin Oakenshield, his father’s enemy, is Kíli’s uncle.Legolas never asked about the politics that destroyed the alliance between dwarrow and elves, but maybe he should, now that he was in love with a dwarrow prince.“Huh,” Legolas blinks dumbly, “nice to meet you too, Kíli Durin.”Kíli’s special grin precedes a new set of chuckles. Legolas cannot help but join in, laughing out the tension he’s been carrying with him for years. The feeling is freedom, and peace, and love, and life.Legolas is not sure which of them surges forward, but the kiss creates a symphony that could put elven musicians to shame.And the next day, when Aragorn adds his Heir of Gondor title to the mix, they laugh until tears of hilarity leak out of their eyes.~The fog parts to reveal the iron gates of Mirkwood. Gandalf shares a look with Kíli as their horses clod up the pathway.A figure takes shape. Kíli straightens his posture and struggles to conceal a smile. Gandalf squints, but does not inquire about the gatekeeper.The horses draw nearer. Aragorn sits astride his horse in Ranger attire. He pulls back his hood to reveal his neutral face. Solemnity lies in his eyes, but a spark of hope when locking gazes with Kíli brightens his countenance.The horses stop at the gate entrance. Kíli observes Aragorn through the bars.“Well,” Gandalf arches a brow at Aragorn, “hello, Strider.”Aragorn inclines his head to the wizard. “Well met, Gandalf.” He greets Kíli with a glance, which he returns in kind. They can’t have Gandalf suspecting why they’ve forgotten pleasantries.Unearthing a key from his clothing, Aragorn unlocks the gates. One side swings inwards, and Aragorn gives plenty of room for them and their horses to enter the foggy path.Once Aragorn gets the gate locked again, he directs his attention to Gandalf. “His Majesty King Thranduil is expecting you at the entrance of the eastern passage.”“The eastern passage?” Gandalf confirms confusedly. “His Majesty rarely leaves his palace.”“These are rare times,” Aragorn says gravely.Gandalf hums in agreement. “I’ll make haste, then. Thank you, Strider. And nice riding with you, Ambassador Kíli.”Kíli and Aragorn nod. Gandalf hits the reins on his horse, causing the white steed to gallop down the eastern path. They watch until he disappears in the murk.Then, Kíli and Aragorn share a pained look with each other. Kíli leans his upper half, and Aragorn gives him a side hug. Aragorn’s arms squeeze his middle. Kíli sighs, looking at his horse’s saddle.“I’m sorry, my friend,” Aragorn says.“Don’t apologize,” Kíli replies, breaking their hug so he could look fully into Aragorn’s eyes. “We both do what we can for him.”“That’s not what I’m apologizing for,” Aragorn murmurs, his eyes dropping low. “They know.”Kíli furrows his brows, not quite understanding. “What do you mean?”Aragorn can’t look at him. “They found the house.”Cold dread lances through Kíli’s chest. They know. Oh, Mahal, they know they know they know. That’s why Gandalf was here: King Thranduil found the house that Legolas hid with his magic. Kíli fondly remembers the day Legolas surprised him with it. He could honestly say it was one of the best days of his life.Kíli lets out a long sigh. “Why are you apologizing for that?”“I could have had Tauriel hide it before he found it,” Aragorn says, “I could have-”“Stop,” Kíli pats his friend’s shoulder, getting Aragorn to finally meet his gaze, “what’s done is done. Legolas and I have to figure out how to move forward, but not right now. Where is he?”Aragorn jerks the reins of his horse. “I’ll take you to him.”Kíli’s horse follows Aragorn’s. They ride in silence. Kíli focuses on steering his horse through the thickening fog and ensuring they stay on the winding path.The glittering Mirkwood castle comes into view. Kíli and Aragorn pick up their speed. They reach the west side of the palace. Without having to be asked, the elven guards let them inside and spirit their horses to the stables.Now on foot, they maneuver around indoor tree trunk formations. Gnarled branches spin around to secure walls and ceilings and bridges. The heart of each tree pulsates with ancient energy, reverberating if Kíli focuses on them. Aragorn takes the lead until Kíli enters the medical area of the palace. The trees give way to sturdy metal structures, like the exterior of the palace. Kíli had never been there before; it looked completely lifeless compared to the open layout of the rest of the palace. No trees, no plants, no nature. Kíli doesn’t like it at all.As he walks, he studies the narrow hallway leading to several archways. Each plain arch, devoid of fanciful designs, represented a sickroom, and nearly all of them were empty.An elf walks through the last archway on the left. Red hair whirls around at their arrival.Tauriel smiles wanly. “Kíli!”Kíli rushes to her instinctively. Tauriel closes the distance readily. They embrace tightly, Kíli mustering a smile for his friend. “Hi, Tauriel.”“I’m glad you’re here,” Tauriel says, her head tipping down. Kíli pulls back after a moment to look up at her. “He’s right in there.” Tauriel’s head nudges behind her, and Kíli looks into the room. It’s nondescript with a single window facing the gardens outside the palace; the fog hadn’t quite reached this spot, yet. Stepping inside warily, Kíli observes Legolas lying prone on the bed. He looked peaceful, as if he were simply dreaming after a long day. But as Kíli gets closer to the bed, he peers through the facade. Legolas’s chest rose and fell incrementally, no discernible breathing pattern. His skin was the same shade as his thin white silk robe, transparent and ghostly. His hands, usually twitching in contrast to the stillness of his body, are lifeless, as if he is dead already.It is a lot to take in, and Kíli finds himself at a complete loss. How is he meant to help Legolas if he won’t even respond to Kíli’s presence?Tauriel appears beside him. “Try talking to him.”“I think he twitched the last time I was in here rambling,” Aragorn mutters behind Kíli. Tauriel rolls her eyes at him, but Kíli appreciates the nudge.Leaning over Legolas’s bedside, Kíli directs his gaze to his pale face. Hesitantly, he moves a hand so that it would slip through Legolas’s. Kíli’s fingers tangle into Legolas’s palm. The hand is cold. Kíli swallows thickly to disperse any negative emotions from reading in his voice. “You know,” Kíli says haughtily to Legolas, “I think you’ve finally won the drama award in our marriage. Fainting from standing up after dinner? Please.”Tauriel barely stifles a guffaw. Aragorn isn’t much better, if his muffled laughter is any indication.Kíli continues pointedly, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a more dramatic elf in my life. And I converse diplomatically with your father on a regular basis.”Tauriel can’t help herself; she hides her mouth with an arm and laughs through the fabric. Aragorn chuckles freely as well.Then, a finger twitches against Kíli’s knuckles. He snaps his head down and gasps.All laughter stops. Tauriel and Aragorn freeze on both sides of him. They see it too. Legolas responded to Kíli.A grin overcomes Kíli’s face, a warmth filling him up. “There’s my meleth marthannen. Don’t worry,” he soothes, “I’m here.”“As am I.”The melodic voice is unfamiliar. Kíli slips his hand away and turns in a jolt, his two friends following along with him.The elf before him wore a blue silk gown, her face as calm as snow. Long brown hair fell in waves across her torso. A strange silver necklace is her only adornment, glittering like her skin.Aragorn eases instantly, a smile gracing his features. “My Lady.”Tauriel inclines her head. “Lady Arwen.”Kíli’s eyes widen; this is the Lady Arwen that Aragorn mentioned in his letter. And it is the very same elf who Aragorn, according to Legolas’s teasing, has been betrothed to for years. Arwen glides forward, directing a light smile to Kíli. “It’s lovely to meet you at last, Kíli Durin.”Kíli does a slight bow with his head. “And you as well, Lady Arwen.”Her smile brightens. “Your love for Legolas is a beacon in this room. You’re already helping so much with our work.”Kíli blinks. He forgets how certain elves can read beings like a book. He had to take painstaking care to keep his thoughts locked away upon encountering Lord Elrond.Aragorn clears his throat. “Have you and Lady Galadriel come up with a plan?”At the mention of a plan, Kíli swivels to Arwen eagerly. Arwen raises her hand and closes it around her necklace. She regards Kíli. “Do you know what this is, Your Highness?”Kíli shakes his head, downturning one side of his mouth.Arwen cups the necklace so that Kíli gets a good look at it. “This is the Evenstar. It holds light and life, the power of love. If used properly, it can banish any darkness, both of the body and of the mind.”Tauriel inhales sharply. “You mean-”“Yes,” Arwen’s eyes settle on Kíli, “I believe that Kíli can use the Evenstar to amplify their shared magic, as well as his own wedded love, and save Legolas.”Kíli swallows thickly. “That doesn’t sound difficult at all.”Arwen smiles, and it sets him freakishly at ease. “I think it’ll be as easy as breathing for one who holds such a heart as yours. We shall perform a ritual in the atrium when the moon waxes at the hour of love. In the meantime,” she walks towards the archway, “you need to reconnect with your husband’s magic, and I can help. Come.”Kíli steps away from Legolas and his friends. Before he follows Arwen, he turns to look at Tauriel and Aragorn.“Um,” Kíli asks softly, “can one of you get some plants in here? Legolas likes water lilies.”“I must return to the gates,” Tauriel says, “because somebody left their post.”Man and elf share a teasing smile.“I’m happy to do it,” Aragorn says to Kíli. “Thank you,” Kíli smiles uncertainly, “I’ll see you both tonight.”Chancing a final glance at a comatose Legolas, Kíli leaves the room with Arwen.~10 Years EarlierKíli waits in the Council room alone. Uncle Thorin dismissed the rest of the dwarrow, except for Fíli, who was being told to wait outside. Considering Kíli could hear them through the wooden door without straining his ears, he supposes he should talk to Amad about upping the security. Or getting the door replaced.The wooden door creaks open on its metal hinges. Uncle Thorin returns to the table and sits across from Kíli. He looks oddly tense when he sends Kíli a smile.Uncle Thorin clears his throat. “I’ll be quick, since I know I’m cutting into your archery practice.”‘Archery practice’ what Kíli called ‘leaving the Blue Mountains so that I can be with Legolas.’ Usually Aragorn was in the picture, but his Ranging was taking up this particular fortnight.Uncle Thorin shifts nervously. “I’ll be placing a call on the mountains for any dwarrow willing to join me on a,” he pauses, unsure how Kíli will react, “on a journey to reclaim Erebor.”Kíli keeps his expression neutral. His own mind tugged back and forth on the issue of Erebor quite often.What he never expected, though, was that Uncle Thorin was going to do something about it.“Your Amad thinks I’m crazy for asking both of her sons this,” Uncle Thorin says, “but you are both of age, and you both deserve the choice to come with me.”Mahal, Kíli’s head is spinning. “You do not have to answer me now, since we will not embark until next summer,” Uncle Thorin says, “but would you think about it, Kíli?”Kíli musters a nod.“That’s all I ask,” Uncle Thorin sounds relieved, “thank you, Kíli. Send your brother in too.”Kíli takes the dismissal and walks out of the Council room. Fíli pushes away from the wall and searches Kíli’s face curiously. “Well?”Kíli motions towards the door. “Find out for yourself.”Fíli squints at Kíli’s blank tone. Concerned brother mode activates. “Are you alright?”“Aye,” Kíli puts on a cheery smile that convinces even himself, and pats Fíli’s shoulder, “I’ll see you at supper.”He walks away so Fíli can’t see his mask falter. He listens to the sound of Fíli closing the door to the Council room.He stops in his room to retrieve his supply pack, bow, and quiver of arrows. It is second nature to Kíli to maintain his cover. It’s not like he’s not doing archery. He just has other things to do, too. Like kissing an elf prince.After gathering his supplies and locking his room, Kíli uses the tunnels to exit the Blue Mountains. He always checks over his shoulder in case he is followed, and despite the influx of dwarrow, he’s never caught.He stays vigilant as he works his way down the descending paths. He’s been training his eyes and his ears to be as sharp as an elven archer. He catches sight of multiple birds high up in the trees, and even a nest with eggs.Kíli reaches the stream and follows it. Since his ears are muffled by the sound of trickling water, he only has his eyes to spot danger.As he draws nearer to the clearing, he can see Legolas hunched over an animal. Kíli picks up the pace. A doe. It’s an injured doe.While walking, Kíli rolls his eyes fondly at Legolas. He holds his bow and quiver over one shoulder firmly while favoring the other side. He uses his unoccupied arm to open his supply pack. It was a good thing he just changed out the bandages. With an elf prince as his One, Kíli has to expect anything and everything.He loves it so much. He loves Legolas so much.Reaching Legolas’s vicinity, Kíli retrieves the bandages and holds them in a palm. When looking back at Legolas, he notes water lilies are braided into his blonde hair. The petals suit Legolas so perfectly that Kíli halts just to look on in appreciation.Since Legolas heard him by this point, he looks over at Kíli. While troubled by the injured doe, a spark of amusement lies in his eyes. He holds out an arm, opening his palm outwards. “Amrâlimê.”A whoosh of affection sets Kíli alight. He both regrets and stands by his decision to teach Legolas Khuzdul. It did delightfully infuriating things to him.And Legolas looking so gorgeous certainly wasn’t helping.Forcing himself from wandering thoughts, he steps forward and drops the bandages into Legolas’s waiting palm.He watches and waits as Legolas wraps the bandage around the doe’s leg. It looks only to be a surface wound, which Legolas could help with no issues. After the bandage is secured, he places a soothing hand on the doe. He helps the doe get on its feet again. While most animals bolted away, this doe lingered for a moment. Her eyes seemed to speak to Legolas, and he smiled in answer.Then, spell broken, the doe enters the forest. Legolas watches after it for a couple beats. He goes to the stream to clean his hands, flicking them dry.Kíli simply regards him, studying his hair. How did he get the water lilies to remain in his braids? He’ll have to learn that particular trick one day.Legolas approaches him with an easy smile. He leans in for a kiss, which Kíli gladly allows him. The short peck solidifies just enough to send a temporary thrill down his body. When Legolas pulls back, he reads Kíli in an instant. “Something is weighing on your mind. Want to play pro-con?”What Kíli really wanted was to kiss Legolas until he forgot all about his problems, but he knows Legolas, and his One would never allow him to live in a fantasy full of looming uncertainty. And Kíli loves him for it.He nods in agreement. Legolas leads the way to the clearing. His horse and supplies are there, and he retrieves his bow and arrows. Kíli sets down his supply pack by the horse. He goes to their archery tree and prepares his bow. He adjusts his stance, picks out an arrow, and positions it on his bowstring. The feather of the arrow tickles the corner of his mouth. He focuses entirely on the target; he can feel Legolas perching on a log to the side.“Problem,” Kíli introduces, “my uncle wants me to help him reclaim Erebor next summer.”A breeze drones in his ear for a beat. Then, Legolas says, “begin with pros.”If Kíli were in his right mind, he would ask Legolas directly regarding his personal feelings on the matter. But he was so conflicted that he couldn’t think of anything else but the problem and the target.“Pro,” Kíli clips, “I’ll get to see the wonders of Middle Earth.”He lets the arrow loose. It hits the bullseye.Kíli retrieves a second arrow and rests it on his bow. “Pro,” he continues, “I’ll get to see if the stories about Erebor are true.”His arrow lodges next to the first, firmly on the bullseye.He notches a third arrow. He closes one eye and adjusts the angle of his bow to make it more challenging. “Pro: I’ll get to learn and grow from actual lived experience.”The arrow launches and lands on the edge of the bullseye. Kíli sighs; he can’t think of any more pros.Grasping two arrows instead of one, he places them beside one another on his bow. Legolas hums at the shift, but otherwise does not comment.“Two cons,” Kíli says, “there’s a good chance I’ll die. Also, there’s a good chance I’ll have to watch my family die.”Both arrows fly ferociously. They smack hard against the left side of the target.Kíli continues his pace with another arrow, raising his bow quickly. “Con: I’ll have to leave the only home I’ve ever known behind forever.”The arrow sails, stealing a piece of Kíli’s heart. It lands on the right side of the target.He gets another arrow ready in seconds. “Con: My brother wants to go with my uncle, I know he does, and it forces my hand.”A spark of annoyance causes the arrow to lodge near the edge of the target. He reminds himself to breathe in through his nose, and out through his mouth.Calming himself, Kíli reloads his bow. “Con: When I go, I don’t know when I’ll see my One again.”His fears are coming out in waves, now, all the things he’s too afraid to say in front of anyone else besides Legolas. The arrows release his ugly insecurities into the wind, and forge souvenirs on the target. Switching to a crossbow style, Kíli retrieves a final arrow. His quiver is empty now, so he had to make this one count.Taking a breath, Kíli aims at the target. He concentrated on the bullseye, his mind finally reaching a conclusion. He hates it, but he verbalizes it anyway. “Con: Despite all of these cons, I know that my uncle and brother need me as their archer, so the idea that I have a choice? I don’t. I must go.”Those final three words make a home in Kíli’s chest, infecting him with fear and pain and a whole host of emotions he can’t begin to comprehend. His eyes flutter shut, overwhelmed. On a deep exhale, he releases the arrow. Based on how arrows splinter, he hit the bullseye. And destroyed the other three in the center of the target.Lowering his arms, Kíli drops the bow and listens to it thud on the grass. His heart pounds in his ears.This was happening. Next summer, he was going on a journey to reclaim Erebor from a dragon, or die trying.Kíli huffs and opens his eyes. He is greeted by the lovely sight of Legolas’s smile.Before Kíli could say anything, Legolas sweeps him up and lifts him high. Kíli chuckles in surprise as he adjusts to being the taller of the two. He also has no idea how Legolas can carry him without any visible strain, but he wasn’t about to question it.Kíli locks his legs around Legolas’s back, resting his arms on shoulders. “What’s gotten into you?”“You’re extraordinary,” Legolas murmurs, eyes glistening with awe, “do you know that?”Kíli opens his mouth, then closes it. He doesn’t know what to say. No quips come to him.Legolas spins them slightly, and Kíli feels a rush of air leaves him dazed and clear-headed at the same time.“You may not have had a choice,” Legolas says, “but you know inherently that you have to do what’s right. And doing what’s right isn’t easy.” A shadow crosses Legolas’s face. He walks with Kíli wrapped around him.“I don’t like leaving you,” Legolas murmurs, staring at him fervently, “I never do, but I must, because I am needed elsewhere. I fear for my homeland, my people, my father and friends and you. Acknowledging this fear is what drives me to take action, to keep doing good deeds and going where I am needed the most. And that, in turn, makes my fear dissipate.”Legolas stops near the tree where the target rests. Kíli notices his arrows lodged into the target and frowns.“You support me going on this quest?” Kíli asks softly.“Of course, mudùmel,” Legolas says.The Khuzdul endearment warms Kíli inside out. He really, really loves that Legolas knows his native language.“Even if I chose to stay,” Kíli wonders, “would you have supported me?”“Yes,” Legolas says without hesitation.Kíli’s last doubt niggles in his mind. “After next year, I don’t know if or when I’ll ever see you again.”Legolas does not falter. “Our gods won’t part us for long. Besides, you’ll have to pass through my homeland to get anywhere near Erebor. You’ll see me then.”Kíli sighs deeply. “Your optimism makes it very hard to be sad.”“Good,” Legolas says cheerily, a rare grin brightening his face, “now kiss me.”Kíli doesn’t dare pass up on such an offer. ~Of all the things Tauriel expected to arrive at the gates of Mirkwood, a pack of dwarrow and a hobbit were last on the list.A lot ran through her mind as they approached. Since they weren’t on the schedule, they had to have come after Kíli. It wasn’t like Kíli to be careless, but upon receiving the blow of his husband being comatose in the castle from Aragorn’s letter, she supposes certain actions were not hidden very well. The main action being Kíli’s escape from the mountain to ride to Mirkwood right away.And now that Tauriel has established that’s how they are here, the why is obviously for concern over Kíli. Tauriel would be just as shocked if she saw someone she cared about running in the opposite direction, towards a different land. That means an entire party of kin would saddle up and rush to the scene.But how did they know Kíli was coming to Mirkwood?Oh. Oh no. Not only does King Thranduil know by now, but thanks to a misplaced letter, so does the Royal Family of Erebor.This day couldn’t get any worse, could it?As the pack of dwarrow and a single hobbit arrive, Tauriel straightens her posture. Her horse clods to the lock on the gate. She surveys them; she recognizes all of them except for a dwarrow woman. King Thorin rode in the front with Fíli, Bilbo Baggins, and the dwarrow woman, who she suspects must be Kíli’s princess mother. Not far behind are Thorin’s closest friends, Dwalin and Balin, as well as their Company healer, Óin. Taking up the rear is a redhead dwarrow that she thought was Glóin, but must certainly be related to him. Beside him are Ori and Bofur.Not the entire Company, but just enough to make their presence known.She watches as King Thorin breaks from the pack and reaches the gate on horseback. He looks at her mildly. “Tauriel, right?”“Yes, Your Highness,” Tauriel clips. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”The Dwarrow King arches a brow. She knows she’s messing with him, but she can’t help it. She enjoys testing his patience.There’s a reason Kíli was the Ambassador, not him.King Thorin says coolly, “I would much prefer to discuss matters with King Thranduil himself.”“Well,” Tauriel says, “he’s-”Horses clack against the other end of the gate path. Tauriel’s eyes grow wide. She bows her head at the two arrivals. “Your Highness. Gandalf.”King Thranduil rides majestically in front of the gate. He seems unsurprised and unperturbed by the dwarrow and hobbit on his doorstep. The Company makes noises of surprise at seeing Gandalf next to the Mirkwood King.Without any preamble, King Thranduil addresses King Thorin. “Did you know our sons were secretly wed?”By the Valar, Legolas was going to wake up to one hell of a shitstorm. Tauriel backs up her own horse so no one could scrutinize her expression.“No,” King Thorin replies, “we only found out after,” he pauses, “Fíli?”Kíli’s older brother brings his horse next to the king. He unearths the parchment and hands it to King Thorin.Tauriel’s intuition, then, is exactly right.King Thorin offers the letter through the gate bars. “We found this in his room after he left Erebor.”King Thranduil hesitates, but takes the parchment. There is a long silence as he reads the incriminating evidence.Aragorn would surely blame himself after he learns of this moment.When the parchment is rolled again, King Thranduil cannot hide his inner turmoil. He looks at Tauriel, and she startles at his intense gaze.“Open the gate,” he says, sounding quiet and defeated.Tauriel holds her breath and obliges, refusing to cut through the tense environment. Gandalf, as well, is at a clear loss for how to navigate this new landscape.Once the Company is admitted within Mirkwood and the gates shut, King Thranduil says, “there’s something I must show all of you. Follow me.”Oh no. Tauriel almost forgot about the house.Since she is confined to the gates, she watches tersely as the entire pack rides to the eastern passage.This is now, officially, the worst day ever.~9 Years EarlierAragorn can’t stop smiling as his horse approaches the clearing. Bottles of ale clink on one side of the saddle, making a melody amongst the birdsong. Even though they didn’t need a witness, Aragorn was honored nonetheless.As he arrives, Legolas by his side, they find Kíli already dismounting his own horse. Kíli looks somber to be leaving the Blue Mountains behind in a fortnight, but pleased about today, too.Legolas slides off his horse, rushing to Kíli. Aragorn averts his eyes as the two embrace, Legolas spinning Kíli around in the grass. Aragorn gets off his horse and fiddles with the pack of ale.After a moment, Aragorn is approached and hugged by Kíli. “I’m glad you’re here for this.” “I’d never miss it,” Aragorn says.When he pulls back, he realizes Kíli has daisies in his dark wavy hair; there were no braids, either. They match his sparkling eyes and grin. Kíli, while always cheerful, has never quite shone this brightly before.Kíli turns at Legolas’s arrival. While both wore their usual clothing, Legolas seemed to glow in his green and gold attire. “Ready?”Kíli directs his beam to Legolas and hums in affirmation.They walk towards the archery tree. Aragorn stands behind the couple as they kneel in front of it. Legolas reaches out, and Kíli takes his hand.Aragorn begins the ceremony. “This archer’s tree recognizes the union between Princes Kíli Durin and Legolas Thranduilion. Kíli, you may present your token.”Kíli glances shyly at Legolas, plucking a jingling sack from his pocket. He lets go of his hand to open the drawstring. He reveals a series of hair ornaments. Silver beads with a moonlit glow remind Aragorn of Legolas’s pallor when nightfall arrives. There are also long clasps with embossed metal designs, meant to finish off more intricate braids. And finally, there are silver pins similar to the clips that Legolas often uses to keep his hair from his eyes while practicing archery.Legolas is visibly awed. “I love them all.”And at that, Aragorn realizes that Kíli forged them himself. Even though Kíli often said he wasn’t the best metalworker, or swordsman, it still meant more than words could express.“Pick one,” Kíli murmurs.Legolas plucks out a thick clasp with a tree embossed on the metal. Kíli takes it from him, placing the other adornments in the bag, and completes the dwarrow portion of the ceremony: a marriage braid.When it is done, Aragorn clears his throat from getting too emotional. “Legolas, present your token.”Legolas procures his gift: a new bow for Kíli. The dwarrow gasps at the craftsmanship; while it uses wood like elvish bows, it is carved like Kíli’s dwarrow bow.Kíli takes the bow gently. “I love it.”“With these tokens exchanged,” Aragorn says, “you must now do the transfer of magic.”This particular portion of the ceremony, when it was first explained by Legolas to Kíli, led to arguments. Legolas sharing his magic, while connecting them as soulmates, would also leave him vulnerable. The distance that would part them for the foreseeable future will create an illness in Legolas. Despite Legolas having been of age for years, his magic was unstable, and would be for several more years. This transitional period was dangerous, but Legolas wasn’t afraid in the slightest. And that, more than anything else, showed Aragorn just how deeply he loves Kíli.Kíli holds out his hands for Legolas. “You’ll look after yourself, won’t you?”Legolas nods readily. “Yes, khajimel.”Then, Legolas places his palms atop Kíli’s. They close their eyes. There is a moment of silence. Nothing happens that Aragorn can see.But something must have happened, because the couple open their eyes and smile.“And finally,” Aragorn says, “you are now wed. You may kiss.”Legolas and Kíli oblige. The birds in the archery tree chirp a little tune. The couple parts, beaming at each other.Aragorn gets out the bottles of ale. “Let’s drink!” Legolas and Kíli hold each other and laugh.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

If Gandalf is being honest, he’s getting a little too old for this shit. He started the day riding in the pleasant company of Ambassador and Prince Kíli Durin, who’s become a pleasant dwarrow and grown into his new roles with humor and grace.Then Gandalf discovers, through a journey to a magic house in Mirkwood with Thranduil, that Kíli and Legolas have been wed for years, and hidden that fact from most everyone on Middle Earth.Now, Gandalf is part of a group consisting of dwarrow, a hobbit, and Thranduil to review what he discovered in the magic house earlier.There is no escaping the revelations and drama of the day, no matter how much Gandalf wants to take a nap in one of the palace’s spare rooms.Thranduil, Thorin, Bilbo, Dís, Fíli, Gimli, Dwalin, Balin, Óin, Ori, and Bofur arrive with Gandalf on horseback. The magic house would truly be something special and spectacular to behold, if Legolas’s well-being weren’t throwing the illusion into macabre disarray.As the magic house stood now, the country dwelling had invisible holes in the bricks, blending into the fog of Mirkwood’s eastern passage. It’s as if someone plucked shards of glass from a mirror image, or shattered pieces of a crystal ball without repairing what’s broken.For the dwarrow and Bilbo, the sight was a lot to process. There were expressions of awe, confusion, and inquisitiveness among them. And Gandalf must admit: when he saw it, he was shocked too. The breadth of abilities that Legolas possesses is absolutely stunning. When Legolas awakens and his magic is fully matured, he just may be a force of nature more powerful than Thranduil, his own father.Thranduil dismounts from his horse, concealing his conflicted emotions rather poorly. “My son created this house with his magic. Now that he is comatose, the house reflects his mind. If you go inside, you’ll see memories.”“Memories?” Bilbo jolts up in surprise on his pony. “Memories of Legolas and Kíli?”“From the past?” Gimli looks utterly lost by the implications.Thranduil glances at Gandalf; he is out of patience for questions. Gandalf clears his throat uneasily. “Legolas has many developing powers which we have yet to fully understand. Upon stepping inside,” he looks warily at the intense gazes staring at him, “you will see that the same few memories play over and over, shimmering in and out in succession.”Pointedly, Gandalf refuses to think about the memories he saw in that house earlier. He’s not sure how the dwarrow will react, specifically Thorin.Bilbo slides off his pony first. His feet touch the grass. “Right, then. Let’s go in.”“Uh,” Bofur says, “no thanks.”Dís joins Bilbo on the ground. “Watch the horses, then.”After the Princess of Erebor moves with Bilbo, the rest of the dwarrow hastily leave their saddles. Thorin and Fíli follow right behind them.Carefully, the dwarrow and a single hobbit enter the magic house. Even Bofur is tempted to follow, then Thranduil and Gandalf shut what’s left of the front door.The shimmering occurs between the pockets of invisibility. They all take in the open space, the cozy furniture, the well-carved table and chairs, the furry rugs, the large bed, the busy writing desk, the weaponry on one wall, the chest of clothing, the cacophony of potted plants and parchment and an extinguished fireplace. Truly, it must be a magnificent house when in its prime.And the fact it’s so clearly lived-in and loved makes it all the more conflicting.Kíli, a shimmering memory, rushes in from the front door. He wears battle armor of elven make and war braids of dwarrow tradition. The dwarrow jolts as he walks quickly to the weaponry. “Mahal,” Dwalin says, caught unaware, “bloody magic.”The door shuts. The dwarrow whirl around at Legolas’s entry; he wears the armor and countenance of someone in charge of armies.In other words, a king.Legolas walks over to Kíli, who now holds a spare elvish bow. Legolas takes the weapon offered to him while Kíli searches for arrows frantically. “Hey, dear? Do you-”Procuring the quiver from his back, Legolas offers it to Kíli. The dwarrow furrows his brows. “But those are yours.”“Are they?” Legolas teases. “Look closer.”Perplexed, Kíli takes an arrow from the quiver. The arrowheads are metal. Gandalf had to look closely to see the Khuzdul markings.“I,” Kíli looks up at Legolas with wide eyes, but realization dawns on him quickly, “this is my gift, isn’t it?”Legolas’s mouth quirks upwards on one side.“You,” Kíli shakes his head, joking annoyance playing about his features, “you’ve been wearing this all through the battle!”“I didn’t think you’d need them yet,” Legolas shoots back. “I thought you took better care of your arrows.”Kíli gasps, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “Wow! Dissed by my own husband on our own anniversary!”Legolas laughs brightly at Kíli’s mock upset. Kíli eventually breaks, though, and grins despite himself; Gandalf had never seen Kíli smile quite like that before, and based on some dwarrow reactions, neither had they. Kíli puts the arrow in the quiver with the rest and takes the gift. “Well, then,” Kíli walks over to a side table and pulls out the drawer, grasping two daggers, “I guess you should have these now too.”Legolas beams as he plucks the new daggers from Kíli’s hands. “I love them.” He flicks one over between his fingers in an expert motion. “And it’s light too. Better than elven craft.”