𝓜𝓮𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓘𝓷 𝓜𝔂 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓭, 𝓐 𝓑𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓘𝓷 𝓜𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓭!
part one. part two. part three. part four. part five. part six (you are here).
synopsis. when tasked as the newest social media manager for Middle Earth's biggest metal band, the bassist makes it his mission to personally piss you off <3
pairing. Fíli / Gender-Neutral Reader
content. enemies to lovers, metal band! AU, modern tolkien! AU, slightly fem-aligned reader, suggestive scenes
song inspiration. "Infinite Baths" by Sleep Token, "No Mercy" by PVRIS, "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
(I made an official playlist for the fic here if you want to check it out!)
wc. 6571
MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.
You let out an anxious laugh, your grip slightly tightening on the menu in your hand. “Come on now, is this another joke of yours?”
You knew you shouldn’t have said it, but you didn’t know what to say to the dwarf in front of you. Threl’s eyes were earnest, with a softness within them that made you wonder how your rejection would affect them.
He chuckled, wiping some more sweat from his brow. “Nah, not this time. I’ve been thinking about asking you for a little while now. Figured now was as good a time as any. No time like the present, right?”
And oh, what poor timing it was! Every steamy thought of Fíli ran through your mind like a recap of your own guilt, and you wondered how or even when you’d have to break the news to your friend. It certainly couldn’t be now!
Sorry Threl, I can’t go on a date with you because I was just three minutes away from having sex with one of your closest friends in the penthouse suite of his family friend’s hotel! Whoops!
You tried to keep your composure, but surely he must have noticed your widened eyes and your awkward half-smile.
“Threl, I really had no idea,” you admitted, trying to find a way out of this situation. “Honestly, I didn’t even think you… swung that way.”
This time he looked surprised, but his reaction held more mirth compared to your anxious expression. “Y/N, I swing every way, as long as they’re down to party.”
In any other situation, you definitely would have laughed at this. But all you could think about was the idea of Fíli possibly coming down to check on you. Surely he had noticed it was taking a bit long? Or perhaps he was more patient than you gave the bassist credit for.
“Well, I certainly know that now,” you tried to joke, still searching for the right thing to say. The right way to turn him down.
“Would you be interested, then?” His eyes held hope with a touch of nervousness.
You really didn’t want to do this.
“I’m really sorry, Threl,” you started, trying to be polite by easing into it. There was no right way to rip this bandaid and possibly jeopardize your friendship with him forever. “I don’t feel that way towards you.”
He nodded, taking the information in as his gaze shifted to the floor for a moment. He was smart; he had realized what you were saying before you were even done speaking. Your stomach felt like it was going to cave in on itself from nerves. You felt awful as you watched the disappointment etch itself into his brows and his lips.
“Damn,” he chuckled, clearly trying to hide his true disappointment from you. He gave you his signature grin, but it wasn’t the same this time. “Well, can’t blame a dwarf for trying.”
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, boss.” He walked past you, his hand tapping your shoulder twice – an act of camaraderie, you assumed. “Have fun with blondie for me and get some rest, hm?”
He walked away, rather swiftly, to the elevators to retire back to his room, leaving you alone in the cold lobby.
“You too!” You called back to him. “Sleep well!”
And despite the awkwardness of what had just happened, you meant it.
Now on the home stretch of the tour, with a handful of shows left, work was busier than ever. Every single concert had been sold out in Moria, prompting the band to up the intensity in both their rehearsals and performances. Truthfully, you hadn’t had much alone time with Fíli since the day you both had been free. Free to swim in the warm steamy waters. Free to touch each other…
But this wasn’t the time to fantasize. You were knee deep in organizing final interviews, delegating what final Moria shots of b-roll you wanted Threl to capture, as well as sending some last minute emails in the green room of their final Moria show before Thorin came in, rummaging in some corner while you edited.
Your eyes finally looked up from your screen to look over at your boss, and suddenly you realized that you were starting to develop a headache from the sheer amount of screentime.
“Everything alright, Thorin?” You asked with a raised brow.
“Yes, thank you,” he nodded, finally finding whatever it was he was looking for. “Balin needed his notes for the party tonight.”
“Ah, right,” you nodded back. You had completely forgotten about the send-off party Balin was hosting. Ori and Kíli especially had been excited for one last time to let loose before focusing on their last few shows in the Shire.
“Is that immediately after, or do we have some leeway beforehand?” You asked, opening your schedule to see how much was left on your to-do list.
“Immediate, I believe.” He walked closer to the door now, stopping by the snacks table to grab himself a water. “Will you be there?”
Seeing the list in front of you, that certainly felt like a loaded question. “I can be, if you need me to.”
Truthfully, you’d love to cut loose with the band, especially with Fíli. But you weren’t exactly keen after the last paparazzi fiasco, nor with the sheer amount of work you still had to get done.
A frown lightly tugged at his lips; he came over and brought you your own water, as well as a bag of chips from the table. “I won’t blame you if you decide to take a break. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow.”
“I know,” you reassured, a small smile on your face. Though he wasn’t as boisterous with you as he was with his family and friends, you really did appreciate the care Thorin showed you.
“Either way, you are more than welcome,” he spoke softly. “We would love to have you there.”
“We?” You raised a brow.
“Balin and myself, of course,” he clarified. “The boys too, I’m sure.”
“Is there a dress code this time?”
“No, there isn’t. It’s a private event, only friends and family are invited this time.”
You couldn’t help the scoff that left your lips. Even with just friends and family, you were sure it would still be well over two hundred people. Thorin seemed amused at your reaction.
“At the very least, we’ll all be able to recognize each other this time.” He rested his hand on your shoulder, giving a squeeze before leaving. “Give it some thought, alright?”
A sigh escaped you as you sunk deeper into your chair, eyes reluctantly turning back to your laptop as you turned the brightness lower. Not that it did much good for your headache.
Threl came in shortly after, taking his SD card out and switching it for a new one as he handed you the now full one. “Everything okay in here?”
You groaned, another sigh drawn out of you as you hunched back over your laptop, taking the SD card and beginning to plug it into your computer.
“These emails never stop,” you complained.
Threl laughed, sitting down on the couch nearby to catch his breath. “Yeah, I certainly don’t envy you. But we’ll be done in two weeks now, at least it’ll be over soon.”
“You’ll be done in two weeks,” you emphasised. “I’ll still be working until we’re back in Erebor.”
And hopefully after that, you thought to yourself. If Thorin was still willing to have that discussion with you. Though from his earlier tenderness, you were sure there wasn’t any doubt about it.
“Yikes,” he winced. “I did forget about that…”
Silence quickly fell between you, muffled of course by the screaming of thousands of fans, blaring music and raspy vocals of Fíli and Ori flooding the stage.
Truly, it was astounding how almost-soundproof Moria’s concert greenroom was.
Guilt seeped into the throbbing behind your eyelids, contributing to your headache even more. You still hadn’t told Threl about your feelings for Fíli, though truthfully, there hadn’t been any time for it to even come up. As it was, you barely had time to see Fíli outside of passing him to interviewers.
Thankfully, in turn, Threl hadn’t used your rejection as an excuse to make things awkward. You had a feeling he suspected your reasonings, though. After all, you had been rather dodgy whenever he curiously asked how your “date” went with the band’s bassist. And you knew better than to assume he was too naïve to come to the conclusion that you and Fíli were… something other than friends.
Hell, you didn’t even know what you were anymore. More than friends, but less than lovers? It seemed an apt description, given that nothing between you had been clearly labeled. Everything was grey and blurry, but it still felt right somehow. It had to, at least, otherwise you wouldn’t find yourself texting him so late at night now.