“Now you’re just trying to get in my trousers,” Kíli says.Legolas is clearly used to these remarks, because he tucks away the daggers to reach Kíli, kissing him sweetly. A screech pierces the memory. It jolts the many uninvited houseguests from their stupor. Gandalf knows the sound of Mirkwood spiders anywhere.Legolas steps away from Kíli. “Sounds like Tauriel got the queen out of the cave.”Kíli’s expression is excitable and chaotic; it is Kíli at his best, his most dangerous. “It’ll be a good day, indeed. I’ll call your horse.”He doesn’t await an answer before exiting out the back door. As Kíli whistles, and a horse’s hooves pound against the grass, the vision ends.The next vision begins abruptly in the seating area. Legolas is reading on the couch while Kíli braids his hair. The document is written in Sindarin by Kíli’s hand. Gandalf knew Kíli wrote legislation and decrees as part of his work, but didn’t know he was so adept at other languages.Kíli is a bit tense as he perches on the cushion; he finishes braiding, and has to wait a moment for Legolas to finish reading.When Legolas finally places the parchment on his lap, he says, “this is the one.”“Yeah?” Stress leaves Kíli’s shoulders. “You’re not just saying that because it’s my sixth draft and I’m frustrated?”“No,” Legolas insists, “your wording in Sindarin is perfect, yâsûn.”Several dwarrow bristle intensely at the Khuzdul. Gandalf didn’t know what the word meant, but it must be intimate.“Now I just have to present that to all three major elven clans,” Kíli pulls a face, “it’ll be fantastic.”“It will be,” Legolas sounds out with conviction. “If you can get my father to like you, I seriously think you can do anything.”“I don’t think I can fool Lord Elrond, though,” Kíli says warily, “he can read my damned mind. And don’t get me started on Lady Galadriel’s future sight.”Legolas sets the parchment on a table. He curls up next to Kíli. “So that’s what this is about.”Kíli looks at his lap, worrying his lip. “You can do anything you set your mind to, Kíli Durin,” Legolas says, “and I won’t hear you protest otherwise. If you can fool Lord Elrond once, you can do it again.”Kíli continues to spar. “The only reason I passed his suspicion the first time is-”“I know,” Legolas says lightly, “but you’re much stronger now. You’ve been practicing.”Now that Gandalf is viewing this moment in the multiples, he can finally pick out what they’re discussing in veiled terms. Not only did Legolas share his magic with Kíli, but he also shared how to protect the mind from other magic users.How clever. Kíli loses steam and settles into the cushion. Legolas gathers him into a sitting hug. After a moment of silence, Legolas murmurs, “you’re also losing sight of the fact that my father suspects nothing.”“That’s not exactly comforting,” Kíli sighs, “but I’ll take it.”Gandalf gauges Thranduil’s expression, as do the rest of the dwarrow; none of them could help it. Thranduil is worse for wear, in that he doesn’t even attempt to conceal his internal conflict.Mirkwood is cloudy because of Thranduil’s grief in losing Legolas’s mother. The fog would continue to harm the other elves in his providence until a change occurred. Perhaps Legolas and Kíli would bring about that change.The vision ends. The final memory in the loop begins by the fireplace. Legolas is a lone figure sitting criss-cross in front of the burning lumber. A blanket cocoons him, and he stares into the flames, not feeling or seeing the heat.This, Gandalf posits, is a more recent occurrence.Everyone packed in the magic house is so quiet watching this version of Legolas that Gandalf fears they aren’t breathing.When the front door opens and Kíli arrives into the scene, the group jolts again. They sink when they see Kíli take in Legolas’s appearance.Legolas blinks and turns towards him with a weary smile. Even through the shimmer, anyone can tell he’s ghostly pale. His voice comes out weak. “Kíli. I wasn’t expecting you for another day.”It never gets easier, no matter how many times Gandalf watches Kíli’s heartache wreck his face.“Lukhudel,” Kíli’s eyes glisten as he crouches beside Legolas, “what happened?”Legolas’s smile falls, and he looks away. He stares at the fire blankly. Exerting uncharacteristic patience, Kíli waits. Not giving up. And waits some more.As the fire crackles, Legolas mumbles, “I overexerted my magic.”Kíli winces. “Legolas-”“Not on purpose,” Legolas looks at Kíli fervently, eyes shining, constantly hoping for him to understand, “I’m not trying to-”Kíli unearths a hand beneath Legolas’s blanket and holds it, silencing the elf for a few beats. “I love that you care so much about helping others,” Kíli says softly, “I love that you heal wounded animals you find in the woods, and teach archery to anyone who wants to learn, and lend aid to the defenseless across Middle Earth. I love how you help and ask for nothing in return, and how you lead your people through anything. But,” he pleads, “you taught me about your magic, how it’s unlike anything anyone’s ever seen before, not to mention how you’re sharing it with me and your magic isn’t even matured yet, and all of that puts you at risk. It’s why I made you vow to me on our wedding day that you’d take care of yourself.”“I know,” Legolas musters the strength to speak, “I know, and I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be this…”Kíli sighs. “Bad? Me neither. Now we know, though, right?”Legolas nods bleakly. “Hey,” Kíli kisses his forehead, “stop that. Turn that frown upside down. I’ll make you some tea.”Legolas perks up at that, mustering a small smile. “That would be nice, thank you.”Kíli stands and leaves Legolas by the fireplace again. The shimmers fade. There are no more memories after that, just loops of the same three.For a long stretch of time, no one speaks. The shimmers start up again with Legolas and Kíli in battle armor. No one can bear to look at the happy couple again.“I wish,” Thorin starts, then stops again. His mouth opens and closes, teeth clattering against one another. He looks down at the ground and sighs.“Me too,” Thranduil says.The dwarrow and elf king share a solemn expression. Gandalf thinks this is one of the few times he’s seen them readily agree on something.It was a day of transformation, indeed.Dís, who has been unusually quiet, finally asks, “does anyone know where my son is?”Everyone looks at each other. Thranduil looks pointedly at Gandalf. The other gazes follow suit.“I know you travelled with him, Gandalf,” Thranduil says, to the surprise of the rest, “I can’t pinpoint where he is, but you can.”It’s true; Gandalf knows exactly what’s happening in the palace right now. If he concentrates on the image, he could see it again: Kíli honing his mental abilities with Lady Galadriel and Lady Arwen as guides. And since Galadriel could tell when Gandalf peered into the room, however discreetly, she let him know the plan and insisted that no one could interfere, should Kíli break concentration and ruin their only chance at saving Legolas.So Gandalf chooses his words carefully: “Kíli is safe, and trains his mind alongside the best elven healers. He cannot be disturbed until a healing ritual is performed successfully on Legolas.”“Trains his mind,” Thranduil murmurs, just loud enough for them to pick up. He blinks. Gandalf can notice the exact second that clarity reaches him. Thranduil just realized what Kíli and Legolas were discussing in their second memory.“By the Valar,” Thranduil looks ill, and he sways on his feet slightly.“What is it, laddie?” Gimli asks.Dwarrow shoot him looks.“King laddie?” Gimli corrects in confusion. He simply shrugs and falls silent.“Thranduil?” Thorin prompts.A cloudiness leaves Thranduil’s expression. “Kíli is sharing my son’s magic.”“What?” Óin snorts. “As a healer, I can tell you that it’s impossible to share magic between an elf and a dwarrow. It’s preposterous.”“I’m starting to think anything’s possible where our Kíli is concerned, laddie,” Gimli points out.“Aye,” Balin agrees.“Gandalf?” Ori asks for clarification. “So, is it possible?”Gandalf bobs his head warily. “It should not be, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible, especially with Legolas’s magic.”There is another moment of silence. And that’s when Gandalf realizes the memories aren’t playing anymore.Surveying the house with frantic eyes, he walks about the room. The others look at him as if he’s gone mad.“What’s going on, wizard?” Dwalin asks gruffly.“The memories,” Gandalf looks around wildly, “they stopped.”Everyone whirls around in circles, as if just noticing it too. “Bloody magic,” Bofur says defeatedly.“Is it Legolas?” Thranduil asks Gandalf, undeniable concern bleeding in his voice. Never let anyone think Thranduil doesn’t love his only son.Gandalf finishes his walk around the property. He looks up at the ceiling to better connect his mind to the palace. Legolas’s condition remains unchanged.“No,” Gandalf looks over at Thranduil, “it’s Kíli. He’s shutting us out to protect Legolas’s mind. Part one of the ritual.”“How long will the ritual last?” Bilbo asks, curious as ever.“Well into the night,” Gandalf says, “and he cannot be-”“Disturbed,” Thorin looks perturbed by the reminder, “we know.”“So,” Fíli finally says, “since we can’t see Kíli, what do we do?”They all eventually look to King Thorin and Princess Dís. The siblings share a glance, instantly on the same mindset.Dís asks King Thranduil, “might we speak with the Aragorn who wrote the letter to my son?”“I can arrange that, since he is somewhere around the palace grounds,” Thranduil decides. “I would also like to know how my son’s dearest friend kept this secret for so long.” He pauses, shifting his gaze to each Company member assembled in the magic house. “I can arrange for rooms in my halls, as well.”“That’s greatly appreciated, Your Highness,” Thorin says genuinely.“We are kin now,” Thranduil reminds them, “so we ought to start acting like it.”Thorin and Dís nod their agreement. There is hesitation between the old enemies, but they all seem committed to changing for Legolas and Kíli.Gandalf is unsure how long this will last, but for the sake of Kíli and Legolas, he hopes for the best.At that, the group leaves the magic house and prepares for a journey to the castle.~9 Years EarlierLegolas paces in his bedroom within the palace, struggling to move past the roadblocks in his mind.It all happened so fast. One second, he was saving Kíli from Mirkwood spiders, and the next, his father locked Kíli and his kin in the dungeons. Every move Legolas made had to be discreet. The dwarrow calling themselves Thorin’s Company need to be at the Lonely Mountain by a certain date and time. Legolas had to help them escape before that particular window closed. Sighing, he looks out at the view of Mirkwood visible from his room. Summer would soon turn to winter, and that was-Oh. The solstice festival would be celebrated in a fortnight. Legolas walks to his mirror. He looks at himself, closes his eyes, and takes a breath. He fortifies himself as he plans what he’s about to do.Legolas opens his eyes, steadier than usual, and leaves his room. He walks in a leisurely countenance, nodding to elves who send him a respectful glance.When he descends the precarious staircases towards the dungeons, he takes the lesser-known passageways. Kíli most likely pissed off some elven guards and ended up away from his kin, in one of the lower cells. Legolas didn’t even need to tap into his shared magic with Kíli to predict how his husband reacts to being caged. That furiosity, that refusal to follow the norm and break tradition, exit the Blue Mountains in defiance just to see him, is just a few of the reasons why Legolas loves Kíli. So damn much.When voices begin to carry over from the lower dungeons, Legolas follows them. He slows his walk and trains his ears.“-so easy for you to say.” That’s Kíli. “At least I’ve taken up a worthwhile cause.”“Getting yourselves killed is worthwhile to you?” Tauriel. Oh hell. It’s Tauriel. Legolas starts to walk towards the archway. He peers over and finds an annoyed Tauriel standing over Kíli’s lone cell. Kíli stares up through the bars, flames in his dark eyes. Tauriel continues, “We’re doing you all a favor, dwarf.”“Dwarrow,” Kíli corrects tersely. “The proper word is-”Legolas slides into the open area. “I’ll take over from here, Captain.”Tauriel snaps towards Legolas. She narrows her eyes at the order. Legolas parries her gaze. He had more hierarchical power, and Tauriel knew it.She relaxes her tense posture, fire dissipating from her eyes. “Yes, Your Highness.”Tauriel leaves the dungeons. Legolas watches her go, and waits another minute to ensure she cannot hear him, even from afar.Finally, Legolas approaches Kíli’s cell. He instantly drops to a crouch so they could be level. “Are you injured?”“Just some bruises,” Kíli mumbles, “nothing I can’t handle. You?”Legolas shakes his head. “I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to-”“Don’t,” Kíli moves to cross his legs, then winces at a pain in his side, “don’t apologize. It’s not your fault my uncle is more stubborn than a mule and can’t accept help.”Legolas frowns. “My father is no better in that regard, I’m afraid.”“Yeah,” Kíli drops his gaze to his knees, “a lot of your actions are starting to make sense now.”Legolas’s next exhale collapses through his chest and lungs. It’s true that his personal creed is to do the opposite of what his father does. “The fog,” Kíli murmurs, “it makes you sick,” his eyes glisten as they flicker up to Legolas’s face, “doesn’t it?”Legolas’s heart thuds in the base of his throat. His realization creeps up on him like a ghost, dread filling his gut.Since they share magic, Kíli can feel what Legolas feels. “My senses were so sharp,” Kíli continues, “I felt so free out there, even when I was running for my life.” His breath catches as if in awe. “You gave me such strength so easily, but the second we entered Mirkwood,” a shadow crosses his face, and he falls silent. Legolas understands nevertheless.His mouth is parched when he finally musters a reply: “My father’s magic has been this way for most of my life, ever since my mother died. The toxins reflect his grief. It doesn’t harm the other elves as much as it harms me.”Kíli inhales deeply through his nose, then breathes out, soaking in the information. The fact that both have single parents isn’t new, but Kíli had never seen magic manifested in a visceral manner before. It’s grounds enough for hesitance.“When you are crowned,” Kíli questions, “will the murk go away?”Legolas furrows his brows; Kíli remains unpredictable in his thoughts and speech. “I’m not sure. Besides, I won’t be king for a very long time.”Kíli regards him for a long moment. His dark eyes linger over every pore on Legolas’s face. In any other circumstance, Legolas would be blushing, but his overall puzzlement at the line of inquiry overrides the instinctual reaction.An amused smirk brightens Kíli’s expression. Seeing a smile on him after a long time apart balms Legolas’s soul.“Kurdûn,” Kíli murmurs, “you are already melhekhel. King of all kings.”“What?” Legolas narrows his eyes at the unfamiliar Khuzdul word and its common translation. “I’m not the king.”“You are,” Kíli sends him the radiant grin reserved just for him, “the elves respect you and your leadership. They do as ordered with no questions asked. Your army would die for you in a heartbeat, Legolas. I can tell; the Company would do the same for my Uncle Thorin. So, yes, Legolas,” Kíli leans exceptionally close to the bars, “you are melhekhel.” Then, as if dazzled, Kíli murmurs to himself, “I wed a melhekhel.”Legolas cannot begin to comprehend his husband’s words. Instead, he slides an arm through the bars. Kíli slips his hand into Legolas’s. Kíli’s amusement at Legolas’s speechlessness lingers. They have not looked away from one another for several minutes, and neither is ready to break away yet.He is reminded of his purpose for coming down to the dungeons. Legolas swallows thickly to moisten his dry mouth. His vocal cords buzz as the words spill out. “The solstice festival is in a fortnight. It would be a fortuitous opportunity to escape.”Kíli lifts up Legolas’s arm behind the bars and places a kiss on his knuckles. His fingers thread and squeeze. “Don’t worry,” he smiles at a joke only he is privy to, “we have a hobbit.”Legolas simply nods and gets comfortable in front of the bars.The couple sits in silence together until another guard arrives to cover Tauriel’s shift.~Aragorn messes with the plethora of flowers and plants he has gathered in the sickroom. Legolas’s comatose form hadn’t flinched, not even twitched like he did with Kíli, but Aragorn knows just as well as Kíli that elves thrive on nature. If Legolas could not have direct sunlight, he needed sources of life. Satisfied with the collection he has accumulated, he leaves Legolas’s room. And bumps right into Tauriel.Aragorn jolts back in confusion. “Shouldn’t you be-”“They’re all here,” Tauriel says frantically, “they all know. They’re at the house, and they’re coming for you next.”“Wait,” Aragorn holds up his hands in surrender, “back up. Who’s here?”“Kíli’s dwarrow kin! That’s who!” Tauriel exclaims.Aragorn freezes in his place. He curses; he’s glad Arwen isn’t here to hear it. “It was my letter, wasn’t it?”“Don’t blame yourself,” Tauriel says firmly, “it was Kíli who left it out for them to find.”Aragorn exhales deeply, pushing back his hair with one hand. He shakes his head and releases his hair. “Damn. Damn!”“They’re on their way here,” Tauriel says with haste, “you need to prepare yourself for a lot of questions.”“Damn,” Aragorn repeats, “we need to make sure Kíli doesn’t find out until after the ritual. Can you do that? I need to compose myself.”“Gladly,” Tauriel says. “My gate shift is over and I’ll guard the room where Kíli is training.”“Great,” Aragorn lets out a deep sigh, “that makes me feel better, at least.”Tauriel catches sight of something over his shoulder. Aragorn turns; she is looking inside Legolas’s room. She hums in approval, meeting his gaze again. “He’s starting to regain color with the plants in the room. Good work.”“It was Kíli,” Aragorn reminds her, “I was just following orders.”A deep solemnity crosses Tauriel’s face, but she nods once. “I wish you the best of luck with an army of dwarrow.”“Aye,” Aragorn says, “thank you for the warning.”Tauriel and Aragorn walk in opposite directions. Aragorn finds himself walking towards the atrium where they were planning to do the ritual that night. It would be a nice, open space for when the dwarrow found him. Serene.He wishes he could ask Arwen for guidance. In their relationship, she’s the one who knows exactly what to do; it’s why he loves her so.He would have to settle for himself, though. Aragorn untangles his racing mind, plucking out thoughts to analyze.If he is to speak on behalf of Legolas and Kíli, he has to ensure their privacy remains intact while somehow giving enough information to satisfy everyone. It’s a delicate balance, and he can’t afford mistakes, should he betray the couple’s trust and friendship.Aragorn reaches the atrium. The dome is struck with humidity from the hanging fog, as if it’s winter and iced over from abandonment. The trees and flowers, however, grow strong with the power of spring. Elves often arrived sparingly throughout the day to tend to the plants, though there were none here now.He continues towards a seating area on one side of the atrium. Guests were sometimes greeted here if they entered Mirkwood in the daylight hours. There were enough seats for a massive elven delegation.He supposes it’ll do.Aragorn boldly sits in a lounge chair that is reserved for elven royalty. He smokes a round of pipeweed and gets comfortable.Just as he is putting away his pipe, a rush of footsteps enter the atrium. Aragorn has to raise his brow at Thranduil himself leading them. The pack consisted of Thranduil, Gandalf, a hobbit, and nine dwarrow. He recognized one as King Thorin, since Kíli looks a bit like him, but the rest of their identities are unknown.King Thranduil approaches the seating area. “Aragorn, there you are.”Aragorn takes a quick glance towards the assembly fidgeting beside him. When he looks back to Thranduil, he says, “you knew we were coming.”Aragorn bobs his head in bemusement. “Please, sit.”The group does not need to be told twice. Gandalf and Thranduil take the other armchairs, while King Thorin chooses to sit on the couches with the rest of the dwarrow and the hobbit.Thranduil introduces the dwarrow and the hobbit to him. Then, he says, “this is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, the rightful heir of Gondor and elf-friend, betrothed to Princess Arwen of Rivendell, and Ranger of the West.”“Aragorn’s fine,” he says, rolling his eyes at Thranduil. It’s an old joke of theirs to introduce Aragorn with his full title, even though he isn’t a fan of pageantry.“How is my son doing?” Thranduil asks.“A tad better,” Aragorn says, “he’s getting color back in his face.” He purposely leaves out Legolas reacting to Kíli’s hand-hold, since he’s unsure about the waters he treads in now.Thranduil is visibly relieved by the information. “Well, good. How is our Ambassador?”“In good hands,” Aragorn replies.With pleasantries over, Kíli’s mother Dís is the first to speak up. “How long have you known my son?”Aragorn has to count the years in his head. The number he comes to shocks him: “Twenty years.”It takes a moment for that to sink in for all of them.“How?” Kíli older brother, Fíli, asks. Aragorn can see him trying to work it out in his head.“Legolas was training me in archery near the Blue Mountains,” Aragorn says. “You can probably figure out the rest.”Frustration blooms on some of their expressions. Aragorn does not bend, though; he’ll tell them what they ask, and no more than that.“Their…romantic relationship,” Thorin asks tentatively, “when did it start?”Aragorn has to think about the timeline again. “Around fifteen years ago.”The royal family of Erebor look ready to cry. Aragorn feels sorry for them. But if Kíli didn’t trust them, even after the war, there was a reason.Or at least he hopes there’s a reason.The hobbit speaks next. “I know that dwarrow have Ones. The reason it took so long for Thorin and I to get together is because hobbits do not have an equivalent of that. Was it the same for Kíli and Legolas?”Aragorn suddenly notices the matching courtship braids in Bilbo and Thorin’s hair. Kíli had told Aragorn and Legolas about dwarrow traditions, which both respectively returned with elf and men traditions. Kíli never pushed the braiding tradition on Legolas, only on the day they were wed. Aragorn had seen Legolas wear braids before, though they weren’t for any express reason. “No,” Aragorn says thoughtfully, “though elves have meleth marthannen: one destined love. They are both that to each other, though it took a while for them to realize it.”They glance warily at each other as they absorb his answer.Fíli then asks, “how long have they been married?”“Nine years,” Aragorn says, “it’ll be ten years next spring.”“So they married before the quest,” Dís figures out.“Yes,” Aragorn replies.Thranduil and Thorin share a wary look. All of their minds are turning furiously, trying to understand how Kíli and Legolas hid everything so well. But Aragorn can tell they all knew the why of it, why Kíli and Legolas did what they did. The conflict between elves and dwarrow was well-documented, specifically the disagreements between Thranduil and Thorin. With all the politics and prejudices clouding their judgment, it’s no wonder they were blind to so much happening right under their noses.“Is this why Kíli wanted to become an ambassador?” Fíli follows Aragorn’s thoughts.Aragorn tilts his head to the side, considering the question. He is reminded of asking Kíli that years ago, and Kíli insisted that his choice isn’t only for Legolas, but for his own peace of mind. It is for Kíli to know he’s done all he can to repair the conflict between elves and dwarrow. Aragorn can honestly reflect that Kíli has completed that objective, and then some.“It’s not the only reason,” Aragorn says, “but it is the most important one.”The group around him all look at each other again. Aragorn supposes Kíli’s motives have been a mystery to them for years.Thorin sighs, clearly disappointed in himself. “I don’t know Legolas very well at all, but if you and Kíli are both going through all this trouble to protect him, he must be more than worth it.”Thorin detected Aragorn’s carefully-phrased answers and drew the correct conclusion for himself. “Legolas is like an older brother to me,” Aragorn says, “and one day, he’ll be a magnificent king. You should talk to him when he awakens. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he rises from his seat, “I need to make the last of my palace rounds before supper.”“Of course,” Thranduil inclines his head, “thank you for speaking with us.”Aragorn takes it as a dismissal. He overhears Thranduil mention rooms for the wizard, hobbit, and dwarrow to stay in, and he exits the atrium.~9 Years EarlierLegolas enters the wintry forest on the outskirts of Laketown. It is nightfall, so his work for the day is over. It took a considerably long time to shake Tauriel so she wouldn’t follow him. He finds a quiet spot not far from the tree line. He sits on the thin yet firm layer of snow and crosses his legs over one another. He straightens his posture and folds his hands in his lap.Closing his eyes and breathing slowly, he hones in on Kíli. Everything about the past day had been Legolas’s worst nightmare. He narrowly saved Kíli from being killed by orcs way too many times for his liking, starting with Kíli getting a leg injury and ending with Kíli half-dead on the battlefield after receiving several stab wounds.So yeah, today hasn’t been the best day.Legolas uses his mind and his magic to see Kíli. He was currently being patched up by multiple healers in a medical tent outside the gates of Erebor. Kíli’s brother and uncle were worse off, but for Kíli’s sake, Legolas hopes that they live.Since Kíli was comatose, Legolas can enter his consciousness with little issue. He can even feel a part of Kíli’s mind beckoning him closer, which he supposes is the only possible form of consent he’ll receive for what he’s doing under the circumstances. Kíli’s mind is a box of ice. His consciousness is trapped atop a frozen lake, not dissimilar to the one where Bilbo was found cradling Thorin. It chills Legolas to the bone instantly. His form is splayed out on the thick ice. His skin is turning blue, holes of red seeping through his dark clothes. He isn’t responsive, eyes closed and breaths prolonged.Legolas kneels, heart in his throat. “Kíli.” His shaking palm cups a stubbled cheek, thumb brushing the corner of his mouth. “Yâsûn.”Kíli’s eyes snap open at the Khuzdul, mouth exhaling harsh gasps. It takes a moment for his gaze to travel from Legolas’s cloak to his face.“Yâsûn,” Kíli exhales, “what are you-”“I’m in your mind,” Legolas murmurs, as if the tone would make it less shocking; it doesn’t, because Kíli’s eyes widen. “You’re unconscious in a medical tent.”Kíli’s eyes flicker around him, registering the news. He fidgets beneath Legolas’s gaze, holding a breath and releasing it. “I’m. So cold. And tired.”Tears spring up in Legolas’s eyes. This is exactly how beings look right before they die. He wants to plead, plead and scream and beg, but he could do no such thing. This is Kíli’s choice.“You can go,” Legolas forces himself to say, choking on the last word, “but you can stay too.”Kíli suddenly seems to understand the decision he has to make. “Legolas-”“You can,” Legolas feels tears slide down his cheeks, “either way, it’s okay. Gi melin. Forever.”Kíli takes a long breath, tears dripping out of the corner of his eyes silently. “Menu tessu.”‘You mean everything to me.’A fresh set of tears begin to fall. He closes his eyes to spare himself the sight of his husband letting go.But then, light shines on his eyelids. Confused, Legolas swipes away the wetness and opens his eyes. Sunlight is shining on the ice. Faint, but there.He looks at Kíli. The blue of his skin fades by the second. His dark eyes, losing their spark a moment earlier, are brighter than ever.Kíli does his Greenleaf grin. “Kidhuzurâl, I will fight for you.”Legolas’s lips part in surprise. Kíli sits up as if he were never hurt, gathering Legolas into a hug. Legolas gathers the dwarrow in his lap, clinging to him like he’ll disappear.When Legolas finally leaves Kili’s consciousness and awakens in the bare forest, he doesn’t feel the cold at all.~The atrium in the moonlight is utterly breathtaking. The plants and flowers take on a blue glow from the glass ceiling, mysterious yet comforting at the same time.Kíli is led inside by Lady Arwen. She locks her elbow alongside his, gliding with a steadying presence. Aragorn had chosen well for a future wife. He had gotten to know her and Lady Galadriel these past hours, and once he got past their ethereal glows, they are just as likable and caring as his husband.Arwen also has a wicked sense of humor.They reach the middle of the atrium. Legolas lies comatose on a cot. Galadriel had already begun to set up the ritual, flaming lamps placed far enough away from Legolas and the plants. Galadriel’s medicines are in arm’s reach if she needs them quickly.Galadriel smiles at his arrival, setting him at ease. “Go ahead and kneel by Legolas. I’m about to begin the recitation.”Uncertainty wells up in Kíli; he wishes Aragorn was here to witness this, but the elves were clear about having as few obtrusive presences as possible to concentrate. Arwen senses Kíli’s pause, and squeezes his arm before letting go of his elbow. She pulls off the Evenstar chain from around her neck. The conduit of light is given to him easily. Kíli closes his palm around the necklace before slipping it around his head.The beacon is not a weight, necessarily, but Kíli is hyper-aware of its importance, and all of that importance is around his neck and pressed against his heart. He has a responsibility, now.Arwen sends him a smile of encouragement before taking her place alongside Galadriel. Both elves read from a healing tome.As directed, Kíli kneels beside Legolas’s cot. The Sindarin recitation is a pleasant melody. Kíli is too focused on Legolas to register the words, despite being fluent in the language.Once the books are closed, the flames from the faraway lamps rise in heat, then turn blue. Something is happening, and that’s better than nothing.The glow of the Evenstar around his neck increases. This is Kíli’s cue. He studies his husband’s dim profile and reaches out. He breathes and shuts his eyes.As soon as his hand touches Legolas’s, he is thrown into a hurricane. His mind spins like he’s been kicked from his horse while riding at full speed. It takes a long couple seconds for his mind to crash to a standstill.Mahal, no wonder Galadriel told him to close his eyes.Kíli’s consciousness adjusts to the transition. He feels like he’s opening his eyes, but he isn’t, only in his mind.His vision is assaulted by green. When he makes out the familiar trees and grass, Kíli almost falls to the ground and weeps.He is outside the Blue Mountains. He is in the clearing, their archery clearing.Their home.Kíli finds their tree in the center of it all, the target tacked proudly on the thick trunk. There were so many divots made by arrowheads on it that Kíli found himself smiling at the memories flooding him.But then a cloud passes over the sun, a shadow encompassing the space, and Kíli is reminded of why he’s here.Since most of Kíli’s vision is covered by trees, he continues forward. More and more clouds arrive to shade the sun in the sky. It becomes as dark as dusk. It deeply unsettles Kíli.This is Legolas’s mind. This is how Legolas felt when he saved Kíli from the ice all those years ago. Kíli isn’t sure which scenario is worse.He rounds the archery tree. And there, laying comatose at the roots of the trunk, is Legolas.He wears the green cloak and Durin’s braids that Kíli gave him on their wedding day. If Legolas weren’t so pale and silent, he would be as effortlessly beautiful as always. It takes all of Kíli’s willpower not to break down crying. He has a job to do. He has to save his husband.Kíli crouches beside Legolas’s prone form. He holds Legolas’s cold cheek in his palm. He clears his throat and switches to Sindarin: “Herven.”Legolas’s lashes twitch, but he does not awaken.Kíli continues in Sindarin: “Nin meleth.”A burst of sunshine plays about Legolas’s face. Kíli takes it as a sign.“Gi melin,” Kíli says. His lips part. A tiny breath comes out. Blonde lashes flutter.When Legolas opens his eyes, Kíli almost sobs then and there. He settles for grinning so wide that his face hurts, laughing in relief. “There’s my meleth marthannen.”For someone who has been asleep for days, Legolas is quick to adjust to his environment and circumstances. “You’re. You’re in my mind.” His eyes skate across Kíli’s face in awe. “H-How?”Kíli winks. “A dwarrow needs to have his secrets. Speaking of myself,” he shifts so that both hands cup Legolas’s face, “I will not see you fade, melhekhel. You gave me the choice all those years ago, but I refuse to give you the same choice, because I’m a shamelessly selfish dwarrow.”Legolas sends him a wobbly smile, a rare chuckle escaping his lips. “I wouldn’t dare defy you, amrâlimê.”“Good,” Kíli says evenly, “now wake up for me.”Legolas nods with determination. Kíli removes his hands from warming cheeks.His mind is spinning, then, and Kíli closes his eyes. He feels the earth shift around him, and his mind exits his husband’s carefully.When Kíli opens his eyes again, he is watching Legolas’s lashes flutter from his cot in the atrium. Galadriel and Arwen gasp as Legolas looks at Kíli for a moment.And as Legolas falls back asleep, this time from mere exhaustion, Kíli feels lighter than he has in a long time.~8 Years EarlierTauriel’s words echo in Legolas’s head, even hours after the fact: ‘What’s going on with you and Kíli?’And so began one of the most painful conversations of Legolas’s life. He would rather get tortured by an orc than remember it, but it’s all he can think about. Legolas had to tell Tauriel the truth. There was no skirting around it, not after seeing her so determined. There was no stopping her when she wanted to know something.She’s Captain of the Guard. Legolas considered her a good companion where business regarding the kingdom was concerned. She held her own when a pack of orcs attacked her on the battlefield. And she won with hardly a scratch on her.Obviously, meditating behind the empty supply tent in the Erebor encampment wasn’t going to help. Suddenly, his magic alerts him to a shift in the air.Kíli. His entire being knows that it’s Kíli.Legolas hadn’t seen Kíli in the flesh for three full moons now; he stopped counting the days, for it drove him to melancholia. Being so close to his medical tent, yet so far away from checking up on his husband, should he face incessant questions from King Thorin and Prince Fíli, made him ache. He distracted himself by keeping busy, helping dwarrow and men like the rest of the elves posted here, but at night, his mind caved in on itself, and all he could think about was Kíli. He entered Kíli’s dreams, once, and Kíli was happy to see him, though the effort drained his magic afterwards. And since he vowed he would take care of himself, he hadn’t attempted it again.Legolas picks up on the sound of footsteps. He is hidden behind a massive tent at the tree line, which was just beginning to transition from winter to spring, so the only way he could be found is if someone knew exactly where to look.His magic and body responds to Kíli before seeing him. His hairs stand on end in anticipation.After a long pause, Kíli enters the small space Legolas cultivated for himself. He wears white clothing, the neckline exposing his clavicle and chest hair. His hair isn’t braided, flowing free at his shoulders. His stubble is thicker than usual, matching his lovely eyes.He shines as he smiles. “What’s a dwarrow have to do to kiss his husband?”Legolas flushes to the tips of his ears. Kíli laughs and drops to a sitting position like him; Legolas notes his injured leg has a slight limp.Unable to help himself, Legolas transfers Kíli to his lap. Kíli smiles wider, eyes sparkling more than Gandalf’s celebration fireworks.Kíli leans in, and Legolas meets him in the middle. He cradles Kíli’s face as they kiss, slow and soft, yet firm and fiery. Legolas delights in the softness of Kíli’s hair and stubble between his fingers. Kíli responds with eagerness, hands smoothing over Legolas’s chest. Their hearts thrum with a song.It is several moments before they break away to breathe. Even then, Kíli does not leave his lap.“Mm,” Kíli’s eyes rove over his face, “we still got it, don’t we?”Legolas blushes deeper, heat coloring his skin. “I wish I could’ve-”“Stop,” Kíli murmurs, placing a finger on Legolas’s lips, “I know you couldn’t visit me. I’m happy you’re here. What have you been doing?”Legolas’s dilemma crashes back into his mind. Astute as always, Kíli arches a brow.“Legolas,” Kíli says, “what is it?”“Tauriel knows about us,” Legolas blurts, “and no, I don’t know how she figured it out.”Kíli is silent for a moment, searching his face. Then, he inhales and exhales through his nose.“Well,” he says, “there’s nothing we can do about it now. Will she keep it quiet?”Legolas is surprised Kíli is so understanding. He bobs his head. “She’s not the gossiping type.”“Right, then,” Kíli continues, “now how are you? And be honest.”Since he cannot hide anything from his husband, Legolas sends him a somber expression. “I’ve been better.”“Yeah,” Kíli nods, “me too.”“How’s your leg?” Legolas asks concernedly.“I’ll have a limp for a while,” Kíli says, “it could have been way worse.”“Mm,” Legolas brushes hair behind one of Kíli’s ears absently, “I thank the Valar for small miracles.”“Speaking of miracles,” Kíli murmurs, “my uncle wants to make amends with your father. Or at least develop a relationship for trading purposes.”They rarely talk about politics or mention the tension between their races. This, though, is exceptionally important, and could open a door for them to discuss their relationship freely.Legolas arches a brow in surprise. “My father hasn’t returned to Mirkwood, so there’s time yet for this to happen.”“That’s good news,” Kíli says, “my uncle is finally in the last stages of recovery and can receive guests. My brother can supervise as well.”Without Legolas having to ask, Kíli let him know his family was doing better, and that he in turn would be alright too.Legolas remembers that Kíli sought him out, and must have for a specific reason. “Why did you choose to come out here now?”“Besides wanting to kiss you and finally being able to walk, you mean?” Kíli teases.He only takes that joking tone when he’s avoiding something. Legolas narrows his eyes. Kíli inclines his head in defeat.“So, husband of mine,” Kíli wraps his arms around Legolas’s neck, his fingers tangling in Legolas’s flowing hair to keep from meeting his gaze, “I need your advice on something important.”“Aye?” Legolas shifts his legs to better encompass the dwarrow in his embrace. “And what is it?”Kíli clears his throat nervously, an unusual occurrence for him. “Well,” his eyes flicker up and down, “there’s been a lot of talk amongst my kin about my future. I’m a spare prince, which means I’m not obligated to-”“You aren’t a spare anyone,” Legolas says firmly.“Right,” Kíli flushes, looking at his face fully, “I know. But, um. I’m not my brother,” he continues where he left off, “and since I’m not first in line for the throne, I’m not obligated to be by my uncle’s side ruling Erebor every day. So, I have a choice to serve my uncle’s crown in other ways. And one of those ways,” he worries his lip, “one of those ways is to be an ambassador.”When he says the word, Legolas can visualize what Kíli would become in that path. He may not have future sight, or at least that power hasn’t manifested itself yet, but Legolas can see Kíli in that role so clearly it shocks him.“I would be a dwarrow diplomat assigned to help smooth over Erebor’s relationship with the elven clans,” Kíli continues, a little uncertain by Legolas’s lack of a reaction, “specifically Erebor’s relationship with Mirkwood. I-I was thinking about-”“Yes,” Legolas says.Kíli’s mouth freezes mid-speech. “Y-yeah?”Legolas nods once. “Yes. But don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself.”Kíli’s eyes glisten as one side of his mouth quirks upwards. “It’s what I want. I want to learn more about your people, and maybe even investigate mine. There has to be a way to strike a balance.”And that curiosity, that passion, has Legolas smiling with pride for his husband. “You’ll remake all of Middle Earth, amrâlimê, and I’ll love watching you do it.”Kíli’s grin is the last thing Legolas sees before he is being kissed again.~Kíli awakens in a cot he had no memory of falling asleep in the previous night. He registers blank walls and another cot in the room. Plants are potted and strewn around, providing color to the nondescript space. He rubs his eyes, turning over on his back. In his disorientation, he focuses on a pot of water lilies. He is reminded of his request to Aragorn, and he looks eagerly over at the other cot.Legolas is still asleep, but definitely not comatose. His demeanor isn’t as taut.What Kíli did worked. It’s a relief that washes over him anew.After studying his husband’s profile for a moment, he slips out of bed. He’s in the same loose clothing as last night, though his boots had been removed and placed at the end of the cot. His belongings, complete with a set of his Durin’s blue ambassador robes, were left in a chair by the corner. If Kíli had to guess, it was either Aragorn or Tauriel’s doing, and he’s grateful for it.Kíli stretches, washes, and changes in an adjacent room. He assumes he is either terribly early or terribly late for breakfast, but he doesn’t mind missing a meal either way. He decides to take his time, braiding the front sections of his hair and using handmade clasps to secure them. Even though he remained clumsy with metalwork, he was proud nonetheless that his tree designs had improved since he gifted some to Legolas on their wedding day. Legolas wore his old ones on occasion despite their messiness, and what happened in the confines of their house after Kíli saw him adorned in ornamental braids was no one’s business but their own.After emerging fully dressed in ambassador garb, Kíli puts away his belongings and studies Legolas for a moment. The potted plants are indeed helping; if Kíli focuses on their shared magic, he feels life thrumming through the room and through Legolas. Interconnected and cyclical. Legolas’s face looked calm, as if he would open his eyes at any moment and perk up at Kíli’s attention.Kíli hears footsteps approaching the room. He clears his throat and turns just as Aragorn enters the archway.“Ah,” Aragorn smiles through a cloud of visible exhaustion, advancing towards him, “how are you, Kíli?”Aragorn opens his arms, and Kíli doesn’t hesitate to go into them. The two close friends hug as Kíli hums. “I’m feeling alright. How are you?”Aragorn lets out a noise of frustration. “I seem to be the bearer of news lately. Do you want the good news or the bad news?”Kíli pulls back from the man and steps away. He has to tip his head up to catch his expression. “I’ll take the good news first, then.”Aragorn looks out the window. “Your use of the Evenstar last night brought some light into these lands.”“Aye?” Kíli asks in confusion. He meanders over to the other side of the room. He peers out of the window.His vision is assaulted by gold and green. And not murky gold and green. Elven gold and elm green, slaps of vibrancy. Kíli gasps. His eyes bug out of his head. “Mahal.”The image rings like a church bell. Mirkwood isn’t Mirkwood anymore. It’s Greenwood again.Aragorn stands by him. “The fog isn’t completely gone,” he corrects Kíli’s thoughts, “but it’s receded and thinned out.”Kíli lets the image of a gorgeous golden palace and magnificent greenery sink in for a moment. It’s beautiful, more beautiful than Legolas described Greenwood when he was a child.And he, Kíli Durin, not an elf, but a dwarrow temporarily wearing the Evenstar, is the one who did it.He holds this shred of power in his hands, then promptly sets it free. Aragorn still has news to share. Bad news.He frowns a little, furrowing his brows. “Legolas is on the mend. What bad news could there be?”Crystal blue eyes fall to the floor. There is a long pause as Aragorn considers it. Since Kíli rarely saw this look on his face, it must be something really bad.Inhaling through his nose, Aragorn exhales, “your kin are here. They found the letter, and they know everything.”It doesn’t comprehend for a very, very long time. Kíli just looks at Aragorn, looks at his saddened expression, and lets the words turn over and over and over in his head. ‘Your kin are here.’‘They found the letter.’‘They know everything.’He reorders the sentences. Read them in reverse. He digests each one like he’s chewing leather, forced to swallow down poison.He wouldn’t say it was a nightmare, exactly. Maybe not a nightmare, but it definitely wasn’t a happy dream. It was never Kíli’s intention to keep his marriage from his family. He meant to tell them after Erebor had been reclaimed. But Uncle Thorin and King Thranduil’s peace talks went stagnant. Kíli helped bridge that gap, informing Thranduil on misunderstandings with Uncle Thorin, but there was only so much he could do. By that point, it was better if the two rulers stayed apart and spoke through their proxy: Kíli. It became clear that the differences between the dwarrow and elf king could not be fully erased, effectively shattering the illusion Kíli made for himself that they would all be one big happy family. After his dream had been crushed, Kíli decided it was best, as did Legolas, that their marriage remain a secret from the royal families. It was not out of shame, or for lack of trying, but because their love didn’t deserve to be warped into something ugly and political. Now, though, in his haste and oversight, Kíli had foolishly left Aragorn’s letter as evidence for his family to find. They knew everything; the letter was laughably incriminating.He could only imagine what’s happening now that this knowledge is out in the open. It terrifies him. And it shouldn’t. He loves his family. This just felt…like a violation of privacy. It shouldn’t, but it does. Oh, Kíli’s head is starting to hurt. He drops down to the empty cot, suddenly too tired to stand.They know everything. Everything. And his excuse for keeping it quiet won’t be enough for them.“I’m sorry, my friend,” Aragorn mumbles from above him, “I should have done something before it got this far.”Kíli huffs and looks up at a remorseful Aragorn. “There’s nothing you could have done. Don’t blame yourself, please. This was on me.”Aragorn instantly looks ready to dispute his claim. Kíli forces himself to observe Legolas on the cot across from him to avoid the empty comfort. He had no idea how Legolas would react to the news, but as was common for Legolas, he would probably mask his true feelings from Kíli until he had time alone to figure it out. They vowed after the war that they wouldn’t spare each other’s feelings to make the other one happy, but that vow still remained difficult for Legolas to fulfill.Kíli sorts out his emotions and takes a deep breath. He rises from the cot to address Aragorn. “How long have they been here?”Aragorn hesitates again, though answers honestly, “since before the ritual last night.”Kíli could have confronted them before the ritual, but the idea is foolish. It’s good that he hadn’t known that an entire army of dwarrow and a hobbit were wandering Thranduil’s Halls. What it means, though, is that he had to be cautious from this point forward. He couldn’t avoid them forever, and to that end, he had to face them sooner rather than later. And he’s sure Gandalf and Thranduil are thrown into that mix as well.Kíli aches for his husband. The selfish part of him wishes Legolas were lucid for when he confronted them, there to sit next to him and provide steadying support. But the protector part of him is glad that Legolas isn’t awake, and didn’t have to see the scene he caused. Legolas was often the one protecting Kíli, and once that stopped, it had to be Kíli’s turn to do the same. Mahal, his protector instinct wins.He asks Aragorn, “where are they now?”Aragorn sends him a wary look with an ‘are you sure?’ Kíli nods once. He is sure.The man replies, “in the dining hall, where lunch is being served.”Kíli rounds the cot and walks away. When he reaches the archway, Aragorn says, “good luck.”Kíli pauses, sends a “thanks” back, and leaves the sickroom. He’ll need more than luck to get through this encounter.~7 Years EarlierLegolas enters the throne room in full regalia, his mask firmly in place. He approaches his father in an even stride, his expression inscrutable. His curiosity at why he was called here was clawing at him, but he wouldn’t let it show.His father looks up at him, examining his blindingly gold ceremonial armor critically. His gaze sweeps him up and down, pausing at the lack of hair ornaments, though he says nothing against it.He inclines his head. “You just need your crown, and you’ll be a proper prince.”Legolas’s nostrils flare, but he holds his breath to prevent from being caught.His father rises from his throne with no preamble and walks over to the pedestals. King Thranduil’s crowns rested there, which he rarely used in favor of his antlers. He regards each of them, until finding a circlet adorned with sapphires. The gems gleam harshly against the gold. It hurts Legolas’s eyes.His father chooses this crown and carries it over to Legolas carefully. He bows so that his father can place it on his head.When Legolas raises his eyes and stands at his full height, King Thranduil is smiling impishly. “Good. Tell me: have you spoken with the dwarrow ambassador before?”Legolas’s heart quickens. “Yes, Father.”“What do you make of him?” He studies Legolas for any hint of an answer. While Kíli had been a guest ambassador at Mirkwood several times now, this is the first time he would meet directly with King Thranduil. Legolas hadn’t had much alone time with Kíli in the past months to gauge his husband’s feelings on the matter, though he expected this would be the case until Kíli secured the trust of the Mirkwood elves. While his gift had been to give back the starlight diamonds that used to belong to Legolas’s mother, there was still work to be done. From what Legolas had seen, his husband is doing a magnificent job in the most stressful of situations, possessing a likable wit that no one can deny.Legolas answers slowly, “Ambassador Kíli Durin is not what I expected, and I mean that in the best possible way. He genuinely cares about mending the relationship between our races.”He could go on, but he leaves it at that, should his breath catch and he delve into the poetics of what makes his meleth marthannen so incredible.King Thranduil regards his reply for a moment and hums. “Perhaps there is hope for the dwarrow of Erebor yet.” He changes his tone. “I need you to greet the ambassador at the gates and escort him to me. He will be there at any moment.”“Yes, Father.” Legolas stamps down his hope at seeing Kíli again and turns away from his father’s scrutiny. He exits the throne room and walks to the stables. He finds his horse and rides away from the palace with great haste. The fog leeches at his pores, threatening to yank him under, but he does not listen. Kíli is near, and Legolas feels their shared magic expanding at the rapidly-closing distance between them.The fog parts as Legolas sets eyes on Kíli. He is alone on his horse, just approaching the gates of Mirkwood. Kíli startles at his sudden arrival, sending Legolas a grin.“Well,” Kíli says, “this is a surprise.”Kíli is dressed more formally than usual. His deep blue clothing is padded with silver pauldrons, and his hair is braided into a plait adorned with ribbons. His features are on full display, and they’re some fine features.Legolas’s look of appreciation is mirrored by Kíli. He flushes on instinct, covering it up by opening the gate.Once Kíli and his horse are inside, he says, “I couldn’t ask for a more handsome escort.”Legolas can’t bring himself to smile. He isn’t permitted in the meeting room when his father confrontes Kíli. The thought of all the terrible things that can go wrong stages a theatrical production in his head.“Hey.”A hand reaches out between their horses. Legolas shyly takes it and squeezes for a moment.“I’ll be okay,” Kíli assures him. “He’s not the scariest person I’ve had to face.”The image of Kíli staring down defiantly at a very vicious orc has Legolas smirking in bemusement. Only Kíli Durin would do such a thing and make it out alive.Legolas then lets go of Kíli’s hand and jerks on the reins of his horse. Kíli does the same so that they ride down the path side-by-side. The fog sticks to Legolas’s skin unpleasantly, the toxins seeping into his vulnerable magic. He couldn’t stay outside long. By stretching his magic with Kíli across distances and awaiting the time when his magic would destabilize followed by maturity, his abilities are thinning out. He would crash one day if he isn’t careful, and he’s trying his best to manage his shifts in magic.Kíli doesn’t make conversation for a long few minutes. When he does, it’s as the palace is falling into range. “We haven’t talked much lately, have we?” Legolas shakes his head dimly. “We’ve both been under a lot of pressure.”The horses clack against the path as it changes from dirt to cobblestone. Elven archers note their presence on the outskirts and do not fire.“We should talk,” Kíli says, “after my meeting with your father.”The sentence is vague enough to cause trepidation to fester in Legolas’s gut. Talking that didn’t give way to teasing was neither of their strong suits, and what rare serious conversations they did have led to negative emotions bleeding out onto the floor. Legolas wasn’t exactly excited for it, but a deep part of him knew that Kíli was right. They hadn’t talked much since they got married, and when they did, there was an underlying tension due to the politics they were both fully embroiled in as princes. They had to address everything that’s happened to them, separately and together, if they were to move forward.Legolas nods heavily. “I’ll set it up while you’re in the meeting.”Kíli doesn’t ask for clarification on what he means, and simply says, “okay.”They reach the palace. Legolas and Kíli dismount their horses. Elves come to take their steeds to the stables. Elven guards let them inside the castle. When they reach the throne room, Legolas sends Kíli one last glance of encouragement before opening the doors. The room envelops Kíli, and the doors shut with ceremony. Legolas sighs and walks to his bedroom. He tidies up for a bit and ensures any conversation they might have wouldn’t be overheard by nosy elves. After quite some time, Legolas senses Kíli is finally out of the throne room. He returns to the doors and escorts Kíli to the bedroom; they both had time until supper was served. Kíli does not speak as elven guards eye them. They are both uneasy. When they are secured at last in Legolas’s room, he watches Kíli survey it. Legolas never had any guests in his room. Kíli wanders about the small space, frowning at the lack of personal objects besides archery weapons and clothes. He does, though, spend a beat looking at the beads he gifted Legolas on their wedding day.Kíli finally turns to regard Legolas, a tiredness in his expression that makes him look much older than usual. “Well, hi.”Legolas smiles sadly, removing his crown and placing it on an end table absently. “Hi.”“How are you?” Something implicit in the way Kíli asks is requesting honesty. Kíli never asked this of Legolas, but he exhales in relief at the chance.“Bad,” Legolas answers without hesitation.To his shock, Kíli’s eyes sparkled in the way they used to when he shot several bullseyes in a row. “Elaborate.”The permission to speak freely is gladly seized. “This place is making me sicker by the minute. I want to scratch my skin off from the toxins outside. And my father is driving me absolutely mad with his ‘be a good prince or I won’t let you leave’ shit.” Legolas sighs. “And that’s not even getting into the fact that I miss my husband. Very much. How are you?”Kíli closes the distance between them, but still leaves plenty of space. He tilts his head up. “I’m doing bad too. My family is trying to strong-arm me into staying at Erebor permanently, just when I’m making real progress here. They keep asking me to explain why I’ve made this choice, and since I never know what to say, they won’t let it go. They’re making me want to jump off the damn mountain and run away to the elves. Well, to you, really. And yeah, I miss my husband too.” They pause for a moment, just looking at each other. Kíli smiles, suddenly, and Legolas can’t help but mirror him.“Now, doesn’t that feel nice?” Kíli asks. “Because I feel better already.”A weight that Legolas didn’t know was in his chest releases. He smiles wider. “Yeah.”“Let’s keep going,” Kíli says giddily.Kíli motions them to sit on the bed, and Legolas follows to the bedside. Legolas unclasps some of his ornamental wear to remain comfortable. He arches towards Kíli’s every reaction.“So,” Kíli continues, “when I went running off on a quest with my kin, how did it make you feel?”Legolas pauses. Kíli puts a hand on his leg.“Be honest,” Kíli sounds out, no-nonsense in his tone.Legolas fumbles through his past emotions and replies, “I was very proud of you, but I was also sad that we’d never get to be how we were before. That last part is me being selfish.”Kíli chuckles. “It’s not selfish at all. You wanna know something selfish about dwarrow?”He nods eagerly.“When we find our One,” Kíli says, “we feel a natural need to possess them. The braiding rituals are about staking a public claim, showing off the other person. That can get ugly very quickly, and I’ve seen it get ugly, and that’s when I realized possession, this natural need that I have to possess you, is ugly. I fight that ugliness every day, or at least every time I see you and someone looks at you funny because my dwarrow brain decided to interpret that as someone challenging my claim to you. I know that elves have to be free, have to roam to be happy, and I fight every day not to get in the way of that.”When he stops talking, Legolas processes the information. “You’ve been hiding this from me because you didn’t want me to feel bad about having to leave you all the time, right?”Kíli nods.Legolas sighs. “I’m sorry. I should have asked you how you felt earlier.”“We’re doing it now,” Kíli says, “and we won’t spare each other’s feelings now, right?”“Right,” Legolas agrees, “we’ll just be honest.” He adjusts his position on the bed so better face Kíli. “How did you feel about me always leaving you?”“I hated it,” Kíli replies, “I wanted you to stay with me, but I knew it was wrong of me. I never wanted you to feel caged, like you are here.” He crosses one leg over the other after a pause. “During the battle of the five armies, did you think I was gonna die?”“Yeah,” Legolas’s breath catches, Kíli observing the influx of raw emotions, “yeah, I thought you would leave me. I didn’t blame you for it, though. You were losing a lot of blood, and that’s not exactly something you could control.”Kíli recognizes that he strikes a chord. It is something Legolas doesn’t like to reflect on, and as a result, it felt like just yesterday he was watching Kíli lose consciousness.“I don’t think you know how much I appreciated when you did that,” Kíli murmurs, “you, just willing to let me go. You made me realize that’s what love is, you know. Letting go, and trusting that you’ll come back to me. You’ve always stayed true to that, and I plan on doing the same.”A warmth fills Legolas for the first time in a long time. The fog of Mirkwood that makes his skin cold and humid disappears at last, the sunlight peeking through the mist.Kíli says, “we should swap war stories. We’re already here, right?”Legolas’s tentative smile smooths into a thin line. “There isn’t too much to tell on my side. Not until you showed up in Mirkwood.”Kíli urges Legolas to continue with his eyes.“I felt you enter the fog,” Legolas says, “but I struggled to locate you. I had Tauriel at my back, so that slowed me down considerably. I did get there in the end, though, and helped the hobbit free you all from the spider silk.”“Bilbo,” Kíli supplies.“Yes,” Legolas confirms, “Bilbo is much stronger than he looks.”“That he is,” Kíli smiles fondly, “I think he’s the reason my uncle allows me to be so open with the elves.”Legolas furrows his brows in confusion.“Oh,” Kíli blinks, “Bilbo is my Uncle Thorin’s One.”Legolas cannot help his shocked response. Kíli laughs in understanding. “They’re taking baby steps, but yeah, Bilbo is making my uncle see other races in a more positive light.” He clears his throat. “Anyway, continue. You found me in the spider cave.”“Right,” Legolas shakes his head to regain his thoughts, “I was pressured by the other elves to go along with the dwarrow being tied up. You were locked away, and I tried my best to stage your escape. With Tauriel and my father breathing down my neck, I didn’t have much maneuverability. Bilbo had it handled, though.”Kíli smirks. Legolas did have to admit that the image of dwarrow riding downstream in barrels is still amusing.“All I had to do, then,” Legolas says, “was focus on the orcs, not your escape. The other elves followed my lead, as I expected they would. After you were gone, I knew it wouldn’t take long for you to get in trouble, so I convinced Tauriel, my shadow, that we should follow you. It seemed my intuition was right.”Kíli winks. “You love me.”Legolas smiles easily. “I do.”They match grins for a moment. The brevity of the situation, though, brings Legolas down from his high quickly. “I killed the orcs coming after you and healed you as best as I could without arousing suspicion. And without overusing my magic.” Legolas inhales through his nose, then exhales. “Next thing I knew, I was watching our kin fight on the battlefield. I mostly focused on the orcs, though, and sending arrows over to you.”“The teamwork and help was appreciated,” Kíli says. “It reminded me how great we are together.”Legolas pictures their clearing in the Blue Mountains, sees the dapples of sunlight on Kíli’s carefree face, hears the force of Kíli’s delighted laugh when he outshot Aragorn in archery, feels Kíli’s breath right before they kissed on lazy afternoons by the brook. Legolas looks away from Kíli for a couple beats until he regains himself.“Then,” Legolas looks back at his husband, “I saw you fall. Saw you dying, felt you dying. I couldn’t make it to you in time, but another dwarrow was able to bring you to safety. Once you were away, I fought like hell until all the orcs were dead. Afterwards, I couldn’t get to you, there were too many dwarrow in your medical tent, so I used my magic to check on you. They were the loneliest weeks of my life, and unfortunately, my guard was down enough for Tauriel to figure out my relationship to you. And since then, it’s been,” Legolas worries his lips, then sighs, “it’s been weird.”Kíli doesn’t press him for more information. Legolas feels exhausted, anyway, and thinks he needs a couple minutes to recharge.Filling up the silence, Kíli goes into extensive detail about his journey from the Blue Mountains to Erebor. Legolas tries not to worry about the scenes of peril he describes, because Kíli is right here and alive and brighter than ever. Legolas doesn’t interrupt once.When Kíli is finished recounting the tale, Legolas says, “well that was…a lot.”Kíli snickers. “I’m glad you weren’t there for half of it. You wouldn’t have taken it very well, especially with the warg using me as a chew-toy. But it’s okay, really. I learned a lot on my own, and your magic made it feel like a part of you was there the whole time.”Legolas arches a brow. “Are you being honest about being okay with it?”Kíli shrugs. “There wasn’t really an alternative, so yeah. We’re both making the best of what we’ve got, right?”He can’t refute it. He bobs his head.“Now, then,” Kíli looks shy, “I’ve been reading a lot about elves for my studies, and I have to ask about something.”“Okay?” Legolas’s interest is piqued. Kíli was notoriously fascinated by other races, and often questioned him and Aragorn about the customs of elves and men, respectively. That inquisitiveness remains, whetted by Kíli’s burgeoning career. Kíli’s fascination with old books, though, is a newer development. “None of the books I’ve read on elves talk about sex,” Kíli says bluntly.Legolas blinks.“How does sexuality and sex work for elves?” Kíli asks, eyes wide with genuine curiosity.As he processes the question, Legolas fiddles with his armor plates. He looks away to hide a flush, then clears his throat to get his mind to stay calm.“Well,” Legolas says carefully, “I’ve got the same anatomy as you, so I’m sure sex is the same.”“Okay,” Kíli seems befuddled by Legolas’s reaction, “and what about sexuality?”Legolas’s eyes drop and rise back to Kíli’s face in a flit of unease. “Elves of royal blood don’t discuss these things openly.”“Oh,” Kíli is visibly shocked, “there’s a way our cultures are different, then.”A part of Legolas figured that. Kíli’s demeanor was confident and open, whereas Legolas was taught as a prince to be reserved. Kíli expressed himself so easily, while it took Legolas longer to sort out his thoughts.“I can say,” Legolas tries, since Kíli deserved to know, “well, that elves are either bisexual or asexual. They either love frivolously, regardless of their meleth marthannen, or they prioritize a more…companionable love. A love that doesn’t require sex to be fulfilling.” After this hurried explanation, Legolas casts his gaze to his lap and bites the inside corner of his mouth.“Huh,” Kíli says, “dwarrow are similar, though there are also dwarrow who only lay with males, since there are fewer females.” A beat. “I’m assuming you’re the latter, asexual, right?”Legolas flickers his eyes upwards and nods once. Kíli’s answering smile comforts him.“That’s perfectly okay,” Kíli assures him. “Just because I think about you sexually doesn’t mean I’m going to make you do anything you don’t want to.”Releasing the bitten corner of his mouth, Legolas is overcome with relief. He refuses to let it show, though; he trusts his husband implicitly, and doesn’t want him to misinterpret anything. “Thank you.” He then feels the need to clarify, “I’m not against trying sex, one day, but it’s not something that’s on my mind often.” Legolas is quickly reminded of what Kíli mentioned a moment earlier. Kíli thinks about him sexually.Impulsively, he asks, “what do you think about, when you think of me sexually?”Kíli smirks. “I don’t think you wanna know the answer to that quite yet, dearest. You clearly have to think about it more,” he winks, “and think about me.”Legolas lets out a laugh; it frees him, in an odd way, to talk about such a taboo subject amongst Mirkwood elves with his husband. And Kíli made it sound ridiculous on purpose, considering his laughter joined in on the chorus.Once their chuckles died down, Legolas observed Kíli’s mirthful eyes. He could swear there were stars in them, stars to guide him in the night sky.A hard knock jostles the couple from their positions on Legolas’s bed. Their spell of privacy is officially broken.“Hey,” Tauriel’s voice resonates through the wood, “supper will be ready soon.”Legolas shares an uncertain look with Kíli. The dwarrow shrugs. “Gotta like that she’s giving us fair warning.”He hums in reply. Legolas does not move from the bed, though, clamoring for something to say before they have to face a tense diplomatic dinner with his father.Kíli leans forward a little. “Thank you for talking with me like this. I know it isn’t easy for you.”That acknowledgement has Legolas smiling wanly at his husband. “This was nice.”“Yeah,” Kíli agrees, “it was.”They smile at each other for a couple beats. Legolas is the first to stand and readjust his decorative armor. Kíli is right behind him, smoothing out his own ambassadorial clothing.Before Legolas opens the door, Kíli snatches a hand and kisses the knuckles. Legolas barely had time to register it before Kíli dropped it and mouthed ‘I love you.’Legolas is warm from head to toe. He mouths back, ‘I love you too.’At that, Legolas opens the doors and leaves with Tauriel and Kíli.