Texting was all you two could manage right now, with the last leg of the tour keeping you both so separately busy. From quick-witted thoughts Fíli would sneak in between band practice to deeper conversations exchanged at night, when both of you were cozy in your separate hotel rooms, it helped keep you two connected despite the hustle and bustle of the day. But it didn’t feel as good as the real thing. Time was an expert at escaping you both when it came to anything non-work related.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with you, you know,” Threl spoke up, ripping you from your migraine-induced reverie. “I couldn’t have been stuck with a better boss.”
You couldn’t help the soft smile that tugged at your lips. “I feel the same way, Threl.”
And despite the awkward knowledge that he may have feelings for you, you meant every word. Truly, he was an honorable colleague and a much appreciated friend.
“I just don’t want us to lose touch,” he sighed, his eyes earnest. “I’m a little worried I messed things up between us the other day.”
You sat up straighter, shutting your laptop slightly to give him more of your focus. “As in…”
“When I asked you out.” He shifted slightly, clearly a little uncomfortable. It seemed even he wasn’t confident in confrontation. “I feel like I misread what we have, and I apologize for that. Truth is, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you in this short time.”
“I’ve enjoyed our time together, too. It definitely caught me off guard, but there’s nothing to forgive. Really, you’re all good. I’m sorry if I ever did anything to lead you on–”
“Not at all!” He laughed, waving his hands in front of him for emphasis. The tension between you two was certainly lifting, little by little.
And of course it was. Even if it had only been a mere handful of days, you two had always had this easygoing connection. This instant feeling of relief and relaxation around one another. Like you could tell him anything and it wouldn’t matter.
But could you, really?
“If anything, I was just getting full of myself,” he rolled his eyes. “I’m quick to assume when people are into me. A character flaw, I suppose.”
You chuckled, shaking your head. “Glad I could throw you for a loop, then.”
“For sure,” he grinned. “But the boss/employee thing would’ve been a little sexy.”
You scoffed, rolling your eyes and opening your laptop again. “Alright, that’s enough now. You’re not even my type.”
“I forgot, you’ve got a thing for blondes.”
He stood up, proud of his cheeky comment that left you at a loss for words. Maybe if your head wasn’t killing you, you would’ve already prepared a witty retort. But for now, all he earned was a half chuckle and long groan from you.
“Sure, whatever. Don’t you have a job to do?”
“I push buttons all the time at my job; it’s what makes it fun,” he winked at you, before disappearing again into the throng of the band’s final Moria show.
As the door opened, the sound of heavy drums and Kíli’s newest guitar solo flooded the room before the door shut again. Even now muffled by the door, the screams of thousands of adoring fans filled your eardrums.
Your headache wasn’t getting any better, even if you loved the sound.
Two hours later, and you still hadn’t left your hotel room for the party. By now, Threl had already texted you three times asking when you were coming down; the first was his question, and the other two texts were photos of Gimli attempting and succeeding to do a keg stand. You hadn’t responded to his texts, too exhausted from work to even think about socializing any more.
But Threl wasn’t the only one missing your presence. You stared at your phone screen, seeing the few texts you and Fíli had shared tonight. He knew you weren’t keen on attending the party, mentioning that he’d try and find time to come over to your hotel room while it was going on. At least with everyone preoccupied, you two had a perfect chance to see each other outside of an interview.
You set your phone down on the bathroom counter, staring at yourself in the mirror and questioning just how long you’d gone without noticing the deeper-than-normal eyebags you were sporting. It was odd, considering you thought you were sleeping enough, but the tiredness and the foggy thoughts made it clear that you weren’t. The longer you looked, the closer that everything about you appeared mismanaged and disheveled.
How was it that you could take care of an entire band’s social media presence and it looked like you were barely taking care of yourself?
A shower was in order, you thought immediately. You even nodded to yourself, as if you needed any reassurance while you fetched your pajamas and brought them into the bathroom so you could change later. To anyone else, you might’ve looked crazy as you muttered your to-do list out loud.