~Without overthinking, Kíli shoves himself towards the dining hall. Laughter trails from inside, causing him to pause in his walk.Were King Thranduil and his kin…laughing together?He starts forward again. He listens to them swap stories about Kíli and Legolas as children. Amad was doing the one where Kíli pranked Uncle Thorin by replacing his official signet ring with a metal engraving of a court jester. Kíli still pulled pranks with Fíli when the opportunity arose, but the brothers were both so busy with their work that it didn’t occur frequently anymore. King Thranduil told the relaxed group about a younger Legolas making trick arrows and not telling the guards when they fired them. The trick arrows would either splinter in midair or spray water on the target. Legolas told Kíli of his trick arrows back in the Blue Mountains, but neither used them in actual combat. At the time, Kíli was just impressed that Legolas had a winning rebellious streak, and found him all the more attractive for it.As a cacophony of boisterous laughter filled the dining hall, Kíli realized he couldn’t stand out here forever. He had to break up this shockingly merry gathering and do what he had to if he wanted some peace of mind.So Kíli entered the archway with a powerful posture and stride. He took in Thranduil, Thorin, Bilbo, Dís, Fíli, Gimli, Dwalin, Balin, Óin, Ori, Bofur, and Gandalf at the massive table as lunch was served. Almost everyone from the Company and the royal family of Erebor, all there for him.Gimli catches sight of him first. He gasps, eyes widening and grinning happily. “Kíli!”At the exclamation, all heads turned to the archway. Everyone falls silent at Kíli’s arrival.Kíli arches a brow, not letting his trepidation show. “Well, this is a surprise.” They could tell from his tone that it really wasn’t. He just didn’t know what to say that would adequately express his mixed emotions regarding the scene in front of him.At the silence, Kíli finds an empty seat at the other head of the table and lowers himself down. The elven servants left a salad in front of each guest at the table and departed. Kíli hadn’t eaten a full meal since he’d left Erebor, too on edge to keep anything substantial in his stomach. Now that Legolas was healing properly, though, he gave himself permission to gorge.Keeping his manners intact, he uses a utensil to stab at the salad. He focuses on King Thranduil at the other end of the table. “I apologize for my hasty entrance, Your Highness. I didn’t get a chance to greet you as usual.”Thranduil parts his mouth as if to balk, but says smoothly, “it’s perfectly understandable, Ambassador.”Kíli chews on some leaves, and, after swallowing, addresses his family. “Alright, you can go ahead and yell at me now.”“Yell at you?” Amad looks disturbed. “What are you talking about, son?”“You know,” Kíli flicks his wrist in a circular motion, “where you all say ‘oh, I’m so betrayed, how dare you hide our marriage from us, why didn’t you tell us?’ That whole thing. Go ahead. Let’s get it over with now, since we’re all here.”He could hear a hairpin drop in the quiet that follows. He looks around at them in confusion.“Seriously, go ahead,” Kíli encourages, taking some more salad, “I know it’s on all of your minds. You wanna know why. You wanna know everything, right? So ask it.”Uneasy expressions swivel from Kíli to each other. Uncle Thorin’s fallen face in particular is what has Kíli truly puzzled. Why weren’t they confronting him? Why weren’t they overreacting? It couldn’t be because Thranduil was here; his kin had no qualms about causing scenes. So, what’s stopping them now?“Brother,” Fíli’s voice is calm and smooth, “you don’t have to tell us.”“Uh,” Kíli nearly drops his utensil as his mind halts, “what?”“It’s alright, Kíli,” Uncle Thorin says, and Mahal, Kíli never thought he would hear such a warm tone from his uncle, “there’s no need to explain yourself. You found your One, you wed him, and what we say ultimately doesn’t matter, and wouldn’t have even if we did know in advance.”King Thranduil nods in affirmation, and Kíli swears that he’s dead, because there’s no way he’s ever seen the dwarrow and elf king agree so readily to anything. Mahal, he’s died, hasn’t he?“I have no objections to the union,” Thranduil confirms, looking between Kíli and Amad, “I happen to enjoy my conversations with Kíli, and have grown quite fond of him. Besides, he seems to have a lot in common with my son, if their childhood stories are anything to go by.”The dwarrow and Gandalf chuckle in remembrance.Kíli shoves his face full of vegetables. He really can’t believe this is happening, and he’s so hungry, and he has no idea what to even reply to any of this unexpected support. He drinks water.Since he’s a horrible person, he asks, “but you still wanna know, right?”Gimli, Dwalin, Balin, Óin, Ori, and Bofur can’t mask their shrugs. Bilbo takes to shooting them dirty looks, and all of the dwarrow have the wisdom to act sheepish.“It doesn’t matter,” Bilbo enunciates.At the extra confirmation, Kíli decides to test it out. He preferably wants Legolas to be awake when this conversation inevitably comes up again. It’s a waiting game to see how long it would take his kin to stay out of his business before one of them cracks. And oh, he knows one of them will crack.For now, though, Kíli drops the subject entirely and finishes his salad. Ori brings up his interest in the Mirkwood library, and the table rolls with the new topic.~6 Years EarlierAragorn rides into Mirkwood on a particularly foggy day. If it weren’t for his instincts and his horse, he wouldn’t be able to see an arm’s length away.They had been coordinating this visit via multiple ravens and letters for weeks now. He wouldn’t let bad weather stop him from seeing Legolas and Kíli for the first time in years.The last time he laid eyes on the couple, they were getting married at the archery tree in the Blue Mountains. Since then, Kíli travelled across Middle Earth, reclaimed Erebor, fought in a war, nearly died, became a fully-fledged ambassador, and established a decent political relationship between dwarrow and elves. And since Aragorn had last met with Legolas, the elven prince had been given full control over Mirkwood’s army, fought in a war, saved his husband from death with his magic without alerting anyone, and became a highly-respected elven ruler on his own merits. Letters from the pair had been as frequent as they could be with Aragorn’s Ranger travel schedule and commitment to courting Arwen. From what Aragorn can tell, Legolas and Kíli are making the best of their situation. The fog clears as he reaches a massive silhouette of the palace. He urges his horse to pick up the pace; he’s almost there.After a moment, the gold of the castle gleams, a light in the gloom. The elven guards, long since used to his presence, let him inside the palace grounds. He inclines his head to them politely.Since he entered on the western side of the palace, he has a view of the archery range. It’s later in the day, so there aren’t elves practicing with their bows and arrows. That’s exactly why they agreed it would be a good meeting place.Aragorn slows his horse’s stride as he approaches. Due to the murk, a roof had been built over the training facility some years ago. The roof’s decorative glass gleams against what little light comes through the thick fog at this hour.He rubs the horse’s neck, coming to a stop at the side entrance. He hops off the horse and finds a post to tie the reins. He secures his horse and enters the archery range.As expected, Kíli is pulling the bow taut, preparing to release an arrow. He is distracted, though, by Legolas teasing him, and the couple laugh. They are wearing the same worn clothes they used to so long ago in the Blue Mountains. If Legolas weren’t wearing thin braids with the silver-blue beads Kíli made for him, Aragorn would have thought no time had passed at all.Kíli suddenly clears his throat and focuses hard on the target. His stance stiffens, but remains loose at the shoulders. He lets the arrow fly, and it lands on the bullseye. He winks at Legolas, who rolls his eyes and blushes.Aragorn steps forward, finally catching Legolas’s attention. A massive grin breaks out on his face, which makes Kíli notice and follow his gaze. Kíli gasps and brightens, setting down his bow and quiver.“Aragorn!” Kíli exclaims, rushing over first and throwing himself at Aragorn. The man catches him and laughs, holding the dwarrow tightly. “How are you, my friend?”“‘M good,” Kíli muffles, his head leaning away from Aragorn’s chest, “the squad, back together again.”Legolas advances. Kíli steps away so that Aragorn could hug the elf. “You’ve been dearly missed,” Legolas murmurs, “how’s Arwen?”“Good,” Aragorn hides a flush, which Legolas sees and smirks at, “we’re both good.”Aragorn steps away from the taller Legolas and asks, “how is everything between you two?”Kíli shares a smile with Legolas. The elf proclaims, “we’re doing great. After all that’s happened, we’ve finally found our footing.” Kíli hums in agreement. “It’s still not ideal, all this back and forth, but it just makes me appreciate him more. And you,” he winks, “as a friend, of course.”“And oh,” Legolas remembers, “quick update: Tauriel found out about us.”Aragorn’s eyes grow wide in alarm.“But it’s fine,” Legolas assures him, “she’s kept it quiet and stays out of our business. She doesn’t even ask, which is nice.”Aragorn tries to recall Tauriel, though there is nothing in his mind that distinguishes her from any other militant elf. Considering her discretion, though, she must be one of the better elves under Legolas’s command. He simply hums and says, “I’m glad, then.”He makes a mental note to converse with Tauriel. He has to ensure she’s an ally in this situation, and won’t use the knowledge against Legolas or Kíli.“So,” Kíli gets his iconic mischievous shine in his eyes, “which archery game shall we play first?”Aragorn pushes Tauriel to the back of his mind and settles into the nostalgia of Legolas and Kíli debating over which game to choose.~‘I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew:
Of wind I sang, a wind there came, and in the branches blew.’Kíli sings along to Lady Galadriel’s song, which was being hummed by elven soldiers throughout the palace. While the female elf could create hallucinations and see the future, he isn’t worried that her song is hypnotizing them. The melody comes through the open windows and even drifts into the archery range, calm and sweet. Kíli lets loose two arrows at once towards a target, his mouth halting as he sings the lyrics:‘There long the golden leaves have grown upon the branching years,
While here beyond the Sundering Seas now fall the Even-tears.’The two arrows land side-by-side in the middle of the target. Kíli didn’t sing often, at least not in front of anyone except Legolas, but Arwen’s news had him in a happy mood. Based on Legolas’s strengthening health, Arwen predicts that Legolas will awaken by nightfall. The anticipation of seeing his husband again, being able to talk with him and look into his eyes, made Kíli giddy beyond comparison. As he loads his bow, the bow his husband crafted for him, with another arrow, he takes a long breath. The air was so fresh, so clean without the murk encroaching on the palace.‘O Lorien! Too long I have dwelt upon this Hither Shore
And in a fading crown have twined the golden elanor.’Kíli aims the arrow for an impossible shot, which is his specialty: right between the two previous arrowheads. He finishes Lady Galadriel’s song in a quieter cadence, the elements of lamentation not quite hitting home.He lets the arrow go. The feather on the end brushes his chin, as if stealing a kiss on its way forward. He watches for a long several seconds, holding his breath.With a thwack, the arrow rests exactly where he intended. Kíli lets out a whoop, laughing at himself. “That was a good shot.”Kíli whirls around in surprise. He tenses until he catches sight of Fíli at the entrance of the archery range. He promptly relaxes his posture and lowers his bow.“I didn’t know you could sing,” Fíli says, advancing towards him. The sunlight coming through the glass roof emboldens Fíli, makes him golden and regal, as he’s meant to be as a future king. “I’ve only heard you bellow to amuse others.”Kíli smiles easily at the many memories of singing horribly whilst inebriated, screeching sacred songs alongside Fíli’s out-of-tune voice. It gained plenty of laughs from Uncle Thorin and Dwalin. “Are you saying my drunken melodies aren’t the most wonderful thing you’ve ever heard, Fíli?”Fíli snickers and rolls his eyes; it reminds Kíli of how close they are, despite the whole ‘secret marriage’ factor. “They’re only eclipsed by my own gorgeous drunken melodies.”Setting down his bow and quiver, Kíli drops the pretenses and asks, “how may I help you?”The directness, so off-kilter from their easy humor, causes Fíli to lurch slightly. “I,” he blinks, “was about to ask the same of you.”Now it’s Kili’s turn to be caught off guard. They weren’t the type of brothers who had serious conversations. They enjoyed each other’s company and played off of each other’s quips to hilarious results, but he could count on one hand the amount of times a serious conversation between them lasted more than two minutes. They were perfectly heartwarming two-minute conversations, but they were never spoken of again after those two minutes of seriousness elapsed.He shrugs. “I’m alright. How are you?”Fíli sighs. “Kíli, I mean it. I wanna help you. Tell me how I can help you.”Kíli inhales through his nose. “Well,” he exhales, gaze drifting up the shining glass roof, “what would be helpful is knowing why you all suddenly had a change of heart and didn’t confront me earlier.” His eyes drop to a conflicted Fíli’s expression.Fíli stills. He looks like somebody kicked him, the same face Uncle Thorin had at lunch. But he doesn't change the subject, doesn’t back down from the serious topic.“Honestly?” Fíli says, Kíli nodding in encouragement. “Honestly, we all took a hard look at ourselves and didn’t like what we saw.”Kíli holds his breath.Fíli continues, “we all grew up hating elves just because Uncle Thorin and Amad said they betrayed our people. But since getting to know about the elves, I realize, and we all realize, that they had their own vulnerable clans to protect and simply didn’t have the resources to help us. We all lived in the Blue Mountains because there was nowhere else to go, and we barely had enough to feed ourselves. You remember what winters were like.”Kíli exhales slowly and nods numbly.“The elves may be the dominant race in Middle Earth,” Fíli says, “but that doesn’t mean they have enough to save us all. They just do what they can.” All Kíli can think about, suddenly, is Legolas. He traversed across Middle Earth to help others for no cost. He’s saved burning villages. He’s helped farmers stay alive. He’s healed the wounded to the detriment of his own magic.Oh, he loves his husband so damn much. It makes his heart swell.“Learning the other side of the issue,” Fíli says, “is what brought our race to an understanding. But finding your letter,” he winces, “I know it was an invasion of privacy, but your door was open and you were gone,” Kíli nods in acquiescence, “um, finding your letter,” Fíli’s eyes dart to and fro, “it just made us realize how wrong we all were, how wrong I was to go along with elf prejudice, and how it must have hurt you to hear that.”That last part strikes a nerve. Kíli’s eyes well up. Fíli was right; Kíli hated being in the room when the dwarrow cursed the elves.“I never meant to hurt you,” Fíli says, his eyes glistening as well, “none of us did. You’re my little brother, and I love you so much. To think that I-”Kíli launches himself into Fíli’s arms. He stumbles and barely catches them both in time. Kíli tucks his head into Fíli’s shoulder and shuts his eyes, tears soaking the edge of Fíli’s clothes. There are muffles; they are both crying.After a moment of sniffles, Kíli says heavily, “I’m glad you understand now.”That seems to be enough, because Fíli ends the hug and wipes his tears. “Let’s not tell anyone I cried, huh?”Kíli laughs and swipes at the wetness in his eyes. Fíli chuckles along with him, placing his hands on Kíli’s shoulders to steady each other.“My point is,” Fíli says, “you shouldn’t feel the need to tell us anything. It’s completely your choice when you want to volunteer information. Just know that we’re okay with it either way.”Kíli sniffles one last time. He inclines his head; he supposes they don’t always have an ulterior motive. “Thanks, Fíli. I love you.”“And I you,” Fíli replies, his hands dropping from Kíli’s shoulders. He looks ready to hug him again, but he goes for the forehead brush instead. Kíli warms at the brotherly gesture, something inside him aligning.“Kíli?”The sweet voice has Kíli pulling away from Fíli. Arwen stands at the entrance of the archery range, a troubled expression on her gleaming face. Kíli’s heart drops to his stomach.“Can you come with me?” Arwen asks, shifting uncomfortably at having interrupted his moment with Fíli.Kíli looks at his brother. Fíli nods in encouragement. He is strengthened by the support.He walks towards Arwen, away from the archery range and Fíli. She is wordless as she guides him to the medical area of the palace. The intensity of the silence fills Kíli with a deep trepidation.He is grateful when he finally enters Legolas’s sickroom so that the quiet would be filled with sound. He rounds the archway.And stops still at the presence of Lady Galadriel, Gandalf, and King Thranduil hovering over Legolas’s unconscious form.Lady Arwen’s comforting hand on his shoulder shocks some life into Kíli. He jumps slightly and starts forward. The most powerful magic users in all of Middle Earth, save for Lord Elrond, were in the room and looking at him. Looking at him, Kíli Durin.His mouth is full of rocks when he asks, “what’s wrong?”King Thranduil sinks into a chair, his mind racing visibly. Kíli looks at Galadriel and Gandalf. The wizard glances at Galadriel, who decides to address him.“Legolas’s growing abilities have…done something strange,” Galadriel says. “His magic will be more powerful than his father, but a massive trade-off has come to light.”“Okay?” Kíli advances towards the bed and studies his husband’s peaceful face. “What is it?”When there is a long pause, Kíli lifts his eyes to Galadriel.She answers, “Legolas has lost his immortality.”Kíli blinks at Galadriel. The implications strike him like a slap. He never liked to think about Legolas’s immortality, but now that it’s gone, he has no idea how Legolas will react. Mortality means Legolas’s lifespan could be significantly shorter than Kíli’s own as a dwarrow. He could have the lifespan of a man, Aragorn’s short lifespan, and could die in a matter of decades. “H-How long does he have?”Galadriel is torn on whether to smile or frown. Her lips remain in a thin neutral line. In her place, Gandalf answers, “it looks to us that he’s using your shared bond to mimic…well, your lifespan, Kíli. Your dwarrow lifespan.”Happiness bubbles up in Kíli, but he refuses to let it show. For the magic users in this room, mortality was a serious problem. Legolas would not get to be an immortal Mirkwood king, take over for his father and ensure peace reigns in Middle Earth. Legolas would die. He would get to live his life with Kíli, but he would die with no indication of where his soul will rest.Kíli regards Thranduil, who is clearly going through something in his head. He would have to alter his plans, reconfigure to account for Legolas dying. To them, two centuries was no time at all. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles.Thranduil looks up at him in surprise. “Don’t be,” he says, his glassy eyes clearing up, “Kíli, if you weren’t connected to Legolas, he would have died when he first collapsed.” The knowledge sobers Kíli. The thought of losing his husband that way is enough to make him faint.“And for that,” Thranduil says softly, grounding Kíli away from his dark thoughts, “I thank you for sharing your lifespan with him.”A lump forms in Kíli’s throat. First, Fíli, and now Thranduil? Everyone’s just trying to make him sob today!He swallows down the lump, steadying his voice so well that it surprises him. “When Legolas wakes up, you should ask him. Ask him what he wants to do. It should be his choice.”Despite the vagueness, Thranduil understands implicitly. He nods. “You’re right. I will.”Kíli finds a seat and makes himself comfortable. “If I were you, Your Highness, I would check to see if my kin accidentally broke anything yet.”At Thranduil’s hard look, Kíli smiles innocently. The elf king, disturbed, rises from his vigil at Legolas’s bedside. “I shall return after supper.”After he is gone, Gandalf and Arwen send Kíli amused looks. He winks.~4 Years EarlierGiggles from children sway along with the fresh air of the atrium. They each take a section of long blonde hair and form braids. They share flowers and pins, working happily on Legolas’s hair.He loves when the children of Lórien visit; they bring sunshine to these murky lands that not even his father’s grief could pierce. The fairest race of elf children are lovely sprites. They took to Legolas quickly based on his ‘pure heart and magic.’ Sitting with crossed legs on a chair, he watches them flit around his form. This night is incredibly important; the pressure of it does not truly register due to the children’s magic, and he’s grateful for it.After an indeterminable amount of time, the elf children survey their work. Five little faces study him and giggle.Legolas puts on his best smile. “Do you think I’m ready?”“Aye,” the eldest girl, a sprite of fifteen, declares. “Pure beauty for a pure heart.”Legolas murmurs, “I bet you say that to all the princes you meet.”“No,” she rolls his eyes, “but the dwarrow prince is a contender.”The other girls and boys chuckle as if in agreement. Legolas flushes at the mention of Kíli.“I thank you for your counsel,” Legolas untucks his crossed legs and bows his head to the children, “you’ve all been wonderful company these past hours.”The Lórien elf children bow to him in return, then depart the atrium. He watches them go, relishing in a moment of silence amongst the flowers and plants.As of today, Legolas had been wed to Kíli for five years. While Kíli is here in Mirkwood, Legolas has hardly seen him. It’s the way it went, sometimes, especially with Lórien dignitaries there. A treaty between dwarrow and elven clans is being drawn up by Kíli, and so far, it’s led to slow but steady progress in political relations. Legolas is proud, of course, but he yearns for Kíli, to be alone with him, if only for a couple minutes. Thankfully, after this diplomatic dinner is over, Legolas will get his wish.Taking a deep breath, Legolas rises from his seat. With his hair decorated, all he has to do is choose an outfit for supper. He leaves the atrium, passing by Mirkwood as well as Lórien guards. The elves that he recognizes from both clans incline their heads respectfully towards him. Legolas returns the gesture, forever uneasy by his station.When he reaches his room, he finds a new outfit packaged and placed on his bed. He approaches the package, untying a ribbon. A scrap of parchment rests there, and Legolas reaches for it. He raises it up and reads:‘When the stylist heard you requested something other than green, he nearly fainted. Cheers! -Tauriel.’Legolas snorts and sets the scrap of parchment on his bedspread. He lifts open the wooden box.Grasping the ends of the orange silk, he unfolds the garment. The deep orange slips all the way down to the knees, and a fiery red bursts upwards like flames. The extra flair isn’t his usual style, yet just subtle enough that only those looking him up and down would notice the flames.Legolas undresses and changes into the new clothing. When he sees the robe on himself in the mirror, also glimpsing the gold pins and white-yellow-blue flowers in his hair, he realizes how bold he is for planning a seduction during a diplomatic meal. He smirks at himself.Turning away from his reflection, he opens his door and shuts it behind him. The elven guard at the end of the hall looks at him and looks away just as quickly, as if embarrassed to stare.Hm.Straightening his posture, he strides down the hallway. As he makes his way to the dining hall, the volume of elves increases. Legolas is right on time for the influx of politicians to arrive. Everyone is dressed their best, every color of the rainbow being represented through finely-made clothing. He blends into the crowd, but he gains a few surprised looks on his way to the long table. He finds his father already seated at the head of the table, engrossed in a conversation with the very dwarrow he desired to be there. Kíli is wearing his usual Durin’s blue, but the robes are a more tailored fit, whereas his ambassador clothes are purposefully loose on his figure. Metal clasps in his hair gleam against traditional Durin’s braids. Legolas catches ornamental rings on his fingers, some with gemstones, some with embossments, like signet rings. Kíli displays the wealth of Erebor without overwhelming the viewer. Since his husband is talking with his father, Legolas slips towards them discreetly. He finds the chair to his father’s right unoccupied, as is custom, and stands beside it.Kíli’s eyes flicker away from King Thranduil. They pause, linger, taking him in. Kíli’s diplomatic expression melts into one of speechlessness.As Kíli freezes, soaking in the flames and working his way to the ornamental hair, his father looks in his direction and arches a brow at his outfit. “Ah, Legolas,” his father smiles proudly, “His Highness doesn’t even need his crown, wouldn’t you agree, Ambassador?”It takes all of Kíli’s effort to tear his gaze away and regain his ability to speak. He clears his throat and forces himself to look at King Thranduil. “Yes, Your Majesty.” His eyes skirt to Legolas and back quickly, then greets, “good to see you, Prince Legolas.”Legolas holds in his pleased reaction. “And you as well, Ambassador Kíli.”He lowers himself in the chair smoothly. Kíli’s gaze follows his every movement, warring against his wishes to remain neutral. Thankfully, his father and the elves haven’t noticed.King Thranduil motions for the servants, and food is brought out on platters. As the table is decorated, the elves are seated.Supper goes by with friendly and idle chatter between healthy servings. Legolas puts his own diplomatic training to use and converses amiably with the elves around him. Every time a conversation ends, he would catch Kíli sneaking a glance in his direction, even while multitasking with his own discussions.When the guests disperse and servings are cleared away, Kíli bids goodnight to King Thranduil and makes his way to his rooms. Legolas says his own farewells and slips away to one of the lesser-known halls. After ensuring no one follows him, he takes a long route to the guest rooms. He waits for doors to close and conversations to move elsewhere. It only takes a moment, but it feels like an eternity.At last, Legolas enters the empty hall. Kíli was here often, and thus knew some of the ways to sneak around too. He’s hoping for the best, and that Kíli somehow understood Legolas was coming for him.He reaches Kíli’s room. Sure enough, as if sensing them the second he approaches, the door opens soundlessly. And he is assaulted by an armful of dwarrow leaping and climbing him like a tree.Legolas catches Kíli on pure instinct as legs wrap around his waist. Lips press against his, dragging long and hard. His rational mind is thrown into disarray at the desire so present in his husband’s touches.Remembering that they were in the hallway, he steps inside the bedroom and kicks the door closed as softly as he could muster. Kíli pulls away as the adjustment is made, Legolas finally getting a good look at Kíli’s face. His mouth is parted and panting, red after a single kiss. His dark eyes darted across Legolas’s expression as if possessed and hypnotized, not knowing where to place his affections and lavish his attention first. Kíli’s fingers flutter across Legolas’s ears, tracing his jawline.Kíli is ready to say something, but Legolas shifts his hold to place a finger against Kíli’s mouth. He stays silent as prompted. Legolas leans his head forward and whispers, “I wanna take you somewhere. Come with me?”Kíli nods readily, his gaze fiery yet soft.Legolas sets Kíli back on his feet. Kíli looks up at him like he’s the most precious being on Middle Earth. Walking to the window, he opens it as much as it can move. Since they’re on the ground floor, they could drop and sneak to the stables without an issue. Turning once, he notes Kíli’s amusement at the escape plan before exiting through the window. He lands easily and watches Kíli hop out too.Legolas offers his hand and a smile. Kíli matches his mischievous look and takes the hand. They move through the night air; while there’s a moon and stars out, the murk made it difficult to see. The couple reaches the unoccupied stables without a word exchanged between them. Legolas locates his horse and ushers the timid creature into the cool twilight. He saddles and mounts the horse, and Kíli settles behind him, arms wrapped around his middle.“Where are we going, mizimel?” Kíli asks in the hush, tucking his chin on Legolas’s shoulder.Mizimel. Jewel of all jewels. Legolas hadn’t heard that one in relation to him before. He takes it as a compliment, since dwarrow do see it as a genuine compliment towards their One.“To see your anniversary gift, herven,” Legolas answers quietly. “Hold onto me.”Kíli does so, and Legolas’s heart races at the close contact. He grips the reins of his horse and makes a motion. His horse walks, then picks up speed. He rides to the eastern passage, his magic guiding him in the darkening gloom. He checks the area for Mirkwood spiders, but finds none, since they stayed away from the castle.When the fog clears at the eastern passage, the magic house that Legolas spent many moons crafting stands out amongst the trees. Kíli gasps behind him. Squeezing his middle, Kíli exhales, “oh, Legolas.”The horse stops in front of the country house. He looks over his shoulder, Kíli letting go of his tight grip. His glistening eyes are fixated on the house.“I,” slivers of moonlight play about Kíli’s befuddled face, “Legolas, how?”Legolas smiles, limited in his motions. “While my magic isn’t mature yet, I can create illusions with very little harm to my mental state. This house will feel real to us, be seen by us, and only appear when we’re both in Mirkwood.”“And this,” Kíli looks at Legolas in concern, “won’t hurt you?”Legolas shakes his head, ensuring conviction is in his tone and gaze. “I promise you, Kíli. Do you wanna look inside?”Kíli nods. Legolas slips off the horse and helps Kíli get grounded as well. Before Kíli walks towards the house, he takes something out of an inner pocket. He gives the drawstring sack to Legolas. “This is your gift. Nothing compared to yours, but.”Legolas shoots him a look that says ‘never talk down to yourself in front of me ever.’ Then, he opens the palm-sized sack.Kíli made him more hair ornaments. Legolas smiles wide and picks one at random: a metal clasp with an oak leaf carved into it. The detail shows improvement on Kíli’s part since Legolas’s wedding gifts.“I love them,” Legolas says, looking directly into his husband’s eyes, “I can tell how hard you worked in the forges on them. Thank you.”Since the moonlight was coming through the thinner fog, he isn’t sure if Kíli blushes or not. But Kíli seems utterly entranced by him. Legolas glances away to put the metal back in the sack and secure it in his pocket.When he looks back, Kíli murmurs, “you’re beautiful, you know that?”Legolas’s breath catches at the softness in his husband’s eyes. Kíli believes, really believes with every piece of him, that Legolas is beautiful. Their communication on matters of attractiveness didn’t often reach the verbal realm, as it’s usually all in the eyes. Legolas burns at Kíli taking the time to appreciate and compliment him aloud. He felt more loved than ever.He reaches out to cup Kíli’s cheek. The dwarrow stills and looks up at him as if ready to worship him. Legolas studies the gorgeous braids in Kíli’s hair, his silk outfit, the rings decorating his fingers. He’s never seen his husband look so opulent before.Legolas lets his awe seep into his voice. “You’re looking quite lovely yourself, dear.” Kíli kisses the inside of Legolas’s wrist. After a beat, Legolas takes his hand back.“Now come on,” Legolas says, “you have to let me know if you wanna change the furniture.”Kíli chuckles, eyes shining. He glances away and focuses on the house. Without further hesitation, Kíli approaches the house and opens the wooden door. Legolas is right behind Kíli as he takes in the open space. He gasps as he moves around to study each area. Legolas waits patiently.When Kíli reaches the bed, which had been decorated with flowers, he freezes for a beat. He turns around, a brow arched. A grin splits his face, eyes shining with playfulness. “You’ve been seducing me, haven’t you?”Legolas winks, fighting a flush. “Guilty.”Kíli practically bounces on his feet on his way to Legolas. He wraps his arms around Legolas’s middle and tips his head upwards. Kíli can feel Legolas’s heart beating out of his chest, he’s sure of it.“Mm,” Kíli’s dark eyes glitter like diamonds in a cave, “you sure, mudùmel? We never have to have sex if it makes you uncomfortable. I would be okay with it.”“I know,” Legolas murmurs, touched by his husband’s constant concern for him, “and I love that about you. It means so much to me that you’ve waited years, until I was ready. And I’m ready now, Kíli.”The dwarrow gazes up at him. He seems to like what he sees, because a certainty reaches his eyes. “The safe word is Greenleaf.”They look at each other for a moment. Kíli stares innocently back.Since Legolas can’t contain it, his entire body shakes with the force of his loud laughter. Kíli holds on tight and sways with him, grinning madly. Legolas wipes a tear from the corner of his eye.Sweeping Kíli up in his arms, Legolas presses their foreheads together. “I love you so much.”Kíli’s grin gleams. “And I love you.”Legolas presses their lips together, and surrenders to the uncharted waters.~Belly filled with Bilbo’s pastries, Kíli remains in Legolas’s sickroom as night falls. Arwen, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Galadriel had been in and out to assess Legolas. When Arwen’s predicted time of Legolas’s awakening passes, Arwen simply shrugged and told him Legolas was probably waiting to be alone with Kíli. Well, they were alone. Kíli looks out the window. Galadriel’s quick lessons on the positioning of the moon indicates that it’s in a transitional period. He counts the minutes. The moon is incremental in its movements, but Kíli swears he sees it happening before his naked eyes.And then, the moon is at the hour of love. It has now been an entire day since Kíli did the ritual to pull Legolas from the depths of his own mind. It’s been an eventful day, indeed.He fixates on the window, on the rich green and blue hues of the night. With the murk receding, these lands had never looked more youthful. He watches a breeze caress the low branches of nearby trees, the tall grass. A melody brushes against the gold of the castle.“Nin meleth?”Kíli holds his breath and startles. He looks down at the bed. In the moonlight, Legolas’s bleary eyes look at him, confused.A small sound escapes Kíli’s mouth, something between a strangled cry and a hopeful gasp. His breaths come out uneven, scratching on the syllables: “Legolas.”Before Kíli can register his own actions, he’s out of his seat, climbing into the small bed, and laying down with his husband. Legolas accommodates him without a word, allowing Kíli to tangle their limbs together.Kíli drinks in his husband’s weary face, sharing a pillow an inch from Legolas. His entire body collapses with an exhale, stress and anxiety leaving his pores at last. He sinks into the cot, and Legolas regains his wits.“I,” Legolas searches Kíli’s expression apologetically, his voice reedy, “I had no idea this would happen, Kíli, I’m so-”“Hey,” Kíli soothes, effectively silencing him, “I know, okay? Aragorn told me what happened. I’m not angry at you for overworking yourself when you didn’t do anything like that.”Legolas bobs his head in agreement. “It was scary. I haven’t used my magic in a while, and the way it happened.” He stops abruptly, pinching his brows together. He sighs and shakes his head. “I’m still sorry that I worried you.”“It’s alright,” Kíli assures, “you’re forgiven. Do you need water?”When Legolas nods in affirmation, Kíli untangles himself from the bed briefly. He procured a water pitcher and cup from the other side of the room that he brought inside earlier. He brings the water glass, now full, back to the cot. Legolas sits up, takes the offering, and sips for a moment. Kíli hovers by the chair, then decides to sit criss-cross on the end of Legolas’s bed. Legolas tucks in his legs so that Kíli would fit there, and Kíli faces him.Legolas sets the empty glass on a side table. His voice comes out clearer, almost musical: “Why do I get the feeling you have a lot to tell me?”Kíli blushes. “Your abilities really are heightened. How did you get that?”“Our magic,” he replies, “I sense a lot going on in that lovely mind of yours.” Legolas’s blue eyes flicker, as if glowing for a fraction of a second. “And your body language…so tense. What ails you?”“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Kíli counters weakly. “You’re the one who just woke up from a magic coma.”“I feel good,” Legolas says with conviction, “really good. Now you go.”“Well,” Kíli takes a breath to steel himself, “would you like the good news, the bad news, or the really bad news first?”Legolas falls silent, considering him carefully. Kíli notes a strength in the way Legolas carries himself, a pondering wisdom that wasn’t there before. Legolas was still Legolas, but his maturing magic changed him, albeit subtly.“The good news,” Legolas replies.Kíli gestures to the window. “Can you walk?”“Let’s see.” Legolas untucks his legs from under the sheets. He is graceful with his movements, swinging over the bedside. He delicately places his bare feet on the ground and uses his hands to push upwards. When Legolas stands without issue, a handsome figure in the moonlight, Kíli says, “look outside.”While perplexed, Legolas walks to the window and looks outside. It takes a couple beats, but Legolas inhales a gasp. His gaze freezes on the clear surroundings. No murk to be seen for miles.“I did that,” Kíli says proudly. “You’re welcome, lukhudel.”Legolas tears his eyes away to regard Kíli on the bed. “Y-You,” he stares in awe, “how?”“The ritual,” Kíli beams, “my love for you not only brought you back from death, but it also purged a majority of the toxins outside.”Legolas opens his mouth, closes it, and opens it again. “Do you know what this means?”“That I win in our marriage?”Legolas rolls his eyes, though he smiles in amusement. He advances towards the bed. “No, this means you’re the most powerful dwarrow alive right now. No other dwarrow can make such a boast.”Kíli shrugs, refusing to ruminate on the implications of that claim. “I think it just means that we’re more connected than we planned, which brings me to the bad news. Well, it’s bad depending on how you take it.”Legolas sits on the bed, mirroring Kíli’s position. “Okay? Go ahead.”“Your abilities are unlike anything Gandalf, Galadriel, and Arwen have ever seen.” At Legolas’s pulled face, Kíli says, “yes, dear, you’re famous.” He continues, “anyway, despite your abilities, there’s one big trade-off to having all that power.” Kíli holds his breath for a second and exhales, “you’re not immortal anymore.”If he expected a reaction, he didn’t get one.“Okay,” Legolas accepts, “what’s my lifespan, then?”Kíli blinks at the neutrality. “Uh, my lifespan. Our connection through your magic gave you my dwarrow lifespan to latch onto when you were weak. I don’t know all the magical details, you can ask Lady Galadriel, but yeah.”Legolas hums, then remarks, “I’m just glad I didn’t get a mortal life. I’d be gone before you, and I wouldn’t wanna do that to you.”“I,” Kíli processes, “those are my thoughts exactly.” He blinks. “You’re taking this well.”“I never cared for an immortal life,” Legolas admits. “When you came into my life, I dreaded the idea of it. This is a blessing for me.”A spark of happiness bubbles in Kíli’s gut. They had never discussed elven immortality before, yet the thought of spending the rest of their natural lives together made him elated.“Besides,” Legolas says, “I think you’ve already hinted at the really bad news. If they know about our connection-”Kíli nods, trepidation in his tone. “They know about us, yes.”Again, Legolas’s reaction is demure. “Start from the beginning.”His husband was truly acting strange. Is it his powers? Or is Legolas purposefully tampering down his emotions so Kíli wouldn’t see them?Probably the latter, if Kíli had to guess.For now, though, Kíli does as requested. “I received a letter from Aragorn late at night, detailing what happened with your collapse. He told me Galadriel and Arwen were on their way, and knew that only I could help you wake up. So I left Erebor without a word to anyone before dawn. I ran into Gandalf on the way, who was also called in to help you. I met with Aragorn at the gates. Gandalf,” he pauses, “Gandalf was summoned by Thranduil to the eastern passage.”Legolas looks away, staring out the window. Kíli can practically taste the blame on his careful expression. Legolas steadies himself rather quickly, though, and smooths out his reaction. He looks back at Kíli to continue.“I went with Aragorn to see you in this sickroom. Tauriel was around too. I met Arwen, who told me I had to prepare my mind to undergo a ritual to save you. I spent hours with Arwen and Galadriel reconnecting us so that I could reach you. Then, we did the ritual and it all worked out. It exhausted me, and when I woke up,” Kíli pauses, “well, Aragorn told me that my kin were here, they saw Aragorn’s letter because I left it out, and everyone knows about us. So, I confronted them.”“To protect me?” Legolas analyzes.Kíli bobs his head shyly. “If anyone says shit about my husband, they get my fist in their face.”Legolas musters a small smile in one corner of his mouth. “So did they?”“No,” Kíli says, “this is where I’m confused. Everyone’s there, your father included,” the mention of King Thranduil visibly worries Legolas, “and they all tell me they don’t need to hear anything about us, that we didn’t have to explain ourselves. I spoke to my brother earlier, and they all seem to be holding to that.”“And that confuses you?” Legolas asks for clarification.Kíli furrows his brows. “Doesn’t it confuse you too?”“Mm,” Legolas hums noncommittally, “if they found our house, it probably gave them more answers than they were looking for.”“How so?” Kíli prompts.Now it’s Legolas’s turn to hesitate. His eyes dart to the window and flutter back to Kíli. “While I was asleep, I spent a long time trapped in a memory loop. It only happens to elves when they fall into a very deep sleep. It’s when certain memories play over and over again in my mind.”Kíli is a bit overcome with the abstract, but he chooses not to interrupt.“In my memory loop,” Legolas says with an internal struggle, “they all involved us inside our house. The good and the bad.” He pauses to think for a couple beats. “It’s very possible that my unstable abilities created manifestations.”“Wait, like,” the implications smack Kíli hard all at once, “you mean they could physically see memories of us?”Legolas worries his lip, looks away, and nods. Kíli could only imagine what they saw. He huffs just thinking about the possibilities. “Well, nothing we can do about it now.” He then realizes his tale has essentially ended, and blurts, “are you mad at me? For everything that happened?”“No,” Legolas scoffs, “I’m mad at myself. I couldn’t be there for you, with you, during probably one of the most difficult times in your life, our lives.”Kíli sighs. He knows his husband well, and knew this would come up. “Legolas-”“Don’t say it’s okay,” Legolas says seriously, “to me, it isn’t. You had to go through all that alone. I know we can’t always be there for each other, but this,” he looks down at the bedspread, “this was important. Probably one of the most important moments we’ll ever have, and I was asleep.”Kíli reaches for one of Legolas’s hands. He doesn’t know if Legolas knew, but he was clenching them into fists in front of his lap. As soon as Kíli’s palm presses Legolas’s knuckles, his hands go eerily still. His fingers twitch and slacken, releasing from tight fists. When Legolas breathes out his frustration, Kíli looks up; his blue eyes are glowing. Honest to Mahal. Glowing.A tear slides down Legolas’s pale cheek in the moonlight. The wetness makes the glow recede. Legolas locks away his magic from being visible. Mahal, the fact that it’s visible means that Kíli is out of his depth. How could he help Legolas now?Legolas takes one hand and plops it against the back of Kíli’s hand. He is silent and steady, again, just like that. Kíli looks up into his husband’s eyes, the tears gone and resoluteness taking its place.By being there, Kíli realizes, by taking Legolas’s hand, he is helping. The message seems written all over Legolas’s face. He, Kíli Durin, is helping.“It’ll take me a while to forgive myself,” Legolas says. “Just let it be, okay?”Kíli can always tell when Legolas has had enough discussion. He nods in agreement and makes a mental note to bring it up in a few days, when Legolas has had time to settle.“I know you just woke up and everything,” Kíli says, a wave of exhaustion from the time of night hitting him, “but I need to rest.”Legolas nods. “You’ve been awake a long time.”Kíli moves over to the other cot and pushes it closer to Legolas. He asks, “you’ll tell me all about your new powers in the morning, right?”“Yes, I promise,” Legolas vows.Kíli slides under the sheets and lays on his side. “Right, then. Goodnight, shamrûnusullu.”He catches Legolas’s little gasp of surprise at the very rare endearment. Legolas quickly gathers himself and says, “goodnight, amrâlimê.”As soon as Kíli is comfortable in bed, he is soothed to sleep.~4 Years EarlierKíli breathes very deeply when he sleeps. It’s not quite a snore, but his breaths are loud. It may be because of how he’s laying in bed, partially on his stomach and obscuring half of his face in the pillow, or he may naturally breathe heavily when he’s resting.It took five years of marriage for Legolas to learn this about his husband. He doesn’t regret waiting to make love, not at all, but a piece of him laments that he didn’t learn this knowledge sooner.And there’s so much knowledge he’s picked up by spending a single night and early morning with Kíli. For example, he’s learned that Kíli doesn’t care how loud he is, how indiscreet they were, when Legolas created a magic house far enough away from the castle so that no sensitive far-reaching elven ears could pick up on the noise. Also, Kíli is confident. And sure, Legolas has always known that, but Kíli is capitalized, bolded, and underlined confident. Even though neither of them had gone this far with another, Kíli seemed to know exactly what to do, and to an extent, it made Legolas suddenly know just where to touch to render his husband wild and placid in equal measure.On top of everything, Legolas learned that Kíli was fond of every inch of gooseflesh he was able to elicit as a response from Legolas, fond of using his mouth and his hands to trace Legolas’s skin, fond of taking him over and over and over. By the Valar, this awakened something in Legolas that remained dormant for his entire life. He didn’t want to give in to the desire, not frequently, but now that the beast is there, it would be difficult to let Kíli go. But he had to. Oh, he had to. He knew he had to. It’s what made their love so beautiful. They would let each other go, and they would come back. Always come back. Jerking himself from his thoughts, Legolas inhales sharply and exhales softly. Kíli is a heavy sleeper when he’s exhausted. Legolas slept more than usual, too, but Kíli was winning some sleep awards right now.Legolas leans up slightly, using his hands to brush out his tangled hair. Beads and metal clasps and rings and flower petals had all hit the ground at some point, sliding around their piled clothes, leaving nothing but bare skin. While Legolas’s hair rarely tangled, he found himself taking extra care to unknot strands that mingled with Kíli’s fingers and rings, before Kíli took off the jewelry.After finishing his task, he notes a shift with Kíli’s shoulder blade. His eyes drift down and he returns to laying on his side, watching Kíli’s nose wrinkle.“Mm.” Kíli presses his lips together, breathing in and out through his nose. His hair falls over one side of his face, catching in his bristly cheeks. Eyelashes dust his cheekbones, not wanting to open to the light. Hips and legs move incrementally.A deeper breath indicates Kíli’s eyes opening in slivers. He struggles to adjust to the light behind Legolas, turning into the pillow further. Legolas simply looks on; his husband is adorable.Kíli’s eyes take another moment to focus on Legolas’s face. When he notices he’s being looked at with an amused smile, he knits his brows together. “What?” Kíli asks, sleep rough.“Mm, nothing,” Legolas says, keeping his ‘my husband is cute when he’s sleepy’ observation to himself. “Good morning.”Kíli’s disorientation gives way to playfulness. “It sure is.” He snorts out a laugh at himself, hiding briefly behind his shoulder.Legolas rolls his eyes to the ceiling, moving so that he lays on his back. Kíli peers over eagerly at his torso. “It’s early morning, so we have time.”“Now that’s what a dwarrow loves to hear,” Kíli grins, “I can’t move, though.”Legolas lays one side of his face on the pillow to see if Kíli is being serious. There’s a hint of humor in the last sentence, but he can also tell his husband is being truthful. Kíli says seriously, “I didn’t know my husband was a fiend in bed, so you’ll have to excuse my laziness.”Legolas can’t hide his surprise at the statement. “I’ll be more careful next time.”“No,” Kíli insists, “don’t be more careful. I love it. A little soreness is to be expected.”“Oh,” Legolas moves to look at the ceiling to conceal the heat rising on his skin, “thank you?”Kíli chuckles; Legolas likes his deep tenor when he awakens. “How d’you feel about it? Any regrets?”Legolas catches the trepidation in Kíli’s voice, even though he tries his best to hide it. He looks back at Kíli, and notes that he moved his hair out of his face, but otherwise made no movements.He replies, “none at all. You?”“Nope,” Kíli says, visibly relaxing his posture at the answer. He surveys the room from his stilted position in bed, gaze lingering on the clothes and jewelry everywhere. Without warning, he busts out into laughter. Amused at the unsaid remarks, Legolas laughs along with him. ~When Kíli walks the gardens outside the castle, he is surprised to find Amad sitting on a stone bench, looking out at the vibrant trees. After Legolas went over his new abilities with Kíli, he had to let the magic users know that he was awake at last. Galadriel, Gandalf, and Arwen all cleared Legolas as being out of danger and able to move around the palace. Once this news spread, King Thranduil wanted to speak with Legolas alone, presumably to ask him what he wanted to do now that he wasn’t immortal. Kíli is unsure how Legolas will reply, but he’ll be filled in after the fact; it’s all up to Legolas.Now that the murk is pushed back, the outdoors can be appreciated. Kíli often left the Blue Mountains or Erebor for fresh air, but it wasn’t something he could do in Mirkwood until now.Finding Amad there alone takes Kíli aback. He hadn’t spoken to anyone except his brother one-on-one since he got here. He would normally kick himself for being rude and inconsiderate, since the dwarrow that came here for him were out of their depth, but he’s still so surprised they came at all that he didn’t know what to do.With intentions to amend that, Kíli steps forward and approaches the bench. “Amad?”She blinks out of her reverie easily. She smiles up at him through her beard. “Oh, hello, dear. How are you?”“Good,” Kíli says neutrally, sitting beside her, “how are you?”“I’m good too,” Amad smiles out at the lush surroundings, “I quite like it here. It reminds me of. Well.”“The Blue Mountains,” Kíli supplies.“Yes,” Amad confirms carefully, “living amongst trees, not in stone, has become an odd comfort. I miss it, now.”Kíli hums in agreement. When he thought of home, he didn’t imagine Erebor. He imagined tall trees and hidden rivers. The uneven hills of the Blue Mountains.Amad is looking fully at him. He tilts his head to the side. “What?”“I understand why you like coming here,” Amad says slowly, “why you liked to leave Erebor as often as you could.”Kíli observes her uneasily. “I’m used to the fog obscuring most of it.”Amad hesitates before her next words. “You know, all these years, I’ve felt like something was going on with you. It’s true, what my mother told me as a young dwarrowdam: a mother always knows.”Kíli holds his breath at the revelation. “I didn’t want to press, though, because you seemed to be okay,” Amad says. “Your good mood rarely wavered, and if something bad were happening, you certainly wouldn’t be causing mischief with your brother. So, I figured,” she shrugs, “whatever I’m sensing, it’s making my son happy, and that’s all that matters.”He swallows a lump in his throat. He takes a long breath. He doesn’t know why he thought his kin would disapprove. He’s known for years that they were more accepting of other races after the war. He supposes it was their behavior before the war that was more memorable in his mind.It was strange to think that Amad suspected this entire time that Kíli was hiding something from them. It made his head hurt to reminisce on events from twenty years ago, even though it isn’t that long for dwarrow.Kíli opens his mouth. “I thought I was being sneaky.”Amad laughs heartily. “For your uncle and brother, perhaps, but not me.”Kíli hums. “I suppose I’m not as good at hiding as I thought I was. I guess it doesn’t matter, though.”“I love you,” Amad says, “always, inùdoy.” She casts her arms around his middle and squeezes him on the side. Kíli smiles and places his cheek in her hair.They sit like that for a little while, and Kíli enjoys the rare moment with his mother.~3 Years Earlier“You must be out of your mind.” Uncle Thorin’s stormy face thundered with rage. “I will not risk you going into battle for Mirkwood.”Kíli wants to scream. But his training as an ambassador, while boring to most, taught Kíli many valuable skills. He may be able to lose his temper in battle, though it’s not an option here, not in front of the Council of Erebor. Most of the Company sans Gandalf and Bombur were in the room, and some extra kin to boot. It wouldn’t look good if he lost his composure now. So Kíli sits back in his seat, takes a breath, and folds his hands neatly over his lap. He puts on his hard-won diplomatic tone: “I know they did not ask for aid, but as an elf-friend, I’m a part of this conflict. I’m not asking you to bless my journey, I’m simply informing you of my intentions to fight with Mirkwood.”Uncle Thorin falls eerily silent. He looks to the dwarrow seated around him at the grand stone table. At a look from Bilbo, Uncle Thorin’s temper dissipates. “What say you all on this matter?” He asks curiously.“The win would be beneficial for us,” Dori says.Balin adds, “clearing the pathways in Mirkwood would allow for better travel.”“And it would help our relations with the three major elven clans,” Bofur says.“And what dwarrow would wanna miss a battle?” Dwalin says, receiving a grunt of approval from Gimli.“You’re also forgetting that Kíli would leave to help,” Fíli says, “with or without our permission.”Kíli bites back a smile at Fíli’s words. The support of the Council and his kin makes him smug. Uncle Thorin considers this with a neutral expression. And Kíli pinpoints the exact second that he’s winning this argument.“Alright,” Uncle Thorin looks at Kíli, “I’ve been swayed to your cause.”Kíli keeps his smirk and cheers to himself.Uncle Thorin continues, “I only ask that you take the utmost care to remain safe. You aren’t just an archer and a political asset to my kingdom, but you are my blood. I will not lose you.”Kíli inclines his head and says evenly, “I understand, Your Highness.”The Council meeting is dismissed. Ori finishes up his notes and Uncle Thorin remains to speak with Amad. The rest of the dwarrow file out, Fíli tapping Kíli’s shoulder to gain his attention as they walk.“Please be careful,” Fíli says, his face so close they are almost touching foreheads, “okay?”The moment of brevity and seriousness is unusual for Fíli, so Kíli bobs his head. “Okay.”Fíli slips away as the dwarrow all round a corner in the hallway. The Company goes their separate ways, either to the left or right. Kíli stands still to look out at the rare stone inlet showing the treetops. Conversations float away like a bird call in the wind.Large but light feet, though, linger and approach him. Kíli turns to the side as a hobbit appears in his vision. “Are you alright, Kíli?”“Aye,” Kíli replies.“I’m sorry how Thorin acted at first,” Bilbo says.“Oh, that?” Kíli shrugs. “You make him better, trust me.”That comment worries Bilbo. “Has he snapped at you worse before?”“Sure,” Kíli says, “but that was before he met you.”Bilbo scowls as if imagining Uncle Thorin’s angry face, shaking his head. “Infernal old dwarrow. I’ll punch him right in the nose one day.”The image of Bilbo’s mean right hook landing on Uncle Thorin’s giant nose makes Kíli laugh involuntarily. “As long as I’m there to see it, Uncle Bilbo.”Bilbo smiles warily at Kíli addressing him as an uncle even though his curly braids indicate they’re endlessly in the courtship phase. “Are you truly alright, Kíli?”The stubborn expression on Bilbo’s face shows Kíli that there was no skirting the question. Kíli had to be honest while keeping as many secrets as possible.Kíli glances at the stone inlet for a beat and sighs. “I suppose not being able to make them understand why I’m helping the elves has gotten,” he pauses, trying to find the right word, and unfortunately settles on, “old.”“Frustrating,” Bilbo supplies. Kíli nods in agreement. He looks at his hobbit uncle’s expression, which has smoothed out into one of comfort.“I understand,” Bilbo says. “I can assure you that you’re absolutely doing the right thing. Your family may not like how it looks, but the brave thing, the right thing, isn’t pretty.”The slice of wisdom doesn’t sound as riddled as Gandalf’s wizard speech, but it holds the same cadence. Kíli remarks, “as you say, wordsmith.”Bilbo shoots him a look laced with fond exasperation. It is a combination that only Bilbo has ever mastered, and Kíli loves to see it.“I understand,” Kíli says quietly. “Thank you for the support.”“You always have it from me, Kíli,” Bilbo says honestly, “I hope you know that.”Those words echo in Kíli’s mind later that day, when he is on the road to Mirkwood covered in dwarrow armor and armed with the finest weapons a mountain of metalworkers could craft.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Legolas sits in the gardens outside, listening peacefully to the humming elf children of Lórien. They had supposedly arrived with Galadriel and kept a low profile, adventuring in the castle with multiple elven guides. They sensed Legolas’s arrival into the realm of consciousness, though, and quickly made themselves known to him. After a long discussion with his father, the lighthearted sensibilities of the children were immensely welcomed. He took up their offer to braid flowers into his hair as he did years ago. The young elves still declared that his heart and magic were pure, despite the darkness he had to endure, and accepted him into their group.Legolas listened to the children’s humming in Sindarin. After a moment, he recognizes the lyrics that go with the tune:‘Of old he was an Elven-king,A lord of tree and glen,When golden were the boughs in springIn fair Lothlórien.’He frowns at the familiar tale and murmurs, “doesn’t this song end in tragedy?”One of the male sprites pauses in his work and answers softly, “I see it as Nimrodel and Amroth not being meleth marthannen.”Legolas purses his lips in consideration. His mother used to sing this song like it was a tragic love story. Other than Legolas’s head hurting whenever he thinks about his mother, it takes a moment for him to consider this stance.The braids are soon finished. One of the female sprites had asked for the beads crafted by his meleth marthannen to secure the braids and flower petals, and he could feel their weight at the ends of his hair. There was also a braided crown of sorts at the top of his head, thin yet heavy from the full flowers.The elf children scamper around his front, viewing their handiwork. Legolas smiles brightly at the younger sprites, who huddle together and beam.The youngest sprite, who must be no older than six years of age, asks quietly, “what is your meleth marthannen like?”One of the older sprites hisses, “we don’t ask such personal questions.”“Oh, it’s alright,” Legolas says. He suddenly gains the insatiable curiosity of a dozen sprites. Some sit or kneel around him, waiting with wide eyes. He smiles easily.“My meleth marthannen,” he says, “is incredibly impressive. I should begin by mentioning, though, that I didn’t know he was my meleth marthannen.”“That’s possible?” A sprite gasps.Legolas chuckles. “Anything’s possible. At first, I was simply curious about a dwarrow archer that could keep pace with elves and men. We were friends for years before I felt longing for more.”The sprites are shocked by this information. Legolas cannot help his amusement from showing on his face. “We’ve been through much, him and I, and every day, he impresses me with his strength and motivation and wit. I’m sure you’ve heard of Ambassador Kíli Durin?”The elf children inhale in recognition.“Aye, and I’m proud to have him as my meleth marthannen,” Legolas says.“His heart is pure too,” a young boy mutters, and the others nod in agreement.“Oh, sprites?”The elf children gasp at the arrival of Lady Galadriel into the garden. Legolas prompts, “I suppose Lady Galadriel requires your assistance. I’ve enjoyed our time together.”The little elf whose question he answered rushes over to hug him. Legolas laughs and hugs the girl, which gets some of the others to join in as well. They sing farewells and skip towards the patient Lady Galadriel. Legolas and Galadriel lock gazes and have a nonverbal exchange, then she directs her attention to shepherding the children away.Once the elf children of Lórien are gone, Legolas’s sensitive ears pick up the sound of boots. The heaviness of the footfalls means it is not a man like Aragorn, but a dwarrow.Since Legolas has been awake, he hasn’t heard or seen any dwarrow except for his husband. When Kíli told him they were here, he was surprised he hadn’t sensed their proximity until now. Perhaps his father and fellow elves kept him more inaccessible than he thought. He knew there was no avoiding them altogether. Kíli tries his best to make it so, but Legolas can sense he’s preoccupied with his mother. That left a lot of prospective kin available to find him.Inhaling through his nose, Legolas lowers down his guarded posture with an exhale through the mouth. He remains seated in the grass, feeling the thrum of life beneath his body. The strength of that life, if he focuses, would be enough to overwhelm his old self and send him into a sickness.It’s so strange to think that Legolas wouldn’t have to suffer from illness and unstable magic anymore. One less stressor in his life, and one less thing to worry about for Kíli. He didn’t like making Kíli worry.The dwarrow footsteps are now close enough that Legolas tilts to look up. “Your Highness,” Legolas says respectfully, inclining his head towards the King of Erebor. Thorin Oakenshield stands over him with visible uncertainty. “May I sit?”“Course,” Legolas replies, “sit anywhere.”The dwarrow king lowers himself on the grass and crosses his legs. Even though he’s in commoner clothes, he makes it look regal. “How may I help you?” Legolas asks diplomatically.The king observes him with hesitation regarding his next words. “I wish to start an alliance with you.”“An alliance,” Legolas repeats, unsure if he heard that right.“Aye,” he says, “your union means you swore to protect my nephew. He’s a son to me, and I swore by my sister to protect him. So, we must work together.”Legolas is confused by his phrasing, though he understands what he means. He furrows his brows to indicate as much. “Kíli is a fully capable dwarrow. He doesn’t need my protection. He never has.”This remark puzzles Thorin. “You…haven’t protected him?”“Protection is similar to possession,” Legolas explains, “which has a negative connotation to my people.”Thorin studies him for a moment, processing this cultural difference. “I didn’t know that.”“When tasked with protecting others, we say ‘guard’ because it’s a temporary state of being, not permanent,” Legolas says. “I don’t protect Kíli because, for elves, it’s the same as unfairly possessing him.”Thorin thinks for several beats. “Possession is an offense to your people?”“Aye, one of the worst offenses,” Legolas says, “punished the same way we punish acts of physical violence.”The dwarrow king regards this tidbit carefully. “I’m beginning to understand the many conflicts between our races. Has Kíli told you about possession for dwarrow as being a base instinct?”“Of course,” Legolas answers, “you would have to ask him yourself, but from what he’s disclosed to me, he doesn’t enjoy the feeling and fights very hard against his instincts so that I’m more comfortable.”The knowledge causes many reactions to fly across Thorin’s face, each one too quickly to discern.Legolas returns to the original inquiry. “An alliance I will accept is one where we let Kíli be and allow him to care for himself. He should get to make mistakes and decisions without interference, only support.” A beat. “That’s akin to the vow I made to him all those years ago.”The dwarrow king jolts himself out of his reverie. His eyes focus on Legolas, and he nods once. “I understand your reasoning, and I accept this alliance.”Legolas inclines his head. “I appreciate your willingness to listen, Your Highness.”~3 Years Earlier Tauriel surveys the elven soldiers lined up, ready for battle in full golden armor. The males and females composing her team are unusually still, but she supposes it’s due to the tense situation. Legolas was taking a real risk by fighting the Mirkwood spiders in their own territory, but Tauriel sees the necessity of the issue. She agrees with Legolas; she’s sick and tired of unsafe travel roads preventing Mirkwood trade.When Tauriel’s squadron passes her inspection, Legolas himself arrives. The usually-vibrant prince has smoothed his expression into something authoritative yet approachable. She has no idea how he does that.As he reaches her, she notices several thin beads and pins in his hair, showing off his sharp cheekbones and angular features. Based on the metalwork, she knows they are from Kíli without having to inquire. Legolas sends her a look, and Tauriel nods once.Legolas addresses her army directly: “I thank you all for agreeing to fight alongside me today. This battle may seem frightening, but it’s necessary for our people. We will not have peace in our lands until the creatures of the fog are gone. Since this adversary is unlike most others, I ask that you travel in groups. You must not let them get you alone and catch you unaware. I want all of you to return to this palace safely once we are done. Is that understood?”The elves chant, “yes, Your Highness.”Legolas looks to Tauriel, and she’s dazed from his mention of desiring safety above all else, which places him apart from other rulers. “Bring your march to the northern passage. I’ll meet you there.”After Tauriel nods, the elf prince is gone from the room. He proceeds with great haste to the other sections of the castle, ensuring his own army was prepared.Tauriel busies herself with the order, delegating her army to the north side of the palace. On her way there, she catches sight of archers posted at every opening. She thinks every able-bodied male and female in the palace is serving Mirkwood today, even though Legolas only asked for a tiny fraction of soldiers. It spoke to how respected Legolas was amongst his people.When she reaches the northern passage, leading her army with a looser gait, she finds Legolas speaking with a man. Based on the man’s garb, he’s a Ranger. When she gets closer, she thinks she’s seen him before, but she’s never spoken with the man directly.As Tauriel brings the army next to Legolas’s, the Ranger leaves on his horse for the eastern passage. Legolas nods at Tauriel for her to approach. She raises an eyebrow of inquiry.