The warm water hit your skin and you instantly felt like melting and taking a nap; this was hitting the spot perfectly right now. This was already a million times better than partying the night away, and the easing of your headache proved you were right.
Now in clean clothes, you worked on your hair routine while donning a face mask, attempting to maximize your self care for the night. Was it because you needed it? Of course! Was it also perhaps that you wanted to look your best before a specific someone showed up at your door?
You’d never admit to that… not out loud, at least.
To avoid waiting for a dwarf whose arrival you weren’t even certain of, you found yourself tidying and repacking your things as much as possible. After tonight, it would be back on the tour bus for you. You would certainly miss your king size bed. And your own private bathroom. But soon all of this would be over, and you were grateful that you’d be rejoining the boys on the bus again, even if it meant sacrificing some of life’s riches.
Two weeks remained of the tour. One to get to the Shire and rehearse their unreleased set list, and another week stacked with four shows, all of which would get to hear an extra special new song. Your mind wandered to that night on the tour bus with Fíli; how he had shielded his phone away, claiming the song ‘wasn’t ready yet’. Would it be the one they revealed?
If only you hadn’t been so busy. Maybe then you’d know by now. Fíli hadn’t mentioned it yet, though he seemed much more private about his music than you’d expect from a rockstar. It was even more surprising that Kíli or Gimli hadn’t spilled the beans yet.
Lost in your thoughts, you didn’t realize how much you had gotten done until you heard three knocks at your door. Your head whipped around and your heart leaped into your throat, despite how much you tried to shove it back down and ignore it. But no amount of stress and wandering thoughts could hide the grin on your face as your hand touched the handle to open the door.
His hair was freshly washed and unbraided, though his mustache braids were freshly redone. His face was clean, save for the trace amount of black eyeliner that hadn’t fully washed from his waterline. He donned a white tank top and flannel pants that hung loosely from his waist. He smelled like sandalwood and oak, and you wondered if it was his body wash or some sort of cologne.
Even in pajamas, Fíli was beautiful.
“Well don’t get dressed up on my account,” you joked, and immediately realized you still had a now-dry face mask on your face. It pulled around your mouth, beginning to pry itself off your moving face.
He gave you an amused raise of his brow. "You're one to talk, love.”
You abandoned the open door to retreat to the bathroom, taking the mask off delicately and inspecting your skin afterwards. He followed you in wordlessly, just watching at first before his soft velvet voice broke the silence.
“I didn’t end up going,” he said. “To the party, I mean.”
“At all?” You questioned. “Won’t people notice?”
“Surely, but we also need to leave by seven in the morning. I’m sure it wouldn’t sound unusual for me to call it an early night.”
Given his previous reputation, it certainly would. Fíli never missed a party.
You couldn’t hide your frown, though you were happy to have his time now. “Right…”
“I’ll be fine, love,” he reassured, coming behind you to wrap his arms around your waist. You felt yourself flush from the contact, the night of the hot springs replaying itself in your mind. You supposed this intimacy made sense given your history, no matter how domestic it seemed.
“Besides, Kíli’s covering for me.”
“Oh? What’s the story this time?”
“I’ve become deathly ill,” he mused with a smirk.
When he saw you weren’t having it, he elaborated. “I told him to say I’ve got a headache from a hangover. Usually doesn’t earn any questions.”
You sighed, still feeling unsure. He rested his head against your back, breathing you in with a soft hum.
“This is nice,” he spoke softly. “We should have done this before.”
“There was no time,” you sighed again. “There’s barely time now, as it is.”
You separated from him, now done with looking at yourself in the mirror. You couldn’t take the sight of you together for much longer; you were too worried. You walked to your bed, sitting down and checking the time. It would be midnight soon.
He followed you out, a concerned look in his brow. “We’re here now, Y/N. Is that okay?”