“He’s an elf-friend of Rivendell,” Legolas says, “here to help. We have allies, Tauriel.”The way he says the word ‘allies’ is like a secret code between friends. Tauriel reads into it immediately; he’s talking about Kíli. The dwarrow ambassador was here too.The only way Tauriel keeps the secret in her head is to call Kíli ‘the dwarrow ambassador’ and not ‘Legolas’s secret husband.’“It’s time,” Legolas says distantly, gaze lingering on the thick fog ahead of them. “This is when they come out of their nests.”Tauriel switches her mindset to the battle in front of them. “Stick to the plan.”Legolas smiles wanly. “I will because I made it.”Tauriel rolls her eyes at the familiar behavior. She turns away from the elven prince with her head in perfect order.Addressing the armies in Sindarin, she exclaims, “to battle!”~Kíli enters the sickroom after consuming a massive amount of salad. Legolas is there again, being checked by Lady Galadriel and Arwen. They seem to be finishing a hushed conversation with him, but they turn around and smile at Kíli to show nothing is amiss.As the two elves exit the room, leaving him with Legolas, he freezes at the sight of flowers braided into his husband’s hair alongside Kíli’s handcrafted beads. The dichotomy of dwarrow and elvish work on a single head of hair has Kíli inhaling an awestruck breath and holding it.Legolas smiles easily, gaze flickering up from his seated position on the bed to regard an approaching Kíli. “Is it true that your kin ate copious bowls of salad and didn’t complain once?”Kíli chuckles and lowers himself onto the bed. “So that’s what you were all talking about.” Legolas nods in affirmation, a healthy glow Kíli has rarely seen before lighting up his face. “Yes, it’s true. You’ve converted meat-eating dwarrow into vegetable lovers.”Legolas sends a skeptical teasing look, making Kíli laugh further. “We’ve all come a long way, I suppose.”“Mm.” Kíli’s eyes are still full of mirth when he takes in the scent of Legolas’s floral soaps and sobers up. He asks, “how was your discussion with your father?”“It went well, oddly,” Legolas says.“See what I’m talking about now?” Kíli deadpans.“Yes,” Legolas replies, “they’re really trying to gain our trust. I’m wary about it.”Kíli hums in agreement.Legolas continues, “my father and I decided that I would rule Mirkwood.”Kíli’s brows shoot up to his forehead. “Wait, he’s letting you?”Legolas bobs his head. “I’m as surprised as you are. If I remain healthy and my maturation has no more setbacks, I’ll be crowned in a fortnight.”Kíli blinks rapidly. This is what he’s always wanted for Legolas. He didn’t expect King Thranduil to allow Legolas the throne even in Kíli’s own lifetime. But Legolas’s shortened lifespan changed everything.“You’ll be a genuine melhekhel,” Kíli says, grinning as the image of his husband being crowned warms him.Legolas tilts his head to the side. “Aren’t you upset I didn’t consult with you first?”The thought hadn’t even crossed Kíli’s mind, and he’s a little proud of himself for it. He shakes his head. “This is your life, Legolas. You may do with it as you please.”Legolas returns to the same memory as Kíli. The Blue Mountains and the forest surrounding it usually make Kíli ache, but not this time. This time, he only thinks of Legolas supporting him even if it meant letting him travel across Middle Earth with a high probability of death.“Would you have supported me,” Legolas asks slyly, “if I had chosen differently?”“Always,” Kíli says. The freedom of it makes him soar and beam. Legolas cups his face. Kíli gets whiplash in the best way. He focuses on Legolas’s face as he leans forward slowly, giving Kíli plenty of time to pull away if he wished. When Kíli stills and stays, Legolas presses their lips together lightly. Kíli’s stomach flips, his senses heightened at merely coming into contact with such a powerful being. His magic reacts like a spell, setting him alight.All too soon, Legolas is leaning away, and Kíli must return from his dreamy state. It’s insane that Legolas can make him so giddy, even after knowing him for twenty years.Since Kíli never learned how to transition from such a good moment, he blurts the first thing that comes to his mind: “Most of my kin are leaving for Erebor now. My family is remaining here, though, until I feel ready to go. With your crowning in a fortnight,” Kíli smirks mischievously, “they better get used to staying here for a while.”The topic change prompts Legolas to disclose, “I spoke with your uncle.”Kíli jolts in his seated position. “Ohhh noooo.” He gapes with wide eyes. “He interrogated you, didn’t he?” He lets out a string of curse words in Khuzdul. Legolas takes Kíli’s hands. The touch effectively cuts off his steaming tirade. He watches silently as Legolas’s eyes glitter in amusement.“No,” Legolas replies, “we had a productive conversation.”Kíli cannot help but be skeptical. “Define ‘productive.’”Rolling his eyes, Legolas says, “don’t worry about me, amrâlimê. I was just happy to meet one of your kin properly at last.”Kíli’s expression falls. He didn’t realize how deprived Legolas was from stronger relationships with Kíli’s kin. Kíli had so many beings in his life, but Legolas? He had a select few he could trust implicitly, and not even his own father made that list.As a solution presents itself, Kíli raises his gaze so it’s level with Legolas’s face. “Would you like me to arrange a supper for everyone? They should all meet you properly, anyway.”“Okay,” Legolas agrees, not in the least bit uncertain about the unfamiliar waters. The confidence reminds Kíli how wonderful his husband will be as Mirkwood’s king.“In the meantime,” Legolas rises from the bed, “gather the squad? We can get in some target practice before the sun lowers.”Kíli grins at the thought of practicing archery with Legolas and Aragorn again. Maybe Tauriel could join as well, if she wasn’t busy.“Yeah,” Kíli says dreamily, “let’s do it.”~3 Years EarlierLegolas didn’t expect to end his day with a drunk Kíli in his arms. The dwarrow flops around and slurs occasional words in Legolas’s hold, too sloshed after getting into a drinking contest with Tauriel. She won easily.Avoiding high traffic areas in the palace, Legolas carries the dwarrow who exited the dining hall and could barely walk. He’s on high alert in case anyone catches a glimpse of what would be a very hard-to-explain circumstance. Normally, Kíli had more tact. Legolas couldn’t blame him after the day they had, though, which was a rousing success. The Mirkwood spiders were gone. It was their anniversary and gifts were exchanged earlier in their magic house, but Legolas doesn’t expect anything else fun would happen tonight, not with Kíli in this state. A part of him is sad Kíli wouldn’t take action on his earlier flirtatious remarks, but the other part of him is glad he didn’t have to muster up the energy for sex. With overexposure to the Mirkwood fog, Legolas isn’t sure how far they’d get even if Kíli were perfectly alert.Legolas finally reaches Kíli’s guest room at the palace. He uses a spell to unlock the door that renders him dizzy afterwards, but he saw no option with his hands fully occupied.Entering the room, Legolas drops Kíli onto the bed. The dwarrow hums in recognition as Legolas takes a kneeling position on the floor.As Legolas retrieves the use of his arms again, Kíli mumbles, “you rest too, m’kay?”Rising to his feet, Legolas looks down. Kíli has taken full ownership of the pillow, hugging it like a toy. His eyes are closed and his face is relaxed. His mouth pressing together is the only indication that he spoke at all.The fact that Kíli knew Legolas must not feel well, even in his inebriated state, nearly has Legolas falling into bed and kissing his husband silly. Legolas smiles instead. “I will, love. Sleep well.”“Mm.” Kíli’s mouth quirks upwards. “Hurun ganat.”Beaming uncontrollably at the Khuzdul, Legolas backs out of the room and closes the door. In the emptiness of the hallway, he basks in the glow of his own happiness until the revelry travels towards him.~‘Roads go ever ever on, Over rock and under tree, By caves where never sun has shone, By streams that never find the sea;Over snow by winter sown,And through the merry flowers of June,Over grass and over stone,And under mountains in the moon.’Bilbo sets down his quill, mulling over the verse in his travel book. It needs something else. He also isn’t sure if it will be a tune or a poem. It’s often hard to tell when he composes such lyrics, so he’ll have to try both to see which format it holds.Since his eyes are straining, he looks up and away from his book. The breadth of greenery and lush nature that Greenwood presents without murk is absolutely magnificent. It’s not as awe-inspiring as Rivendell, but it’s still a picturesque image. He thinks, if given the choice, he could live amongst these trees. Alas, he must get used to stone. The price of love.As if sensing his thoughts, a certain dwarrow king meanders into the scene. He is hesitant about interrupting Bilbo when they are apart, and Bilbo finds it oddly adorable.He packs away his ink and quill in his travel bag, closing the book as well. “Supper already?”“Aye,” Thorin says, brushing his courtship braid behind an ear, “the guests of honor were at the archery range, and just reentered the palace to prepare for dinner.”Getting down from his log with a little hop, Bilbo’s giant feet sink pleasantly into the grass. He casts the bag over one shoulder and walks towards Thorin. “Do you think we should change into better attire?”“No, no,” Thorin says, “the king insisted this isn’t a formal affair.”“Alright,” Bilbo chimes.The couple walks beside each other towards the palace entrance in silence. Thorin glances over and down at him every couple steps, as if wanting to say something but unsure how to start. Knowing his stubborn dwarrow, it’s probably something silly, like wanting to profess his love ceremoniously.When they enter the palace and reach their room, a page elf is waiting for them. He takes Bilbo’s bag and lets them go to the dining hall unaccompanied by another elf.On their leisurely walk, Thorin asks, “what are your thoughts on Legolas?”In all their time here, Thorin has never directly asked Bilbo about Legolas. He pegged it as Thorin struggling to come to terms with Kíli marrying behind their back, and didn’t take the oversight as an insult. Thorin has been conversing extensively with Dís and Fíli on the matter, so he’s been understandably preoccupied. Now, though, it was time for Bilbo to finally come clean about his encounters with Legolas.Bilbo says, “we first talked when you were all imprisoned in the dungeons.”Thorin stops in his tracks, Bilbo biting back his amusement as he stills as well. “What?”Bilbo turns to him mock innocently. “Why, yes, he’s the one who told me the dungeon guards are loose with their keys when drunk. Those were almost his exact words, in fact.”Thorin searches his face. “He planted the idea to escape Mirkwood in your head. How did he see you when no one else could?”“I wasn’t sure at the time,” Bilbo says carefully, banishing thoughts of the ring from his mind, “but hearing about his powerful magic is all the answer I need.”Thorin hums. “Have you talked with him in other instances?”“Oh,” Bilbo says airily, “multiple times in the encampment outside Erebor while you stubborn dwarrow were healing from your wounds. He’s a pleasant conversationalist, and very knowledgeable on a variety of topics.”Thorin considers this information with an open mind, not closing up and shouting about why Bilbo didn’t say anything like the younger him would. It’s an act of insecurity on Thorin’s part, one that he’s worked hard to tame as a king and role model to his people.“That’s a compliment coming from a natural conversationalist such as yourself,” Thorin acknowledges. “I take it you would find him a good king one day?”“Oh, yes,” Bilbo says easily, “I don’t see why not.”They reach the dining hall. King Thranduil was already talking to Dís and Fíli. As they approach and sit, they receive nods in greeting.“Uncle Bilbo,” Fíli asks, “how are your writings coming along?”Bilbo happily babbles about his poetry and songs, noting that he’s taking a break from writing a volume on their journey to Erebor. King Thranduil listens with keen interest, inquiring about Bilbo’s thoughts on the libraries he’s visited. A pause occurs when Lady Galadriel, Lady Arwen, and Gandalf arrive at the table. King Thranduil asks about Legolas’s health, and they assure him the elf prince is making a full recovery. Bilbo cannot help but show his relief visibly; while they hadn’t spoken directly in years, Legolas was the good sort who didn’t deserve an unfortunate ending.Bilbo wonders how Legolas kept his feelings hidden regarding Kíli, even when they were conversing a short distance away from the healing tents. Bilbo’s memory is muddy from that time in his life, especially with Thorin the worst off, but he’s pretty sure he would remember Legolas looking pained by the presence of Kíli in that tent.Oh, the masks that both princes must have worn all these years…the thought of it could make Bilbo weep, if wine were not placed at the table. The wine being passed around leads Bilbo to pull himself from his sticky thoughts and ask the king about its origins. He busies himself with listening to the reply for a moment.Then, at last, laughter rings in from the open double doors. The sources file in like a merry group that has been friends forever.“-never watch your footing,” Kíli says, snorting at Aragorn.“-tell you all the time,” Legolas trails in, Tauriel chuckling at Aragorn’s sore mood. “As your instructor for most of your life, I can confirm: watch your footing, and maybe, just maybe-”“You’ll beat us at a game of pin the tail,” Aragorn finishes, sighing as he does so, but he remains in decent spirits. “I know, Fathers.”Kíli gasps, a dramatic suck of breath. “Don’t you ever,” he points at Aragorn, mouth agape, “suggest I’m old again.”Legolas laughs so hard he nearly falls over. Tauriel steadies him with a hand on his shoulder. Bilbo is taken aback by the flowers and beads in the elf prince’s hair, defining a fairy-like glow on his skin.When Legolas gathers himself, Aragorn rolls his eyes at Kíli. “But you are.”Kíli narrows his eyes at the man. “You’re so lucky Arwen is here right now, young man.”Tauriel snickers at Aragorn’s answering flush. He puts up an awkward hand at the elven princess. Hiding her amusement well, Arwen mimics the motion. Meanwhile, Legolas murmurs something to Tauriel. The female elf nods and winks at Kíli, then exits the dining hall. Aragorn shyly approaches Arwen and asks to sit beside her, which she allows.If Bilbo didn’t know they were already promised to one another, he would think Aragorn was merely crushing on Arwen. The fact that he still looks at her in awe, though, is certainly adorable to witness.Kíli watches Tauriel leave and shut the double doors behind her. He meets Legolas’s gaze, the contents of which elude Bilbo, and the couple approaches the table on opposite sides. Bilbo notes they choose their places carefully; not too close or too far from any of the guests seated around the area. It also kept them across from each other and an equal distance away from their close kin.Before any new conversations could begin, elves emerge from the side doors with trays of food. Interlopers were quick to start eating, while Bilbo surveyed the contents of the table. Kíli said his greetings with little issue; Bilbo had never quite seen Kíli’s ambassadorial skills at play, but the ease in which he dialogues is nothing short of breathtaking. Gandalf and Dís seemed entranced at Kíli’s prowess as well, so Bilbo is not the only one.When he tears his gaze away, Legolas dares speak up to Thorin and Fíli. Bilbo hones in on the historic conversation.“-for long range only,” Legolas says, “so of course I have plenty of short range weapons.”Bilbo refrains from rolling his eyes at the dinner table, because in hobbit culture, that’s rude. Legolas clearly couldn’t pick up on the dwarrow tactic of discussing weapons to hide innuendos. Deciding against listening any further, Bilbo digs in with his food. He thinks there are discussions of swords and daggers and blade sizes, but oddly, he doesn’t hear any stifled laughter at the comical joke. The realization has Bilbo lifting his head up to eavesdrop again.Thorin and Fíli were genuinely listening to Legolas talk about elvish weapons. Not making a joke. Not exchanging humorous glances at each other. Not a hint of mirth in their eyes. Just curiosity.Hm. Perhaps they were only immature when kin’s around. Bilbo, while a hobbit, was recognized as a dwarf-friend and considered kin, so they treated him as such. He was just glad that the dwarrow had manners and maturity.As the meal carried on, Bilbo answered inquiries from almost every member of the table. A merry feeling washed over him when he realized that they could be a family. They could be that for Kíli and Legolas. They both deserved it, with the untold obstacles they must have gone through separately and together. All too soon, empty trays were taken away. Bilbo barely had time to form his thoughts before Legolas was about to leave for the sickroom.Bilbo rises, too, and catches Legolas’s attention. He keeps his tone light as he asks, “might I talk to you for a moment in private, Your Highness?”All eyes are on the elf. Legolas nods once, unperturbed by the gazes. “Certainly.”Bilbo does not meet any of the curious looks he receives for his uncharacteristic behavior. Legolas simply follows him out of the dining hall, as the doors had just been reopened.Bilbo ensures they are out of elven earshot before stopping in a corner. If Legolas is confused or afraid, he doesn’t let it show.Looking up at the elf, Bilbo says, “I’ve been working on a book for several years now about the war.”Oddly, just that sentence has Legolas reading Bilbo like the hobbit was a book. “You’re curious about my side of the story.”“I,” Bilbo shifts on his large feet, “yes, I am.”“Alright,” Legolas chimes.When he says nothing else, Bilbo raises his eyebrows. “Alright?”“I’ll tell you,” Legolas says. The hobbit blinks in surprise. “Just like that, you’ll tell me?”“Yes,” Legolas replies, “I trust you.”Bilbo doesn’t know how to react to such trust being given so freely. His eyes threaten to tear up, but he shuts it down before it can manifest. He’s starting to see why Kíli was so taken by Legolas all those years ago. It was only luck that they were destined for each other.“Right,” Bilbo says, “thank you, Legolas. This will help a great deal with my historical accounts.”“Would you like to do it now?” Legolas asks.Bilbo suddenly notices everyone is filing out of the dining hall for the night. They look over at the duo curiously, but Legolas waves them off as a farewell. Kíli locks eyes with Legolas and somehow understands, beginning a conversation with his brother.“I,” Bilbo processes the earnest offer, “alright.”~2 Years EarlierKíli rides on horseback, the clacks and rocks from the creature lulling him into a state of calm. The elves in his company had passed through the last of Mirkwood a short time ago, and the lands ahead were peaceful. If he weren’t venturing to Rivendell to propose a treaty, he would think he was in heaven.Looking ahead at the pack of elves who chose to accompany him, Legolas is in front talking with a Rivendell elf that he knows, Glorfindel. The elf is Lord Elrond’s personal guard and was sent ahead to Mirkwood in order to escort Kíli back to Rivendell as a gesture of goodwill. Glorfindel was kind enough, and if Kíli didn’t know any better, he would have thought he was kin to Legolas; both looked freakishly alike when viewed from afar.Since Kíli cannot speed up his horse without attracting attention to the guards, he chats idly with those he’s become friendly with over his years as a traveling ambassador. He queries them on past journeys to Rivendell so that he can gauge how to act; stumbling in with the Company all those years ago certainly didn’t count as having manners.They break for a night in a calm mountain pass. The elves set up camp quickly, taking care of horses, starting a fire, and providing food and drink from their supply packs. Kíli decides on lembas bread and takes an empty log beside the fire. After a long moment to himself, Legolas shares a log with him. When no other elves emerge to sit with them, Kíli looks over his shoulder; the elves are pretending to be busy with supply counts. Kíli’s cheeks heat up.When he studies Legolas’s profile, his husband asks, “how are you feeling about tomorrow?”Kíli chews on his lembas bread as he considers it. Tomorrow, he would arrive in Rivendell and present his treaty to Lord Elrond. While that was stressful enough, Kíli had to erect mental shields since Lord Elrond could read minds. If he found out about Kíli’s feelings, or marriage, to Legolas, Kíli had no idea what would happen. Kíli has gotten skilled at evading lesser mind readers, so that bolstered his belief that he could go further with his shared magic abilities. However, despite Legolas being cleared to travel with him to Rivendell for support, Kíli still had to be on guard at all times. They couldn’t let the nature of their relationship slip to the other elves in their travel group. So, while Legolas was achingly close and available to touch, Kíli couldn’t. He had to restrain himself and his words around his own husband. It was maddening, especially with the impersonal way Legolas asked his question. It made Kíli think of the way Legolas would rephrase those very same words if they were alone, how Legolas would look and act if they were in their magic house back in Mirkwood.Kíli is halfway through his lembas bread before he replies, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, Your Highness. How do you feel about visiting Rivendell?”A peaceful and quiet expression crosses Legolas’s face, lighting up his blue eyes. Embers from the fire crackle within them, providing a glow to his skin, which had been pale from fog until they left the boundaries of Mirkwood. Kíli is taken aback by the beauty of it, the beauty of his husband, and he has to swallow a lump in his throat to prevent from blurting out a soliloquy.“I really enjoy it there,” Legolas says in a lighter tone, “and I think you will too, Ambassador.”When Legolas smiles and turns to the fire, saying nothing else, Kíli hides his own delight at his husband’s rare peace in a bite of lembas bread.~Kíli enters the castle’s family room to find Legolas and King Thranduil deep in discussion. They halt at his entry, and they beckon him over to the comfortable seating area.Dropping into the cushion beside Legolas, Kíli levels his gaze with King Thranduil. The king asks, “has Legolas talked with you about his crowning?”“Yes,” Kíli lets his pride light up his face, taking Legolas’s hand in his lap, “I’m very happy that he’s chosen this path.”“I’m glad to hear that you approve,” King Thranduil says, “I expected Legolas would want to continue his travels.”“And Legolas is right here,” Legolas teases them both, “and ready to be there for our people.”Kíli squeezes his husband’s hand. In a fortnight, the elf beside him would be a king.“Your kin have agreed to stay for the crowning?” Thranduil asks.“Yes, Your Highness,” Kíli says.“I’ve called upon the elven clans,” Thranduil says, “and Lord Elrond will be arriving in the coming days. He’s the only leader not here already.” Legolas nods, and Kíli is struck with a hint of fear. He squashed it quickly; he didn’t have to worry about Lord Elrond reading his mind anymore. “Next order of business,” Thranduil hesitates, “I’m unsure if you want to disclose your marriage to outsiders. It’s entirely your choice,” he looks between the couple, “but you should know that many rumors are currently going around at the dwarrows’ presence here, and questions will continue to arise from the other clans until it is addressed.”While Kíli is taken aback by the idea of elves whispering about his kin and crafting stories about them, he realizes dwarrow do the exact same thing. He would have these issues when he returns to Erebor, too.Legolas is looking to the side to gauge his reaction. When Kíli remains quiet, Legolas says, “we both need to think about it.”“I accept it,” Thranduil says, “let me know when you’ve come to a mutual decision.”Before Thranduil continues the meeting, the door is thrown open. Tauriel enters as if she had just run across the entire palace, frantic eyes settling on the trio. “Your Highnesses,” she exhales, standing by the seating area and looking between Thranduil and Legolas, “there’s been startling movement detected in the fog.”Legolas glances at his father, who says, “go ahead, son.”At the support, Legolas rises, their hands parting, and asks Kíli, “come with me?”Surprised at the offer, Kíli murmurs, “of course.”Kíli follows Legolas and Tauriel out of the family room. He listens to Tauriel’s hurried explanation as he follows the long strides of the elves.“On the battlements this morning, I saw a series of wild shifts amongst the western trees,” Tauriel says. “This isn’t wind, or a wounded animal, or a flock of birds. It’s something bigger. It feels sinister.”“But we got rid of the spiders,” Kíli pipes up. “There can’t be more, right?”When neither answers, striding through the halls towards the western battlements, Kíli emits a curse.“Or it could be something worse,” Legolas says curtly. “I’ll have to see it myself.”“You finally get to put your fancy new abilities to use,” Tauriel remarks. “It’ll be good to have them before we make any plans.”“You can see that far now?” Kíli prompts. “Supposedly,” Legolas replies, the group making it to the balcony, “it’s what Lady Galadriel said.”Taking a breath, Legolas steps onto the battlements. The elves on duty startle at his magnifying presence, but quickly return to their bows. Tauriel guides Legolas and Kíli, ignoring any glances tossed their way; one or two elves are notably confused by Kíli being there, and Thranduil’s words about rumors vaguely resurface. Kíli stomps them down.When they are facing the west side of the palace, Kíli notices something isn’t right about the fog. Kíli’s archer eyes couldn’t detect movement, but a change in the air is all the alert he needs.Legolas inhales sharply. It jolts Kíli into looking up at his thoughtful profile. Tauriel’s wide eyes flicker to Legolas, too, just as alarmed as Kíli.Exhaling slowly through his nose, Legolas murmurs, “I sense cursed creatures in the fog. They weren’t blown out of existence when Kíli pushed back the murk.”“How are they alive?” Tauriel asks, completely in shock. “Elf scouts haven’t seen anything around the perimeter so far. They’ve all reported that the fog was thin, not able to hide much.”“I don’t know,” Legolas says numbly, staring out into the distance, “I just know that our main roads are compromised at the worst possible time.”“What do you mean?” Tauriel says. When Legolas doesn’t reply, Tauriel looks to his opposite side. “Kíli?”“Lord Elrond is coming here,” Kíli responds, “he’ll be here in a few days for the crowning.”“Crowning?” Tauriel raises a brow at Legolas. “When were you gonna tell everybody about that, huh?”“Not sure,” Legolas sounds far away as he studies the fog, “someone is coming.”“From out there?” Tauriel tenses, as does Kíli.“I’m not sure if it’s friend or foe,” Legolas says, “mind if I give your people an order?”“Not at all,” Tauriel clips, “future King of Mirkwood.”Legolas cannot bring himself to smile at her teasing tone. The lack of humor in his expression sobers Kíli as well as Tauriel.When Legolas turns, he goes into General of the Mirkwood Army mode. “Archers, I need each of you to focus on the coordinates I assign to you. Each one of you, aim your arrows at the shifting trees in the fog.”Then, Legolas approaches each of the dozen elves on the battlements and rattles off very specific coordinates. Each elf inclines their head in understanding and follows the order, aligning their bows and arrows.Once that is done, Legolas says, “none of you fire until Tauriel commands it.”“Yes, Your Highness,” they say.Legolas gestures to Tauriel and Kíli and motions them towards the entrance of the battlements. They stand close as Legolas murmurs, “I need to get on the fields for a closer look. I’m not going into the fog, but I should be able to track the path of whatever is out there. Tauriel, I need you to stay here and direct your archers. Kíli, it’s your decision what you want to do.”For Kíli, the decision takes seconds. He knows if he goes with Legolas that his husband will worry for him; Kíli would do the same in that position. Kíli’s job is to stay out of imminent danger while still contributing. “I’ll get my bow and join Tauriel up here. If you’re going out there, take Aragorn with you.”Legolas nods in assent. “I will.”Since Legolas’s word is his vow, Kíli feels safer imagining Aragorn beside his husband, as they used to be in the Blue Mountains.Kíli says to Tauriel, “I’ll be back.”“Teach the younger ones how it’s done,” Tauriel encourages.Kíli smiles and shares a look with Legolas. They were both ready.Legolas moves, and Kíli follows until they reach the sickroom. Kíli has been staying with Legolas, so his supplies are there.Halting at the archway, Kíli looks up at Legolas. “Be careful.”Legolas nods, then leans down. Kíli pushes up on his tiptoes to kiss him. Since they were affectionate so rarely, Kíli revels at the momentary attention.When he can see Legolas’s face again, it’s filled with determination. Instead of speaking, Legolas parts, searching for Aragorn.Kíli enters the sickroom, refusing to ruminate on his emotions, and grasps for his supplies. He hadn’t brought his best bow and quiver with arrows, but they would do.As he emerges, King Thranduil, Uncle Thorin and Bilbo approach. Uncle Thorin asks, “Kíli, what’s going on? Elves are rushing around like they’re on fire.”Thranduil sends Thorin an amused look, and Bilbo answers with an apologetic one.Kíli doesn’t want to explain everything to them, but he focuses on Thranduil; he’s the king for a couple more days, after all. “There are creatures of evil in the fog. There’s also something coming this way. Legolas is going closer because he can’t tell if it’s good or bad. I’ll be watching with Tauriel from the battlements.” He inclined his head and held onto his bow tight. “Now, I must go.”“Right, of course,” Thranduil permits, despite the information flooding behind his eyes.Thorin and Bilbo are no better. Bilbo’s eyes are filled with concern, and Thorin says, “be careful out there, Kíli.”Kíli hums in affirmation. It’s so strange how, just the previous night, they were all gathered in the dining hall, eating and laughing together. So much had occurred in these early hours of the following morning that it felt longer ago.He strides away from the sickroom and walks briskly to the western battlements. When he’s out there again, elves give him a side eye. Tauriel is quick to close the distance, unbothered by the attention Kíli receives, and reports, “Legolas and Aragorn are riding out now. Something is shifting closer in the trees. With the fog, it’s hard to tell what it could be.”“As long as it’s not spiders,” Kíli says, “I could go the rest of my life without seeing a single one of those monsters again.”Advancing and kneeling on the balcony, Kíli procures an arrow and draws his bow. He chooses the crossbow technique that Legolas taught him in the Blue Mountains, which allows for the bow and arrow to rest on the balcony ledge without stressing his shoulder muscles. The elves positioned around him regard Kíli warily. Tauriel barks, “is something wrong with the Ambassador’s presence here, men?”The elves between Kíli tense up and fall silent. One or two elves answer with muttered negatives. More elves stay quiet and focus on the task at hand.But one elf asks, “why is he acting like an archer when he’s an ambassador?”Kíli bites the inside of his cheek to prevent laughter. He looks at the very young elf, and then at a disgruntled Tauriel. He’ll let her do the talking.Rolling her eyes, Tauriel clips, “Ambassador Kíli Durin is the most skilled dwarrow archer in Middle Earth. He’s trained for decades longer than most of you and he’s fought in a war. He’s killed more orcs and goblins with his bow and arrow than one of our elven battalions. While he’s a good diplomat, he’s a war hero that does even better with a weapon in his hands.”The elf flushes in embarrassment. Kíli huffs at Tauriel. “You didn’t have to say all that for a scolding.” He frowns at the elf. “Sorry, kid.”The elf mumbles an apology too. Kíli then returns to his bow and arrow. He leans over the balcony, observing two horses striding towards the distant fog. A blonde and brown head indicate that Legolas and Aragorn are approaching beside one another, staying close and cautious. Kíli follows their steps with his arrowhead, closing an eye for a better focus.A magnificent roar suddenly shakes the fog. Kíli flickers towards the sound, watching a flock of birds escape the fog and fly erratically into the clear sky. His heart thumps in his throat and pounds in his ears. He exhales slowly. On the field, Legolas and Aragorn draw weapons while astride their halted horses.There’s a moment of silence in the forest. Kíli prepares himself while the elves beside him dim from fear.“Hold,” Tauriel says from behind him, “no firing until I say so.”The elves say their “yes, Captain” in varying degrees of volume.Kíli is watching his husband on the ground standing on the horse’s saddle, bow taut and aiming at the fog. A swoop of affection and attraction settles in his gut, warming his hairy cheeks. Legolas had to teach him how to do that one day.A smaller roar comes from the trees, but the end of it comes out like a whine. The hairs on Kíli’s arms rise; something is very wrong here.A brown mass stumbles out of the fog. Fur and the shape of a nose is preceded by beady eyes. The bear struggles to move, clearly in pain from a wound.At the largeness of the animal, recognition floods Kíli’s senses. He rises from the balcony and says the bear’s name: “that’s Beorn, the skin changer.”“He’s right,” Tauriel says, “hold your fire.”The elves dutifully put away their bows. Kíli holds his bow on one side and places his arrow in the quiver over his shoulder. When he looks over the balcony, he notices Legolas and Aragorn following the injured skin changer to the west gate.When Kíli returns to Tauriel’s gaze, she says, “go find out what’s happening. I’ll stay here.”Kíli bobs his head and takes the order, leaving the western battlements and making his way to the palace side entrance.