“Hm?” You looked up from your phone, frowning. “No, of course it’s okay. I’m sorry; I’m not purposefully trying to bring the mood down. I’m glad you’re here.”
He took his place by your side and you felt the mattress dip under his weight. “It’s alright. Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?”
“I just don’t like hiding things,” you admitted, setting your phone down. “It feels weird, especially with how close everyone here is.”
“Do you want me to tell them–”
“What? No, I just,” you said quickly. In truth, you didn’t even know what to say. Or what you were. Or if you were even ready for that conversation. It was becoming very clear that you were catching feelings for this hotshot rockstar in your hotel room, and the thought scared you a little.
“If this keeps going on like it has, I feel like it would be unfair to both of us to keep it a secret.” You tried to keep your voice steady and even as you spoke, lest you give away your nerves.
He ingested your words with a nod, quiet at first.
“Unless that’s not what this is,” you tried to fall back, but he cut you off.
“No, I agree,” he assured. “I like you a lot, Y/N. I hope that’s clear. I just…”
“Yes?”
“This may be selfish of me to say,” he said. “But at least until the tour’s over, and we both actually have time to indulge in whatever this is, I think keeping it a secret for now will be easiest for both of us.”
Now it was your turn to ingest his words. And you did, even with a nod. After all, he wasn’t wrong. And most of your worrying was focused on the tour, anyways. You’d have much less stress after the tour was done. And hopefully more time than before to explore this with Fíli. Besides, the chances of paparazzi becoming involved would significantly decrease once you weren’t touring around Middle Earth. Hopefully.
“Okay,” you nodded. “Understood. I’m glad we talked about it.”
“Me too,” he gave a soft smile. “Because now I’d like to focus a little more on these pajamas of yours.”
You looked at your big sleep shirt and boxers, amused at his callout. You managed to push aside your worries for now, wanting to enjoy the moment while you still had it. “And what’s wrong with my pajamas? That they’re still on me?”
The look on his face was priceless; your words had caught him so off guard, he was blushing. But he quickly tried to regain control. “I mean, we can certainly fix that if you’d like.”
“Well, now I don’t want to,” you teased. “I want to know what’s wrong with them, coming from a guy wearing a wife beater.”
He scoffed, bemused at your words. “I didn’t name them that, I hope you know.”
“Mm, it still doesn’t help your case. Try again.”
“Your shirt’s inside out, love.”
Immediately, you pulled at your shirt to notice the seams were showing. He was right.
“Alright, I’ll give you that one.” You rolled your eyes, playfully shoving him away.
For the next hour, you two enjoyed the quiet peace while hanging out with each other. Once you calmed down enough, you even made some tea for the two of you. The party was still raging on; you both knew from the amount of photos and videos Kíli was sending Fíli as minutes turned to hours.
“It’s really late,” you mentioned. “You should probably get back to your room if you don’t want anyone to catch us.”
“You want me to go?” He raised a brow. Not insinuating, just clarifying.
You leaned into him more, swiping some hair from your face. “No, I don’t.”
Silence fell for a moment or two. Eventually you had the courage to softly whisper aloud.
“If we could, I’d invite you to stay the night. But we shouldn’t.”
You felt his grin before you saw it.
“My, my, you’re so forward now, Y/N,” he smiled with a slight teasing tone. “But as much as I’d love to stay, I agree that we shouldn’t risk it.”
You let out a disappointed sigh, even though you already knew his answer. He’d be risking too much if he stayed.
“Besides,” his voice was softer now, mildly husky. “I’d be too tempted by so much alone time with you.”
You couldn’t help the flush in your cheeks, but you refused to appear bashful. You looked into his eyes, taking in the dark ocean blue that looked back at you. Your hand traced his jawline, then took his chin lightly, making him face you more directly. Your eyes flitted down to his lips briefly, but it was enough for him to notice. He shifted in his seated position against your headboard, sitting up straighter as your hand left his chin to tuck some hair behind his ear.
“Then it’s truly a shame you can’t spend the night.” Your voice was soft; despite your best efforts to remain sultry and confident, your nerves still found their way through.
But it mattered little to the bassist in your bed.
His grin was smug as he leaned closer now, his lips a breath away from yours. Teasing. Taunting.
“Is this your strategy? Trying to tempt me into breaking my own boundaries?”
“Is it working?” A cheeky grin spread across your face, anxiety turning into excitement.
He broke the space between you, meeting your lips for a soft kiss. Much different than the time before. This was much more tender, more delicate.
“Only a little,” he grinned back.
You giggled, feeling that same drunken feeling from the last time you were this close to him. “Perhaps I should try harder.”
“A more aggressive approach would certainly be interesting to see from you. It sounds exciting.”
Your body felt warm and as a pulse of heat ran through your veins. You wanted to see where this led. You wanted more than last time.
You wanted him. Badly.
“Is that so?” You mused, summoning the courage to move your body until you were seated upon his lap, straddling him.
His hands naturally came to your hips, his touch electric on your body, even through your clothing. And yet, it still remained tender. True, the fire from the last time hung in the air and both of your minds, but the actions were less like animals in heat and much more sentimental. Like somehow, this meant more.
You placed a soft kiss to his forehead, then to his nose. “And what if I don’t want to be aggressive? Perhaps I’m too tired. It’s late, after all.”
“Mm, a valid point.” He chuckled before kissing you again. You wrapped your arms around his neck. “In that case, we can try that later. You’ve already piqued my interest.”
You smiled, beaming as he kissed your jaw, and then your neck, and then your collarbone, handling you with the same care as if you were delicate enough to bruise with just his breath.
This was right where you needed and wanted to be. All you could feel, could breathe, could touch, was him.
His kisses trailed back up, and you caught his lips with your own, sinking into him as if you both could melt together.
“Surely it wouldn’t hurt if I stayed a little longer?” His voice was soft and laced with want. You desperately wanted him to stay.
Your eyes felt hazy, both from exhaustion and slight arousal. “How can I say no to that?”
And against any better judgement, you never wanted him to leave. Here in this moment, you could care less if anyone saw or heard or gossiped about whatever this was. Right now, it was just you and him.
Fíli kissed you again, his hands on your hips pulling you closer and down onto him, lazily craving friction as your hands tangled themselves into his hair.
A small moan left your lips as you deepened the kiss, craving more of him in the quiet hours of the night.
His mouth traced your jawline, peppering it with kisses and small bites that traveled down your neck until they landed in a delicious tender spot. He bit down just a little harder, a smile on his face when he saw the color bloom on your skin.
You’d definitely be upset about that later, but you were too lost in the moment to care right now. All you craved was him. But this wasn’t feral like before. This wasn’t a carnal desire overtaking you. You felt fully in control, even as you lost yourself to his hypnotic lips.
This was something much more meaningful, and much more passionate.
There weren’t any tangible words to describe it; you could hardly speak right now as he traveled lower on your body, strategically slouching his body lower on your bed so he was now eye level with your chest. His fingers left your hips, carefully lifting your shirt up by the hem. You moved your hands to follow, thinking he wanted the garment off, but he forced your hands away and dipped his head into your shirt, disappearing from you.
You couldn’t see his face, but you could certainly feel his smile as he kissed between your breasts, the coarser hairs of his beard and moustache scratching you slightly.
Bracing yourself against the headboard for stability, you pressed into him further with a gentle rock of your hips, eliciting a hummed groan from the dwarf beneath you. His hands roamed under your shirt until they both palmed your breasts, giving them a light squeeze before he emerged from your shirt again.
His eyes felt darker than before as he came back up to kiss you, your hands finding purchase in his hair again as you grinded yourself onto him. It was a slow, sensual pace between you.