~2 Years EarlierLegolas is alone in the bathhouse. The sight startles Kíli, stopping and restarting his mind. He looks around the empty hallway leading to the bathhouse, ensuring that what he’s seeing through the glass is correct. Legolas is unguarded, and alone in the bathhouse.Oh, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up. Throwing caution away at being caught in Rivendell, Kíli glides inside the enclosed space. Legolas’s eyes go right to him, arching a surprised brow at the intrusion. Kíli really can’t help himself.Reaching the edge of the water, he strips off his clothes in two swift motions. He drops them with a plop on the tile, reorienting his attention to Legolas down in the baths. His husband, not as shy as he used to be, takes his time looking at Kíli. Legolas’s gaze journeys up Kíli’s body, feet to hair. While remaining frustratingly reserved in comparison to his usual expressiveness, Legolas nonetheless appreciates the sight. A spark of delight travels through Kíli, and he winks at his husband.As he unties his two usual side braids, leaving the thick metal beads with his clothes, Legolas asks, “so I assume your meeting with Lord Elrond was a success?”Kíli walks over to the submerged steps and revels in the cool temperature of the water. “Mm, it was.” He wades over to the opposite side of the baths, leaning against the wall. “I could tell he can’t read me. He was more fascinated than suspicious, which is a relief.”He finally takes in Legolas’s bare torso and face, glistening with water and a bout of good health. His husband’s wet hair shines like silver and gold, and Kíli absently wonders how diamonds and a treasure chest of jewels would look weaved in his hair, how he would look trapped in the bedroom-Nope. Stop. Possession. Kíli smiles to mask the thoughts. Water lilies would be a better fit for Legolas’s hair, anyway. Water lilies and daisies, fresh flowers for a floral face.“How was the meeting with the healer?” Kíli asks to change the subject.“She had a tonic to help me when it gets really bad,” Legolas says, “but my illness will remain until my magic matures.”Kíli’s mouth smooths into a neutral line. He’s a bit disappointed they didn’t have a better fix, but he shouldn’t have expected a cure. Unstable magic is a natural state for elves, yet something told Kíli that elves weren’t meant to be as ill as Legolas.“Don’t worry,” Legolas placates, shifting forward in the water, “I’m feeling much better in Rivendell.”Kíli nods slowly, then ducks his head under water. Bubbles scream in his ears, and he delights in the momentary silence. He casts his worries aside. After he resurfaces, he brushes out his hair and combs through it with his fingers. He evens out his breaths just as he does when he’s overwhelmed. He settles down easily.“The possession thing happened again,” Kíli’s gaze shifts carefully to Legolas, “before, didn’t it?”Kíli bobs his head, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I can handle it, love.”“I know,” Legolas says, so sure that Kíli is knocked breathless, “you can do anything, Kíli.”“So can you,” Kíli insists, and oh, he has no idea when this conversation became one of their serious talks, but he continues, “I believe in you. You can get through this.”Legolas nods in a clear attempt to convince himself. He turns bemused, suddenly, and before Kíli could process it, Legolas is splashing water at Kíli. His answering laughter sings throughout the bathhouse, and he lets a welcome air of playfulness take over his mind.~After Beorn had been checked and fussed over by elven healers, he requested two guests. Why he chose Kíli and Legolas to speak to was befuddling to both dwarrow and elf. Regardless, they went to the room where Beorn was kept and tried their best to remain unperturbed.Before either could say anything, Beorn looks between the two, all wrinkled skin and facial hair. While sitting up on the large cot, he raises a claw-shaped fingernail between their bodies, as if drawing a line. “I knew I sensed something on the battlefield, all those years ago. How long have you been destined?”Legolas bristles, unable to hide a balking reaction. He looks to Kíli; his husband, above all, is amused, a smirk trailing across his face.Regaining his neutrality, Legolas says, “I didn’t know skin changers had such a power.”Beorn’s gaze said ‘well, this one does, so get used to it.’Kíli answers his original question: “Our story was not immediately clear to us, if that’s what you’re asking.”Fascinated by Kíli’s words, Beorn asks, “I’ll revise my question, then. How long have you two known each other, truly? I’ll not tell.”Legolas clears his throat. “Twenty years.”Blue eyes widen beneath cinnamon brows. “Hm. I thought longer,” Beorn shrugs, “but twenty years can feel twice as long, sometimes.” He clearly speaks those last words from experience.Legolas is ready to get the conversation moving elsewhere, but one glance at Kíli means that won’t happen yet. A glimmer of curiosity lies in his husband’s dark eyes, and Legolas knew better than to stave it off. Kíli’s curiosity, while often dangerous, also led to some of the best moments of Legolas’s life.Kíli asks, “what was it that made you figure it out, all those years ago?”Beorn, while visibly taken aback by the query, nevertheless replies, “while I was changed, on the battlefield, I saw an arrow sail across an entire sea of orcs, arched perfectly from you,” he points to Legolas, “and, despite the chaos of your perch,” he regards Kíli, “you caught the arrow with your bare hand and used it on an orc clawing at your boots. A quick few seconds, but when I processed it, I saw it slower. All that distance, all that insanity, and still, you both had a balance. That’s when I knew.”“Wow,” Kíli blinks away water rising in his eyes, and Legolas is just as overwhelmed, “I hadn’t thought about it like that.”Legolas reaches out and takes Kíli’s hand. It seems to steady him, somehow, and Legolas squeezes. After a beat, he lets go.Then, Kíli asks, “what happened out in the fog, Beorn?”Beorn’s expression turns into one of conflict. He looks warily between the couple before saying, “I was attacked by spiders, but these were…bigger. More vicious. Erratic in their behavior.”Legolas’s blood grows cold; these creatures proved more powerful and resilient than anticipated. He replays Beorn’s last words in his head. “We killed their Queen years ago. We thought we got the rest of them, too.”Legolas wants to run from the room and snap his bow in half. If he didn’t kill them all, what type of ruler was he, even? If he couldn’t be diligent enough to see there were more spiders, what made him so sure he could protect his people?What made him worthy of a king’s crown?He is aware of Kíli staring at him. Legolas dares to look. Kíli’s eyes are hard and strong. ‘Don’t blame yourself,’ they said. ‘You did the best you could.’Legolas’s mind quiets instantly at Kíli beside him. It brings Legolas away from his self-loathing and neutralizes it. Kíli stands with such command, and his expression contains such strength, that Legolas could swear it’s his husband that’s a king. It’s not often that Legolas is speechless, but this one look makes it so. By the Valar, Legolas loves his husband.With that shining moment finished, Kíli turns to Beorn. “Since they are larger, were you able to injure one of them?”“I killed one of them,” Beorn says proudly. “It wasn’t easy, but I ripped its mandibles apart and that seemed to do the trick.”Kíli narrows his eyes in the way he does when he thinks very hard, or when a piece of legislation is more difficult to understand than he predicted. “You didn’t go for the eyes or the brain at all? Just ripping the mandibles was enough?”“Aye,” Beorn says, “I remember that clearly, even now.”“Hm,” Kíli pinches his brows together, “they could have poison in their mandibles that connect with their other body parts, somehow. If the mandibles are compromised, that could have a ripple effect on their nerves, their hearts, and even their brains.” He presses his lips together, then regards Legolas. “What do you think?”Legolas blinks; when Kíli uses his intelligence, he’s impossible to resist. Legolas has to shake his mind to get it to do something.What was he supposed to be thinking about, again?Beorn’s laughter meant he knew exactly what happened to Legolas. “I think you’ll have to repeat that for our resident stargazer, Kíli.”Legolas doesn’t even have shame about being caught staring at his own husband. He surprises himself when no heat rises on his cheeks as it does before a visible blush. Kíli, though, rolls his eyes and huffs, shaking his head. A quirk of his mouth on one side, however, meant that Kíli was still flattered by the attention.They’ve only been able to show their affections openly a rare handful of times. Legolas can add Beorn to the trusted few, especially since he made them feel so at ease immediately. Legolas hopes, now that their kin know the truth, that they could have more open moments like this in the future.“I heard you,” Legolas says, glancing between Beorn and Kíli, “I think it’s possible that the spiders mutated again. If ripping the mandibles kills them, the poison could be hurting them too. In that case, we can use their own poison to take care of them.”“I hope that’s true, for your sake,” Kíli says. “Thanks for helping us, Beorn.”“No problem,” Beorn says. “Thanks for the patch-up.”“You should rest awhile before you go,” Legolas suggests. “It would be no trouble at all for you to stay the night.”“That’s much appreciated,” Beorn inclines his head, “Your Highnesses.”Legolas bites down his usual correction. He had to get used to going by formalities as a king.He leaves Beorn in the room. Kíli follows, waiting until they are far enough away to speak in the empty hall: “We’ll have to work fast.”Legolas hums, mimicking Kíli’s shorter strides. “I’m sure my father already sent the ravens. That means we only have a few days before guests arrive for my coronation.”“I’m here for you,” Kíli says. “We can work on this together.”A warmth settles in Legolas’s chest, blooming across his body. He truly had the best husband.Although Legolas hadn’t been paying attention to their destination, he realizes they are near the king’s strategy room. “We should get some of my other advisors in here.”“Are you calling me an advisor?” Kíli teases.Legolas stops at the strategy room doors. He tugs the handles; it’s unlocked. He folds them open, considering Kíli’s question. “Well,” he says, his voice echoing in the empty chamber, “you’re already a politician, and accepted by my people. Not to mention you’re my husband.” Legolas steps inside the room, sunlight cast around the large circular table. “Is being an advisor so hard to believe?”Kíli’s boots behind him resound in the room, taking in the rarely-used space. Legolas regards Kíli’s profile, the hesitation present in his eyes at the words and at the sight before him. Kíli presses his lips together and parts them again. “I suppose…I hadn’t thought much about my own role in your kingdom.” He chuckles at himself. “Mahal, I can be short sighted sometimes.”Legolas steps towards Kíli with uncertainty. “You can have any role you wish. You can have many roles. Or you could just be my husband. No matter what, you’ll have respect.”Kíli surveys every part of the room, not meeting his eyes. “You’ll have to think about my side on Erebor too, you know. But I suppose,” he sighs, “one beast at a time, right?”“Or one arachnid at a time,” Legolas replies, hovering near Kíli’s space. Legolas would have to do some serious thinking about Erebor at a later date. And it was clear they both had a lot to talk about and work out together in the days to come.The quip gets a throaty chuckle from Kíli. He moves forward and smiles, then remarks, “just when I think I can’t love you any more, you go and say a cute and clever thing like that.” Kíli is suddenly on tiptoes in Legolas’s personal space. Legolas’s shadow makes Kíli’s brown eyes glitter like starlight. Kíli’s lips tilt up, close and pink and waiting. Legolas drops his head down to kiss him, sweet and soft. It’s just enough pressure to remain innocent, yet make his heart and soul dance to a shared rhythm. His meleth marthannen, his One, who stole his breath and gave it right back to him, every time.Kíli’s eyes sing with affection when he pulls back, leveling himself to his usual height. “Mudùmel.”“Gimlelul,” Legolas murmurs, grinning widely.Kíli flushes. “We should, uh, get your council in here.”“Mm,” Legolas is delighted at Kíli’s rare blush, “get the dwarrow and men. I’ll get the elves and wizards.”Kíli nods in understanding, but he does not move. Legolas winks, stepping around him towards the open doors. Kíli sputters.Legolas chuckles on the way out.~2 Years EarlierLord Elrond studies Kíli carefully from across the table. He’s reread the treaty Kíli has painstakingly written multiple times. It took all of Kíli’s ambassadorial training not to fidget and worry visibly. He can’t say much for his mental state in front of the mind reader, but he’s keeping fairly composed.The Rivendell King sits back in his chair, narrowing his eyes, as if wanting to pierce through him. Kíli doesn’t let him, and doesn’t indicate with so much as a tick that he’s blocking Elrond from entry.Finally, the elf is done with sparring nonverbally. “What’s your personal interest in this treaty, Ambassador?”Kíli tilts his head to the side a little. “I’ve already told you that I want to help dwarrow and elves alike.”“That’s a professional interest,” Lord Elrond labels, “I’m asking about your personal interest.”“The same answer,” Kíli says evenly. “I became an ambassador because I want to establish communication between our peoples.”Lord Elrond sits eerily still, remaining silent for a long moment. Kíli does not let it discomfort him.Finally, his eyes glance from the treaty to Kíli’s face again. “May I ask why?”“Because prejudices are short-sighted and always have been,” Kíli says. “I was never satisfied with my kin’s descriptions of elves. I knew there had to be more to elves, just as there is more to dwarrow than loving jewels and gold.” He pauses in his next words, mouth open, then exhaling, “I was especially intrigued at your hospitality when we were on our quest to reclaim Erebor. You may not have liked us, but you helped anyway, and I’ll always remember that. It’s only fair that Erebor extend this same courtesy to you, and help to mend our relations.”With his peace spoken aloud, Kíli feels lighter. He lets the words mingle with the air pleasantly. He hides his pride and sits calmly in his chair, awaiting a response.Lord Elrond looks between Kíli and the document several more times. After another moment, he says, “I was taken by surprise when I learned that Kíli Durin, an archer, was being sent as an ambassador on such an important errand. I was even more surprised when I learned that Kíli Durin was not merely an archer playing at ambassador, but that he also wrote the very treaty in question and it received high praise from the Mirkwood King. And what’s more to add to my surprise,” Elrond leans forward in his seat, blue eyes vibrant, “not only is Kíli Durin a legitimate politician as well as an archer, but he also cares deeply, very deeply, about allying elves and dwarrow once again.”Kíli’s mind flits with the idea that maybe Elrond saw into his thoughts after all, but he supposes his words held the truth well enough.“For that,” Elrond declares, “you have my full support, Ambassador. I will sign your treaty, and even aid you in convincing Lothlórien to do the same.”It takes all of Kíli’s restraint not to whoop like he had just won a sparring battle against Dwalin in the Erebor training grounds. He inclines his head instead, keeping his tone even. “Thank you, Lord Elrond.”When the treaty is signed and Kíli is dismissed from the room, he hunts down Legolas. The second they’re alone, Legolas lets Kíli know just how proud he is of him.~Legolas’s sixth arrowhead strikes a mutated spider between the eyes. He backs away as it screeches and crumples into the foggy grass. The ground thumps. Legs bend and grow still. The poison in the arrowhead releasing into the bloodstream causes the veins to turn purple. Legolas takes a breath at another foe dead by his trick arrows.Reloading his bow with another arrow, Legolas uses it to guide him through the murk. His body thrums with power, a power he never used to feel before his magic matured. He’s alive, so alive and safe and strong, that he could weep. When he was sick, he thought he would die before his magic matured. Now that he surpassed his wildest expectations, he’s ready. Alive and ready to take on whatever was thrown at him.The past few days were stressful. Planning and staging a successful attack on the spiders has been daunting. All the help and support, though, made the experience manageable and even fun. The elves, men, dwarrow, and wizards working together towards this goal made him understand that Kíli has always been right; their races could all benefit from one another. They were also glad when Legolas announced his upcoming coronation. Receiving acceptance and applause from even King Thorin Oakenshield nearly bowled over Legolas. The fact that he could have this, have a massive family, have his husband and his husband’s family on his side, was still hard to comprehend. It was beyond not only his wildest imagination, but beyond Kíli’s as well.Legolas continues amongst the trees, able to actually pierce through the thick fog with his heightened senses. Someone approaching quiets him, and he stands perfectly still.Aragorn steps out of a thick pocket of fog, bow around his shoulder and sword drawn. He meets Legolas’s eyes and mouths, “I saw one.”Legolas trains his ears and eyes. The sound of spider legs sneaking around the trees is faint, yet audible enough to him. Turning on his heels, he aims in the spider’s direction. Aragorn stands beside him and grips his sword, ready if it leaped into close quarters.A silent moment.Then, Legolas pinpoints the spider and fires an arrow. A screech.In stumbles, the spider escapes the fog. It thrashes wildly towards them, the arrow landing in its side. Legolas sends off another arrow, but it does not land by the brain.Aragorn rushes the creature and stabs upwards. The sword cuts through its face, dripping green blood. A final cry, and Aragorn rips the sword away. The spider crashes to the ground, dead.Aragorn emerges with green blood all over his armor and body. Not even his face and flowing hair are unscathed. Legolas holds in a laugh; he hasn’t gotten any goo anywhere except his armor so far, and he’s killing quite a lot of spiders.The man huffs out, “your soldiers and Tauriel are retreating as you ordered now that most of them are dead. The fog is thinning out in certain areas, too, the more that fall.”That piece of information has Legolas’s brow shooting upwards. “The spiders are connected to the fog? But the fog is connected to my father’s magic.”Aragorn looks at him silently.It hits Legolas like a cannonball. His eyes widen exponentially. “My father’s magic created them.”Aragorn nods gravely. “It’s the only thing that makes sense, why they’ve mutated in such a self-destructive way that their own poison is enough to kill them.”Legolas’s mind churns. He thinks aloud. “Since my father unknowingly created these monsters, are these spiders a good thing or a bad thing? He’s been so much better lately. Ever since I awoke, he’s been good,” he searches Aragorn, “right? Am I right about that?”“You are,” Aragorn supports, “he hasn’t been sad, from what I’ve seen. Maybe,” he pauses, “maybe the spiders are dying easily because your father’s grief is dying too.”Legolas nods slowly in consideration. “Maybe my marriage showed him how much he missed, and he’s moving on for everyone’s sake.” The thought instantly causes mixed emotions to rise up in him. While he’s glad his father is taking a step in the right direction, it still meant that he was ashamed for not being there. And Legolas didn’t want his father to feel ashamed for that; he would have to discuss it with his father later.“I’m happy for you,” Aragorn says genuinely, “I’m happy you’re finally getting the peace you deserve, not just with Kíli, but with all aspects of your life.”The comfort warms him; Aragorn was truly the best friend he’s ever had. Still, he can’t help but deadpan, “it’s hard to take you seriously when you’re covered in goo.”Aragorn smiles amusedly. “I swear Kíli’s rubbed off on you too much.”“Did somebody say my name?” Kíli’s distant and confused voice trails through the fog. Legolas’s heart thumps erratically. If Kíli were in trouble, he should sense it; that knowledge is what gets him to exhale in relief. ‘Kíli,’ Legolas’s magic cries, ‘Kíli, I’m here.’As if hearing his mental plea, Kíli takes shape, the fog thinning out in his wake. His wide eyes register Legolas and Aragorn, and he keeps his bow and quiver to the side. Kíli’s armor is battered and covered in green spider blood, some of it dusting the shoulder-length ends of his thick hair and his stubble.“Ah,” Kíli looks between Legolas and Aragorn, “here are the town gossips.”Before the elf or man can muster a reply, other figures appear before them. King Thorin, Princess Dís, and Prince Fíli were on high alert due to the yawning fog, a scrappy Bilbo maneuvering around their armored bodies. Swords, axes, and daggers were on their person, as was the telltale spider goo. “Did you use your magic to prevent their blood from getting on your face?” Kíli asks, gaining Legolas’s attention. Kíli’s head is tilted to the side a little. “You did,” his eyes glitter and his lips quirk upwards on one side, “you totally did. Well, guess what?” “Is this how they flirt?” Fíli stage whispers to Dís. “It’s kinda lame.”Kíli winks at Aragorn. Legolas is perplexed by their nonverbal communication.And then, before Legolas could react, Kíli had goo from his face in his hands, and he was launching himself forward. Legolas catches him on instinct, and Kíli spreads the goo from his hands all over Legolas’s cheeks. Kíli pecks his lips before prying himself away, stepping back and laughing at the smears of green spider blood on Legolas’s face. Aragorn high fives Kíli, chuckling alongside him.Legolas sighs deeply, swiping spider goo away from the corner of his mouth. “Thanks.”That gets everyone to laugh uproariously. Kíli sends out his special, as Aragorn calls it, Greenleaf grin. Legolas is dazzled, as always, and cannot hide a smile back.“How many are left, d’you think?” Thorin asks Aragorn. “Must be a handful,” Aragorn replies, “they’re connected to the fog, and it’s thinning out.”“Magic,” Fíli mumbles like a curse.“Alright,” Bilbo says, raising his voice as if rallying troops, “we should do this last part together, don’t you agree?”“Aye,” Kíli says, turning to the hobbit, “good idea.”As happiness threatens to overtake Legolas’s rationality, he clears his throat and says, “I can track them if I focus. I’ll lead the way.”And once the group is weaponized and ready, hunting down the rest of the spiders, the creatures do not stand a chance. The last of the fog leaves Mirkwood, and finally, finally, it is Greenwood once again.~2 Years Earlier‘Home is behind, the world ahead,And there are many paths to treadThrough shadows to the edge of night,Until the stars are all alight.’Kíli hums the tune Bilbo taught him on the road to Erebor. He sits a half mile westward from a waterfall. A family of deer drink from a calmer downstream. They do not tense up at his nearness, so Kíli remains silent and contemplative. They were leaving Rivendell the following morning. Lord Elrond would be watching with those piercing eyes of his, and Kíli had to prepare himself for their weight. While the escort to Lórien is appreciated, Kíli had to keep his mental shields strong. Even a fleeting thought about the Mirkwood prince could be dangerous.A pair of light feet are behind Kíli. If he were not magically connected to his husband, he wouldn’t have heard it over the water. He looks away from the deer, who peacefully drink their fill, and tips his head up. When Kíli squints for a clearer picture in the sunlight, Legolas sits companionably beside him. Kíli’s gaze flickers over his uncharacteristic calmness, the settlement in bright blue eyes. Legolas’s skin had taken on a golden pallor since they had been on the road and away from the toxins of Mirkwood. It reminds Kíli of how carefree Legolas was in the Blue Mountains, when they were both away from their duties.Bringing up a hand, Legolas brushes it over Kíli’s. Fingers twitching, Kíli turns over his palm and allows for Legolas’s hand to lace with his on his thigh. After a moment of studying the intertwined hands, Kíli tips his head towards Legolas. Even though Legolas is much taller than him, his head rests comfortably on a green-cloaked shoulder. Legolas smells like flowers and heat and rain.“You sounded lovely, before,” Legolas murmurs. “Don’t stop singing on my account.”Kíli squeezes their hands, a rush of affection nearly knocking him over with its own intensity. “This place reminds me of the Blue Mountains.”Legolas hums, following Kíli’s eyeline. The family of deer depart the stream, disappearing into the trees. “Do you ever wish we were still there?” Kíli asks impulsively. “That I never left for Erebor?”Legolas tips his cheek on the top of Kíli’s head. He hums in the way he does when he’s thoughtfully considering the question.“I think,” Legolas’s mouth moves in his hair, “if you hadn’t left, something would have happened to separate us anyway. There were orcs and goblins everywhere. At least this way, we had a say in our own future.”The possibility that dwarrow in the Blue Mountains could have befallen a worse fate due to orcs and goblins prowling the area hadn’t occurred to Kíli. Since that could have been the case, it was a good thing that they journeyed to Erebor when they did. Thinking about the past reminds him of an old friend. “Has Aragorn answered your raven yet?”Happiness bubbles in Legolas’s voice. “He has. He’s in Lórien already, and he’s excited to see us.”Kíli smiles. “It’ll be good to see him again.”While it was a nice thought, his mind soon wandered again to Lord Elrond. They couldn’t exactly sneak around Lórien. They had to be exceptionally careful, both of them, to keep the peace with Rivendell.Legolas must have sensed his stormy thoughts, because he says, “don’t you know you can do anything, Kíli Durin?”Kíli’s eyes spring with water. Legolas’s belief in him never ceases to surprise him. He listens to the whispering stream to steady himself. “Yeah,” his voice jumps out reedy, “so can you.”“Mhm.” Legolas squeezes their hands again. “We can do it.”With those words ringing in his mind, Kíli convinced himself that they could, just as they always do.~Legolas forgot how beautiful Greenwood was without fog. It brought him back to hazy memories of his mother, a piece of himself he rarely thought about. Strange, how he doesn’t remember his childhood. Was his mother’s hair blonde? Like his? Like his father’s? What about her eyes? Elven eyes were blue, but some had darker eyes. Was his mother one of the few with darker eyes? Was he like her, or like his father? He sighs; these thoughts will get him nowhere. He’ll ask his father one day, but not for a while. Not until he was older, even though he already felt quite old.Standing on the balcony that leads to his palace bedroom, Legolas studies the spot where a magic house was once enshrouded in mist. The house he built for Kíli was gone, the illusion breaking while he was comatose. He hadn’t even gone near the area yet, though he knows Kíli must have because he moves around quite often in the palace.The door to the bedroom opens quietly. Legolas is naturally drawn towards the figure approaching.Kíli steps out onto the balcony. Legolas wonders what’s different about his husband’s appearance and studies him for a moment. Kíli sends him an amused look from the corner of an eye, a smirk on the corner of his mouth.As Legolas roves over the nuances of Kíli’s expression, he catches sight of the difference: not only has Kíli thoroughly scrubbed his skin to heighten its glow, but he’s also decorated himself with jewelry and powder. With Kíli’s hair pushed back, golden rings adorn his ears, a gemstone on each lobe. A quick glance at Kíli’s hands shows that they’re covered in similar rings, almost one for each finger. His hair, in contrast, is free of metal beads, flowing free at his shoulders. There’s a light dusting of powder on his face, enhancing the light in his eyes. With the sunlight streaming towards him, Kíli is stunning.Kíli seems to know exactly what he’s thinking, because he steps closer, between the balcony and Legolas’s body. He hugs Legolas’s middle with his arms, tipping his chin so he could look up at Legolas’s downturned eyes. “Yâsûn.”Legolas clears his throat at the endearment. He brings up a hand. His nails brush against Kíli’s soft thick hair, finger pads pressing lightly on the earrings. He hums in appreciation at them. “Kibilal.”Kíli chuckles in the base of his throat. His hands wander up Legolas’s back, tracing curves. “Why are you out here brooding? You’re not a king yet.”“That didn’t stop your uncle, now did it?” Legolas counters. Kíli’s face splits into a delighted grin, another chuckle escaping him. “There’s my Greenleaf.” He puts on a pout, so childish that Legolas barely holds back a laugh. “What is it you’re thinking about, hm?”Legolas drops his hand from Kíli’s ear. He looks out at the empty field. “Our house. Do you want it back?”When he looks back down, Kíli is casting his eyes away in contemplation. Legolas absently realizes the looser clothes he’s wearing exposes a part of his chest, and Kíli seems to both use it as a grounding point and revel in its existence. Kíli’s hands, as well, had stilled at the small of Legolas’s back, pressing on the deep curves covered with a very thin layer of silk, as if wanting to touch him directly but not knowing how to ask.Kíli’s inhale brings Legolas back from his musings. His eyes flicker up and he says, “while I’ll miss our house, I think we’ve outgrown it. Besides,” Kíli is mischievous, “I plan to make good use of the king’s chambers as soon as you’re crowned.”To detract from heat rising to his cheeks, Legolas snorts and rolls his eyes. “Oh, how romantic.”“Yes,” unbridled laughter spills from Kíli’s eyes, “very.”Legolas sighs bemusedly, entertained by his husband’s humor. “Perhaps if you’re well behaved.”“Deal,” Kíli says quickly, flushing at his own eagerness. Kíli’s eyes flicker from Legolas’s bare chest back to his face, but that flash tells Legolas all he needs to know.Legolas notably clears his throat to change the subject. “So, what brings you to my brooding session?”Kíli’s hands wander up Legolas’s back again, finger tracing up his spine. “Are you okay with telling everyone?” The hesitance at the question tells Legolas that Kíli needs assurance. It was hard for Legolas to think about the meeting he would hold with the Mirkwood elves tonight. He would come clean to his people about both the coronation and his marriage to Kíli, and he was unsure how it would be received. Elves were more accepting than other races, but some sects hold their prejudices. Legolas had to please them all as a ruler, but he couldn’t. This meeting would make or break his kingship. He didn’t know what he was going to say. But he should have known Kíli, ambassador and spitfire that he was, wouldn’t let Legolas off that easily. This decision affected Kíli and Erebor too, so it wouldn’t be right to hide from him. And somewhere down the line, they had Erebor to deal with too.Legolas says carefully, “I’m worried they won’t accept you, yes, and that they’ll use this elves-only meeting to slander dwarrow. But I also understand that I can’t please everybody, and I’ll make sure they know that you and dwarrow presences here are non-negotiable.”“Ooh,” Kíli shivers, “so assertive. Not gonna lie, you sound very attractive.”Legolas rolls his eyes again. “Kíli,” he says weakly.“I know, I know,” Kíli’s eyes dance, “this is serious, I understand. I just believe that you can handle it, that’s all.” He slides his hands up and rises on tiptoes. They are almost level in height. “It’ll be okay,” Kíli murmurs, “gi melin.”“I love you too,” Legolas says quietly, punctuating the sentiment with a dropped kiss. He means to pull back, but Kíli’s mouth moving against his to smile keeps him there for a moment longer. Kíli acknowledges this with a cheeky hum, drawing his arms from Legolas’s back to the front of his chest. Palms pressing against the exposed skin has Legolas’s heart beating slowly, heat sifting from Kili’s finger pads.Kíli breaks the kiss, though he isn’t happy about it. Legolas listens to his husband’s faster breaths and remembers that elves can hold air longer than dwarrow. Legolas sucks on his bottom lip in response to that fact, pleased with Kíli’s dizzy appearance.“Mm,” Kíli says dreamily, returning to his regular height with visible conflict, “the things we could do if we had more time.”The suggestion has a rush of want overriding Legolas’s senses. He arches a brow at his own intense bodily response. He attributes it to Kíli’s confident hands on his chest, the metal rings pressing against his clothes.Legolas replies carefully, stomping on his desire, “I’ll settle for you staying here until my time is up.”“Mm.” Kíli’s fingers dip underneath the V in the silk exposing Legolas’s chest, his cold metal rings causing gooseflesh to rise on Legolas’s warm skin. His eyes, in contrast to his heady actions, express a breathtaking softness and understanding. “Get some rest.” He lifts his hand away from Legolas’s front, forgoing the journey. “I’ll be right beside you.”Legolas nods once, overcome with affection for his husband. Kíli always knows what he needs.As he approaches the bed, Kíli is right there, laying companionably with him until he had to leave.