“Please,” he whispered, a begging tone to his words. “Let me taste you—“
Suddenly, both of your ringtones filled the air, causing both of you to jump from the sudden sound. Catching your breath and trying to regain any composure you might have previously had, you reached for your phone to see Kíli had started a joint FaceTime call with the both of you.
You rolled your eyes, immediately declining it while Fíli groaned, then declined the call before sending a quick text to his brother. You imagined it was something to do with the fact that he had certainly interrupted something.
Now with your phone in hand, you saw it was now well past midnight. You’d have to be up and at it in mere hours, and the thought alone seemed to be bringing your headache back.
All the previous heat was leaving your body as your anxiety slowly crept back in.
“It’s so late,” you frowned. “We should go to bed.”
“Together?” He tried to joke, but you shook your head in response.
“As much as I want to, we shouldn’t,” you explained. “I can’t risk it. We can’t risk it.”
He sighed, now frowning himself. “Perhaps another time, then.”
Just as you were about to respond, rapid knocks and the sound of two drunk voices came from your door. You quickly removed yourself from Fíli, not trying to look conspicuous at all. But your disheveled pajamas already felt too revealing.
Fíli looked more guilty than you as he sat up, his hair a mess from your earlier ministrations and his shirt riding higher on his stomach from your earlier seat. Even his pants seemed to hang lower, now showing a peek at his boxers underneath.
“Is it Kíli?” You whispered, wondering why on earth he’d appear when he knew exactly what might have been going on.
“It sounds like him,” Fíli nodded, a deep set frown now on his face. He certainly wasn’t ecstatic to be cockblocked by his brother.
You couldn’t tell what the voices were saying, but they seemed to be very drunk and mildly annoyed at each other. Kíli’s was easy to pick out by now, but you weren’t entirely sure who else was out there. Was it Gimli? Or perhaps Bofur, from the last party?
“I’ll take care of it.” Fíli stood up, too focused on his souring mood to fix his appearance.
Before you could object, the knocking stopped, followed by a short yell and a loud thump! against the door.
“Oh my god,” you whisper-yelled. “Are they okay?”
Despite your concern, Fíli wasn’t having it. He quickly swung the door open, and none other than a very drunk Threl slumped to the ground at his feet in doing so. Kíli seemed to have been in the process of trying to pick him up, but was clearly failing miserably.
Your heart dropped into your stomach. The last thing you needed was for these two to meet each other at your hotel room. And you certainly hadn’t wanted Threl to know how intimate you and Fíli were.
But it was too late. The cat was certainly out of the bag.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Threl slurred, pitifully picking himself up from the carpeted floor.
You couldn’t see Fíli’s face, but you weren’t naïve enough to imagine he was pleased.
“I could ask you the same thing, Threl,” he replied.
“I’m sorry, Fí,” Kíli tried to intervene. “We were going to my room, and he insisted on saying hi to Y/N—“
“I thought you said you had a headache,” Threl grunted, now sitting up and looking up scornfully at Fíli.
“I tried to call you both to warn you—“ Kíli continued, his voice clearly anxious.
“Warn me about what? That you two are sleeping together now?” Threl frowned. “As if nobody knows. We’re not that stupid, you know.”
You weren’t used to this harsh tone from your friend. It immediately awakened your defensive side as you came to the door, now in an attempt to put some space between Fíli and Threl.
“Excuse me? Can we act like adults for five seconds?” You pulled Fíli away from the doorway, now stepping in front of him as you attempted to help Threl up.
You could tell Fíli seemed hurt by this, but now wasn’t the time. You weren’t picking sides; you just wanted normalcy. And this was not going to plan at all. Not when your friend was speaking incredibly out of turn and with such bitterness you had never seen before.
Kíli, despite his own drunkenness, helped you lift Threl up, taking most of his weight for you.
“Just get him to his room,” you ordered, a scowl settling on your face as you handed Threl off to Kíli. “I don’t have time for this. None of us do when we have to be up in six hours.”
“They’re right,” Fíli agreed. “You need to sober up.”