~2 Years EarlierKíli paces the moonlit gardens of Lórien in utter turmoil. The elves have been discussing his treaty without him in the room for a long time. With every minute that passed, the more he worried that his work would be all for naught.Lothlórien was a beautiful place. If he thought Rivendell was breathtaking, Lothlórien was equally lovely. There was a mystery in these forests, but a comforting kind. Somehow. Everything had gone well upon his arrival. He was received kindly by Lady Galadriel and her men, and they had a pleasant meal together. The elves of Lórien were much easier to converse with amiably than the elves of Rivendell, and Kíli was grateful for the former’s welcoming demeanor and atmosphere.When he was shut out by Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel, though, he became very concerned. And as the time kept passing, he became very, very concerned. And scared.He stops pacing in the garden, listening to a nearby stream. The sound of water tended to calm him when he was stressed, so he stood still and listened. He made sure to breathe, too, should he faint from overexertion.As the calm water rushes in his ears, he senses his beloved husband’s cautious approach. In the moonlight, Kíli turns as Legolas’s figure becomes visible behind the flower bushes. A silent question rests in his eyes, and Kíli sighs in answer. Legolas reads him easily, but speaks cautiously, in case elven ears pick up the conversation. “Peace, Ambassador.” Legolas’s expression aches with the need to do more, to offer a hand, though he restrains himself. “It will be alright.”Kíli wants to voice his fears and confess to Legolas all that he’s feeling at this moment. He swallows the words. He inclines his head in acknowledgement at the fervent yet friendly support. “Thank you, Your Highness.”“Would you mind company while you wait?” Legolas offers.Kíli takes a beat to ensure it’s socially acceptable. When it is, he says, “I would appreciate it.”Legolas approaches, moonlight scattering across his ivory skin. While such paleness often means Legolas’s sickness is bad, Kíli knows from their bond that the magic of Lórien is keeping him healthy.His gaze drifts to a bench in question. Kíli nods and leads him to the stone. He takes one side, palms pressing against the steady stone, and Legolas moves next to him. Perhaps too close, but the bench only had so much room.When Kíli looks at Legolas, there’s so much they both want to say. Ultimately, though, Legolas’s expression is one of comfort. Kíli sinks in the feeling for all it’s worth, the transfer from one to the other sustaining him. They sit next to each other for a long time, and it is enough.~With the elves in their meeting, Lord Elrond arriving just in time, the dwarrow, Bilbo, and Aragorn settle together in the atrium; Gandalf was escorting Beorn back to his home. Uncle Bilbo bounces around studying the atrium plants, Uncle Thorin watching on from a lounge chair with uninhibited fondness. Amad and Fíli sharpen an ax and a sword, respectively, ‘should anyone get any ideas about harming our Kíli.’ Meanwhile, Aragorn tossed daggers at a makeshift target on the supply wall.Kíli decides to join Aragorn, picking out one of his many knives, while still listening in to his kin’s idle talk. “Mind if I try?”Aragorn hums in assent, and rumbles, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use knives.”Kíli grips the leather handle of a toothy dagger, holding it as Legolas does. “I usually don’t, but I wanna see something.”“What?” Aragorn’s curiosity is hazy from the late hour, but apparent nonetheless.Kíli focuses on his bond with Legolas. It thrums with strength he’s still getting used to; Legolas coming into his full power is an adjustment for both, though Kíli is mesmerized by the magic flowing so readily. Kíli rarely called attention to his own abilities, a result of marrying Legolas. He never knew how anyone would react; dwarrow aren’t meant to be magic users. Legolas has taught Kíli several tricks over the years, though, and while he never used them, the fact that he could has conflicted him. However, he had no need to hide them anymore. Why not see what Legolas’s newfound powers can achieve for Kíli?Flipping the dagger between two fingers, he uses the thumb to launch it towards the target. It sails with a singular flip, landing near the bullseye. Kíli’s brows shoot up, expression no doubt laced with shock and pride.What Legolas can do, Kíli can do.“How,” Aragorn gapes, then shakes his head and falls silent.“Yeah,” Fíli’s voice trails from behind Kíli, so he clearly has his kin’s full attention now, “how the hell did you do that?”Kíli smiles sheepishly at Fíli staring at him. Uncle Bilbo had stilled near a flower bush, eyes wide. Uncle Thorin is frozen in his chair, studying Kíli with interest. Amad wears a similar expression to Uncle Thorin, rising alongside Fíli to get a better look. On the other side of him, when Kíli directs his wary smile there, Aragorn seems to be piecing the events together.“Heh,” Kíli moistens a drying mouth, “you wouldn’t believe me if I said it was luck, right?”Several heads shake in the negatory. Kíli hums and walks to the target. He rips the dagger out and returns it to Aragorn. Kíli lifts his head up at Aragorn’s dawning realization. “Aragorn,” Kíli wears a bemused expression, motioning his gaze to the dwarrow and hobbit, “wanna take this one?”The man shifts his eyes to the assembly as Kíli picks out a different knife. “Kíli can share Legolas’s abilities.”“Wait, so,” Amad says slowly, “when Gandalf told us a while ago that you two share magic…”“He really meant that?” Fíli finishes, equally perplexed.Bilbo snorts, causing Kíli to look at his hobbit uncle. He receives an amused expression in return. “They thought it was a metaphor, Kíli.”“An elven sentiment,” Uncle Thorin corrects, “is more like our mindset.”Kíli shakes his head with a smile. “No, I really do have powers.”To demonstrate his point, he holds the new dagger lightly and flings it as hard as he can. Three flips, almost too fast to track with the naked eye, and then the dagger’s point lands perfectly in the middle of the target.He shrugs and makes a face, a tad embarrassed with himself suddenly. “See? And that’s just the start.”It takes a long moment for that to sink in for the dwarrow. Meanwhile, an unperturbed hobbit asks, “can you help me with these lilies, then?”Kíli brightens; Uncle Bilbo’s own abilities are due to his race descending from elves. His magic only attributes to the earth, and even then, it was sorely limited depending on the environment. “Okay,” Kíli chimes, walking over to Bilbo’s spot in the atrium. The rest of the group was trying not to faint, because they forgot that hobbits are magic users too, through no fault of their own, as hobbits rarely spoke of such matters. Kíli only knew through conversations with Legolas about magic users. Kíli reaches the lilies that concern Bilbo. They were indeed a bit sickly. “Let’s both work together on this one.”Uncle Bilbo nods in affirmation. He held out his hand, and Kíli did the same. They both touched the flower plant. Kíli could feel his magic as well as Bilbo’s helping the lilies. After a moment, the flowers stand taller than ever.Stepping away with Bilbo, the hobbit and Kíli share a smile.“Okay,” Fíli says, blinking several times. Amad was much the same, and Uncle Thorin was processing it slowly.Kíli looks at them in amusement. “I could do more, but I think that’s enough for you to handle for one night.”Uncle Bilbo chuckles beside him. “You should feel welcome to keep telling us things as you see fit, though,” he sends a sharp look to Uncle Thorin, “isn’t that right?”“Aye,” Uncle Thorin jolts from his stupor and nods profusely, “of course, Kíli.”That prompted idle conversation by the atrium seating area. Aragorn converses amiably with Kíli’s kin. Both of his worlds are colliding, meshing together.After a while, King Thranduil arrives, taking the air with him. Kíli freezes up, and the rest of the room tenses at his reaction.Still in full regalia, Thranduil wears a pained expression on his face. Kíli’s mind jumps to the worst conclusions immediately, racing so much he could faint.“Your Highness,” Kíli doesn’t even recognize his own voice, “what’s happened to Legolas?”The elven king sits in one of the empty lounge chairs. Amad and Fíli sit between Kíli for comfort.“You should know that you’re all welcome here,” Thranduil says, “so that’s not in question. Once they knew about Kíli, they accepted it.”“So what’s the problem, then?” Uncle Thorin asks, struggling with pinched brows to suss out the answer.Thranduil inhales through his nose and sighs heavily, focusing on Kíli. “Before we got there, several elves questioned Legolas’s right to rule as king.”“What?!” Kíli’s shock rises in a chorus. Uncle Thorin, Amad, Aragorn, Fíli and Bilbo’s voices join him in an echo.Thranduil looks eternally tired from whatever he had to witness. “They wanted to know why Legolas was constantly away from Mirkwood.”Kíli grows pale in understanding. “Oh.” He casts his eyes down in shame, his tone grave. “Did he tell them it’s because he was sick, or did he choose to tell them because of his oath to help others?”“The oath,” Thranduil says, “and then, well, you.”“Right,” Kíli can practically see the turn of events in his mind, “but that’s not justification enough.” He nods once, accepting that fact rather than grappling with it. “He was gone longer than he was here until recently. I can see how it would look if they didn’t know about his condition.”Thranduil looks defeated, a mirror of Kíli’s own emotions. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”“Well,” Kíli shrugs, “I’ve taken care of a sick elf prince for twenty years. This isn’t that big of a deal in comparison. How’s Legolas taking it?”Thranduil gives him an ‘are you kidding me’ stare.They say in unison, “not well.”“I think you should leave him be tonight,” Thranduil says. “He’s got a lot to think about.”Kíli considers immediately refusing the request. But he dips into his bond with Legolas, instantly being greeted with a wall. He frowns visibly and murmurs, “alright.”Fíli pats his shoulder. “You can hang out with me and Aragorn tonight. We’re tied for card games won.”Kíli takes the offer of a long-winded distraction. “Sure.”~2 Years EarlierLegolas knows he’s probably breaking a bunch of elven privacy protocols, but he doesn’t care. He stands outside the enclosed gazebo where Kíli was meeting with Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond. There’s nothing Legolas can do to help Kíli inside that enclosure, though he could be there for the aftermath, when Kíli needed him despite the fact they had to be very careful.Training his ears to the gazebo, kneeling behind a massive bush, Legolas listens.“-concerned about the roads,” Lord Elrond says. “Elves cannot secure all the paths that would be required for such a massive trade route.”“If you had dwarrow help,” Kíli sounded confident and breezy, filling Legolas with immense pride for his meleth marthannen, “our races could secure the required pathways together.”“And Erebor agrees to this?” Lady Galadriel’s melodic voice asks.“Yes, Your Highness,” Kíli replies, “I have briefed the dwarrow of Erebor before journeying here, and they all see the mutual benefits of our alliance.”“Truly?” Galadriel asks, clearly in shock.“Of course,” Kíli says, “I was surprised as well. Multiple dwarrow families have already pledged to aid the elves when the time comes.”Kíli is purposefully leaving out that convincing dwarrow to join elves in this project was harder than it sounded. Kíli refused to go into detail about it, but Legolas could probably guess a fair amount of Erebor’s wealth was handed out to those who agreed to help in this venture.A short silence had since overcome the conversation within the gazebo. A surge of worry went through Legolas, but he’s soon placated by Elrond speaking.“What do you say, milady?” He asks. “It will only require a fraction of your elves to complete this task.”Lady Galadriel hums. “Indeed, it would be a small price. I suppose my elves could be spared.”Legolas can practically see Kíli’s smile. “Thank you, Your Highness.”Satisfied at this outcome, Legolas steps out of the foliage he’s hiding behind and leaves the assembly inside the gazebo to sign the treaty. ~Legolas hears a knock on his bedroom door as soon as he’s finished washing and dressing for the day. He takes a breath before stepping forward and answering it.As expected, it’s Kíli. He wears an overly-cheery smile. “Hey, babe. Good morning.”“Hey,” Legolas says meekly, “come in.”He moves aside so that Kíli can enter the room. Legolas catches a whiff of Kíli’s soapy scent, then shuts the door again. They face each other.“So,” Kíli says, “did you sleep at all?”Legolas hums, a smack of temporary exhaustion from his own overthinking shrouding him. “A little bit.”Kíli masks his concern well. “What have you decided?”He should have known his father would brief Kíli in advance. Legolas sighs in preparation for his answer: “I’m going to tell them they were right; I could have been better for my people.”Kíli doesn’t like that reply. “You shouldn’t have to explain yourself when you’re not comfortable doing it.”“Well,” Legolas shrugs, “I should address their concerns. I can’t inspire confidence in my rule if I have dissent already.”Worrying his lip, Kíli holds back an impulse response. He breathes loudly through his nose instead, nodding slowly. “I suppose that’s all you can do since you don’t wanna disclose your illness.” His eyes flicker up to Legolas’s face. “Do you want me to come with you?”Legolas has to think for a long moment. He holds Kíli’s gaze, battling with both sides in his mind. There was a chance he would be distracted or bolstered by Kíli’s presence in a volatile room. He cannot predict how the other elves would react to Kíli being there, since his status as husband is still sinking in for the elves who wanted to marry off Legolas to one of their children. Kíli makes the decision for him, reading Legolas’s inner turmoil. “I’ll wait for you outside, love.”Legolas sighs in relief and nods once; it’s for the best to remain cautious. “Thank you.” He reaches for Kíli’s hand, which Kíli holds between them. “And thank you for giving me space.”Kíli advances until they are quite close, hands on one side of their bodies. He tips his head up and murmurs, “I’ll accommodate anything you need.”It rings like a marriage vow in Legolas’s mind. Rather than speak, Legolas squeezes Kíli’s hand and holds him silently for a moment.~1 Year EarlierLegolas lays on the couch, his head on Kíli’s lap. His body is wracked with damage, nerves alight in bouts of pain. The tonic is out, and even if it weren’t, it had become ineffective. Knees curled up to his chest, he focuses on the fireplace and Kíli’s ministrations. Kíli combs through his long hair with deft fingers, a soothing motion. It grounds Legolas from living too long within his own pain.They had been silent for quite some time in their magic house, a rare and welcome occurrence. Legolas knew, though, that Kíli had to go.“You know,” Kíli murmurs, “for the first time ever, I don’t feel good about leaving you here.”A pinch of pain spreads through Legolas’s arms. “Mm.” Blonde-silver hair is brushed away from his pointed ear. Kíli must read his surge of pain, because he is silent, patient, for a moment.Legolas closes his eyes, feeling the pads of Kíli’s fingers across his jawline. He breathes slowly through his nose. The pain subsides. His voice comes out raw. “Your work is important, mudùmel.”Kíli does not dispute it. He continues combing through stray strands of Legolas’s hair. “You’ll have Tauriel look in on you, right?”Legolas nods his head slightly, humming for good measure. They fall into another lengthy silence. Kíli seems to be at peace with the fact he cannot change their current circumstances, partially accepting of Tauriel stepping in for him. Legolas understands Kíli doesn’t like to leave him, doesn’t like for him to be alone, especially when he’s so ill from his own magic. It’s all worth it, though. For Legolas, all of this pain and separation is worth Kíli’s undeniable love.Settling further into Kíli’s lap, they cuddle together companionably until it’s time for them to part.~Legolas pulls Kíli into the king’s chambers, listening to the dwarrow’s flirtatious giggle. He struggled to walk in armor and silk and flowers and jewels, ornamental masterpieces that decked him from head to toe. It had taken all morning to put the garb on, even with assistance from servant elves.The door closing reminds Legolas of the weight on his head. With his free hand, he takes off the crown made for him just days before the coronation ceremony. His only request was that it included a leaf design, and the crafter somehow made the entire crown look like a pile of preserved golden leaves floating upon his head.Kíli follows him dutifully inside the chambers, in good spirits from the celebrations. With elves, dwarrow, men, and wizards having a party together, Legolas’s reign is off to a happy start.Setting the crown at a bedside table, Legolas finally turns. Kíli is already in his space, looking up with his Greenleaf grin.“Melhekhel,” he says with a wink, “are you ready for me to make good on my promise?”A thrill runs through Legolas. “That’s assuming you don’t spend an hour taking off all my clothes.”Kíli’s laughter sings across the massive rooms. “Don’t you know I love a challenge, darling?”“I do,” Legolas says, unable to keep a pleased smile from his face. With Kíli leaving the following morning, he made sure to pick out his clothes for the coronation with immense care. The way Kíli has looked at him all day, like he wants to devour Legolas, was completely planned. Kíli didn’t even try to hide his desire! It made Legolas ready for tonight.“Well, then,” Kíli’s hands are suddenly all over Legolas, bodies pressing together as he leans up for the kiss, “let’s have fun, shall we?”Legolas circles his arms around Kíli, tipping his head down. Once their lips are an inch away, he murmurs, “yes, let’s.”When their lips meet, Legolas is filled with Kíli’s light.~BonusKíli walks in a daze to the stables at dawn. Parting from Legolas the morning after his coronation was a bit sorrowful, but he’s mostly dizzy with happiness. They’d had a good night. A very, very good and fun night.When he awoke Legolas in the king’s chambers to say goodbye, Legolas didn’t even pout. He simply offered his lips one last time and wished him a safe journey to Erebor. Kíli knows he did a good job when Legolas is gobsmacked and giddy like that. He enters the stables to find Uncle Thorin, Uncle Bilbo, Amad, and Fíli already saddling their horses. Kíli doesn’t even try to hide his pleasant mood, chirping a hello to his tired kin and greeting his unattended horse. “Could you be more obvious?” Fíli scoffs.Kíli turns to him, shining in bemusement. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Fíli grumbles, “did somebody have fun last night?”Kíli puts on a pout to match his brother’s facial expression. “Did somebody wake up a grump?”“Boys,” Amad sighs.Kíli directs his teasing smile to her. “We’re not doing anything, Amad.”“It’s enough anyway,” Uncle Thorin and Bilbo mutter in unison.Kíli shares a mischievous look with Fíli. Then, he settles the saddle on his horse. His bags had already been collected before the coronation event, so they just needed to be strapped. “How do you do this?” Uncle Bilbo asks.Kíli hums in question as he unlocks the straps. “Do what?”“Leave.”The question would normally have him fall silent. But he couldn’t stop thinking about Legolas’s smile, and how he made everything worth it. The waiting, the distance, the conflicts were all worth it, if Kíli could have Legolas for a little while, whether it be just one day or just one night.He couldn’t say any of this to his kin, though. He would never hear the end of it.Kíli says airily, securing bags to his horse, “well, I don’t look at it as leaving. That implies I’m leaving forever, and I’m not, just doing other things. The distance makes it better, I think; we appreciate each other more.” He shrugs. “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it an awful lot.” With the saddle and bags prepared, Kíli puts some weight on the stirrup. When it stays, and his horse looks at him calmly, he puts his foot back on the ground.Then he realizes that the stables are quiet.Pinching his brows together, he turns. His kin look at him strangely, as if not truly seeing him until this very moment.“What?” He asks.“We’re proud of you,” Amad says, misty-eyed, “do you know that?”Kíli blinks, not truly processing it; he didn’t do things to make people proud. He just did them because it’s what he wanted.“Sure,” Kíli says with a little nod. He turns back to pat his horse’s mane, calming the creature. He busies himself mounting the horse. Once he is settled, he asks, “you coming?”The dwarrow and hobbit jolt to life, shifting towards their own horses.They wait until they are moving leisurely away from the castle to speak again.“How does it feel to be a king’s husband?” Fíli teases.Kíli chuckles lightly. “Good. I always knew this would happen one day, so I was prepared.”“Hey,” Fíli looks over at Uncle Thorin, “does a title exist for a king’s husband and a prince?”Bilbo rolls his eyes as Uncle Thorin answers, “I don’t think there is. Kíli just might be the first.”The prospect makes Kíli laugh. “I’m making history in more ways than one.”A part of him wants to dwell on the seriousness of that fact, but he leaves it be. They continue on for another stretch of silence. When elven lands are quite far in the distance, Kíli notices Amad sharing looks with Uncle Thorin, as they did before beginning a serious conversation. Fíli notices too and gives Kíli an expression that says ‘brace yourself.’Since Kíli wasn’t one for patience in these situations, he says, “alright, go ahead.”Uncle Thorin and Amad look at him as if he grew a second head. Nevertheless, Amad says, “we still have Erebor to worry about.”Kíli nods once. “I’m well aware.”Frankly, Kíli dreaded the lengthy dialogues he would have to endure once they returned to the Lonely Mountain. He had to armor himself now, because he didn’t know what would happen from this point forward. He’s just glad Legolas didn’t have to deal with it; if Legolas thought elves were bad, dwarrow were ten times worse.“We wanted to assure you,” Uncle Thorin says, “that we’ll be right with you, every single step of the way. We’ll defend you and Legolas both until they get used to it.”A lump forms in Kíli’s throat. Uncle Thorin had a fearsome voice when crossed, and the idea of him scolding dwarrow on behalf of Kíli and Legolas’s marriage made him emotional. This was the type of acceptance that Kíli never would have dreamed of years ago.Kíli looks away and nods, getting a hold of his expression. “Thanks. All of you.”While on horseback, he received shoulder pats of support from Bilbo, Uncle Thorin, Amad, and Fíli.They rode the rest of the path to Erebor in familial silence and solidarity.~Nunchuck 1Fíli knocks on the door to his younger brother’s room. With the elves finally settled into their long stay at Erebor, the day had come: the dwarrow had to justify their burgeoning friendship with all the elven clans. Initial meetings had not gone well, but Uncle Thorin’s stubbornness was working in the royal family’s favor.The Company was still wary around King Legolas, though Fíli is sure they’ll get over it soon.Kíli finally opens his bedroom door, leaving it to obscure half of Fíli’s vision of what lies within the space. It’s past sunrise, and he’s wearing a crimson robe thrown hastily over his body. By no means ready to face the dwarrow clans yet.As Fíli furrows his brows in a nonverbal scolding, Kíli’s mouth quirks upwards on one side. It makes him look mischievous and, well, oddly regal.Leaning on the doorframe, Kíli wears his most daring expression. “Tell me: how pissed would Uncle be if I showed up in this outfit?”“Which Uncle?” Fíli counters, raising a brow. “Because both are contenders for a verbal smackdown.”They both chuckle in amusement. Kíli’s eyes shine without his usual worry at the day’s upcoming event. While Kíli often hides his emotions well, the telltale signs of concern that Fíli recognizes as his older brother do not pull at Kíli’s face. No stray wrinkles.Kíli leans away from the door, knocking against one side. Now more ajar than before, Fíli notes a lump sleeping in Kíli’s bed that can only be Legolas. He flicks his eyes away quickly.“I’ll just be a minute,” Kíli says, entering his room and moving towards the closet.Fíli averts his gaze, lingering in the hallway. He focuses on the sliver of the room he could see from a few feet away. A writing desk, mostly, and some animal furs strewn about to make the wooden floor more inviting.After a moment, as promised, Kíli appears in the doorway and closes off his room. He’s wearing a blue ceremonial outfit inlaid with golden threads. His hair was conservatively braided in a hasty show of his family bloodline. His beard had grown out a bit to garner respect among the dwarrow clans. As a result, his skin had taken on a rugged glow, sharp yet friendly.It’s strange how effortless Kíli makes it all look. Kíli looks at him and clears his throat. “So, what’s their temperature?”Fíli eases out of his reverie. They begin to walk down the royal family hallway of Erebor. “Well,” he pays attention on the road ahead instead of Kíli’s face, “when this meeting was called, there was a mixture of confusion from the clans we’ve left out and annoyance from the clans who know exactly what this is about.”“As expected, then,” Kíli measures out as they descend a stone staircase. His next words echo in a shallow part of the mines: “I can’t wait to use my power for good.”Fíli hums, a strain of concern creeping up in his bones. They reach the bottom of the stone steps and enter the east junction. Dwarrow in clan robes shift around uneasily, but they remain in their groups, unaware of the brothers’ arrival. He finds himself stopping before they could get within earshot. Kíli, as if anticipating it, slides around to face Fíli in a fluid motion.“I’ll be okay,” Kíli says, patting a shoulder with a single quick clap, “I think you and the rest of the family should be worrying about the damage control you’ll have to do once I unleash myself.”Fíli nods slowly, taking in the mental image. He, Amad, and the rest of the Company know there’s no preventing Kíli from what he plans to do. As tempered and thoughtful as Kíli is, he remains an absolute menace when crossed. He’s even more of a threat, apparently, when it comes to honoring Legolas. It would indeed cost a heavy sum to be forgiven by any offended dwarrow clans.Kíli smiles, unhindered by the uncertainty ahead. “Thank you, though. For caring.”Before Fíli can muster a reply, the double doors to the meeting chambers open loudly. The other clans file inside grumbling.“That’s my cue,” Kíli jokes, turning around to watch the procession. “See you on the other side.”Fíli sends him a serious look. “We’ll all be to the left if you need anything.”Kíli bats his lashes and nods once in understanding.During the meeting, Fíli has a hard time keeping track of all the rebuttals Kíli throws out to protesters of his marriage. All Fíli remembers afterwards is biting down so hard to contain laughter that his lip bleeds.~Nunchuck 2Legolas closes Bilbo’s autobiographical account of the journey to Erebor; Legolas’s portion had been added next to Kíli’s. He lifts his eyes from his lap over to Bilbo, who seems to be wandering off in his mind while observing his drawer of open waistcoats.The flicker of uneasiness that followed Bilbo’s aura trails down Legolas’s spine. His suspicions become more and more warranted and supported by his hypothesis. Oh, Kíli wouldn’t like this at all.In a foolish move, Legolas says softly, “I thank you for sharing something so,” he places his palms on the book cover, “precious with me.”Bilbo’s glazed eyes snap to life. His curly head tilts to face Legolas from his position in the small sitting room. His gaze bores into him.“How,” Bilbo’s expression twists, “how did you know?”Legolas keeps his face blank and posture unassuming. He remains seated, however uncomfortably, in the lounge chair.He says carefully, “I feel it. I have since I awoke and grew into my powers.” When alarm reaches Bilbo’s eyes, Legolas assures, “only Kíli and I can feel it. Don’t fret.”Bilbo’s chest collapses in relief, but something harsh permeates his form. “You can’t take it from me.”“I know,” Legolas says, “I don’t want to.”A thrill of fear leaves Bilbo’s shoulders. He’s not as tense as a moment ago. “Why mention it, then?”Legolas notes a hand trailing in Bilbo’s pocket. He’s seen the motion many times, thought it was a nervous tick, but no, it’s much worse. Much worse.“It’s dangerous,” Legolas says, “and there may come a day where you have to choose between it,” he quieted his voice, “and us.”The implication makes Bilbo’s body quake. His fingers lift out from inside his pocket, where the ring rests. “Wh-What do you mean?” He quivers. “What in Eru’s name is it?”Legolas observes Bilbo in silence. He doesn’t want to say it, doesn’t want to verbalize it into existence. Bilbo’s eyes widen, and he gets it anyway. “Surely not? Surely not!”Legolas nods gravely. “That’s what you’ve had in your pocket.”Bilbo whitens like a bedsheet. “We have to get rid of this thing!”Legolas arches a brow; he didn’t expect such a rational response from the hobbit if his mind had been corrupted for unknown years already. Perhaps there’s a chance yet to escape the fate of Bilbo’s heir.Bilbo suddenly pulls the golden ring out of his pocket. It catches the light, and he looks at the metal with a mixture of desire and disgust. His mind fights with valor. “How do we get rid of it, Your Majesty?”At the call to action, Legolas says, “you must throw it in the fires of Mount Doom. It’s the only substance on Middle Earth that can destroy its evil.”“Me?” Bilbo is frantic. “Why not you? Or Elrond? Or Gandalf?”Legolas observes the ring with the proper amount of fright. “Elves, dwarrow, and men are more susceptible to the ring’s power. The fact that you aren’t lost yet,” he looks uneasily away from the gold and towards Bilbo’s face, “means only a hobbit can make the journey intact.”Bilbo puts the ring into his pocket at last. He sighs heavily. He says weakly, “but I’m to be wed to the King of Erebor next summer.”Legolas understands Bilbo’s hesitation to do anything at all. He says softly, “you’ve been courting for years already. What’s a little delay?”Bilbo snorts, looking anywhere in the book-laden sitting room but Legolas. “Thorin will be right cross with me when he finds out I’m gonna throw a blasted magic ring,” a note of playfulness, a longing for adventure, reaches his tone, “in an orc-infested volcano.”Side smiling, Legolas says, “none of us would have you any other way, Bilbo Baggins.”Bilbo slides his gaze over to Legolas. Despite the seriousness of the task that lies nearer ahead than anticipated, he chuckles like he’s on the way to the Laketown market. Legolas cannot help but chuckle in amusement too. ~1 Year LaterAt the sight of the familiar clearing on the path to the Blue Mountains, Legolas’s heart swells. He looks to Kíli on his horse, sharing a whimsical smile.For their ten-year anniversary, they finally made it back to where their love began. They were practically forced out of the Shire while Bilbo and King Thorin prepared for their nuptials, told to go out for the day and spent time together as a couple. The Valar knew that their busy schedules as king and ambassador meant they needed and deserved a break.Their horses entered the clearing. The archery tree is exactly how they left it a decade earlier, as if no one had touched this pocket of time. Even though a war had raged across Middle Earth mere weeks ago, the price of throwing a very dangerous ring into some magma, the space is more lovely than ever. Their target is pinned on the tree trunk, and a lone arrow, one of Kíli’s poorly-made practice arrows using feathers instead of metal, rests near the trunk’s roots. Leaves covered the space they cleared to marry, though it is the only indication that time passed at all.A hand reaches into the lower part of Legolas’s vision. He takes it and squeezes, his eyes watering a little.“It’s amazing,” Kíli’s throat is also tight with emotion, “isn’t it?”“Yeah,” Legolas says softly, “it’s perfect.”Their horses stop on the usual pathway. Kíli releases Legolas’s hand to get off his horse. Legolas dismounts as well, using his magic to calm the horses instead of tying them to a nearby tree.Dreamily, the couple advances towards the archery tree and sits in front of it. They cross their legs and study each other’s profiles. They mirror a smile.“It’s just like yesterday,” Kíli says warmly, “all of it feels like yesterday.”“Ten years isn’t that long, you know,” Legolas reminds him.Kíli hums, shifting his gaze at the archery target. “I half expect Aragorn to shoot an arrow right between us and tease us for flirting again.”Legolas chuckles at the hearty memories. “He hasn’t changed much with doing that, Kel.”“Yeah,” Kíli chuckles, “true, Greenleaf.”They look at each other and grin like fools. Legolas almost forgets they have been married for ten years now and been in love longer still. It’s breathtaking, truly, how age hasn’t affected the nature of their relationship.“So then, if ten years isn’t a big deal for us,” Kíli asks, “what do you want our next ten to be like?”Legolas studies the tree trunk and thinks. “Hopefully, I don’t want any more conflicts separating us. I want us to be like this tree.”“Uh,” Kíli blinks rapidly, “you’re comparing us to a tree, why?”Legolas rolls his eyes at the elf jokes that remain unsaid. “Take my hand? I’ll show you.”Kíli allows Legolas to guide his hand to touch the tree trunk. “I can feel life, as you know, and this tree? It’s one of the strongest I’ve sensed.”“Wait,” Kíli screws up his face, “I see what you mean now. Huh.” His face smooths out, and he looks directly at Legolas. “Is this you being romantic in the elven way? With strong tree metaphors?”Legolas huffs out a small laugh, releasing their hands from the tree trunk. “You see what I mean, though, right?”“Yes, love,” Kíli says amusedly, “I’d like a stable rest of our marriage too.”“Sounds like a vow to be made,” Legolas quips.Kíli winks. “Wanna seal this vow with a kiss?”“Mhm.”Without another moment of hesitation, Legolas and Kíli meet each other in the middle for a kiss. Legolas is revitalized by it, reborn in a way he can’t quite explain.When Kíli pulls away, he sees the same wonder reflected in his husband’s eyes.After a dazed moment, at the exact same second, they both laugh, and feel more content than ever before.