“I don’t care if this is what you’re doing,” Threl frowned, now trying to appease you after realizing your anger. “I just don’t like it when my friends are lying to me.”
“And that’s why your first words were ‘what the fuck are you doing here’?” Fíli scoffed.
“I didn’t think you guys were that close!” Threl whipped back. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have even asked them out–”
“He asked you out?” Fíli now turned to you, eyes fiery with anger and newfound hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Guys, come on–” Kíli pleaded.
“Everyone, just shut up for five minutes!” You threw your hands out for emphasis, feeling angry and anxious and confused all at once as you tried to just make sense of things.
The three men thankfully obeyed, their eyes fixated on you as you closed your own and tried to take a deep breath. This wasn’t how you wanted to break the news, but this also wasn’t going anywhere.
You opened your eyes to see Fíli fully focused on you with a hint of worry in his eyes. Threl looked positively guilty. Kíli just looked nervous. None of them had seen you this worked up before.
You took another breath, trying to clear your mind so you could think clearly, without judgment.
“Threl,” you started. “I’m really sorry this is how things were confirmed for you. I wanted to tell you, I really did. But you had to have known already, come on. I mean, you kept making all those jokes–”
“Which you always brushed off,” he muttered in reply.
“Even still,” you gave him a stern look. “You said it yourself, you’re not stupid.”
Silence fell for a moment as you tried to be kind yet forward. From now on, you didn’t want there to be any room for misinterpretation. Not when all it seemed to cause was a drunk fight at your doorstep.
You turned to Fíli, whose gaze now felt distant, despite his open body language towards you. You frowned, reaching out for his hands. Despite his hurt, he let you take them.
“I should’ve told you, you’re right,” you nodded. “But I think you’re forgetting that we’ve barely seen each other since it’s happened, and your reactions haven’t always been the most reassuring. I didn’t know how to tell you because I can see that I’ve already driven some weird wedge into your friendship.”
Fíli said nothing, but you could tell in his eyes that he was at least listening, despite his personal feelings.
You looked at both of them, sighing with disappointment.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you two, I really don’t. But I very much enjoy the relationships I have with both of you, and if either of you care about me, you need to respect that.”
You turned back to Threl now, who was finding it easier to stand up without Kíli’s help.
“Fíli and I are seeing each other. You need to be fine with that if we’re going to work together. Or if there’s any chance at us being friends, Threl.” Your mouth fell into a hard line, clearly frustrated. “But you also need to keep your mouth shut about it for now, because we don’t want anyone else knowing until after the tour.”
“I’m sorry if what I’m asking is selfish,” you said. “But I’m tired of feeling caught in the middle of this feud between you two. It’s exhausting. I can’t do it anymore.”
Fíli still said nothing, but now you felt his thumb draw slow circles into the back of your hand. You took it reassuringly as you looked at a very drunk, very guilty-looking Threl.
“You’re right,” he muttered. “I’m being an ass right now. I’m sorry.”
“Your apology can wait until you're sober.” You sighed. “But thank you.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” he nodded. “My lips are sealed.”
“Good. Now please get to bed, all of you. We have to be up soon, and I already don’t need to be dealing with your hangovers.”
“Don’t worry Y/N,” Kíli grinned, though he was still visibly nervous. “I’ll chug a bunch of water before I go to bed. I’ll be right as rain tomorrow!”
He then left, leading Threl with him as they traveled further down the hall to their respective rooms. You felt Fíli’s hand pull away as he started following after them, but you pulled him back.
“Wait,” you frowned. “Fíli, I’m really sorry.”
“For what?” He turned to face you, his eyes still brewing some foreign feeling you couldn’t quite identify. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive, love.” He tucked some of your hair behind your ear, placing a kiss on your cheek. “I just need to sleep on my feelings, is all. I’ll be back to normal in the morning.”
You closed your eyes and sighed, knowing that you would miss how close you were right now once you were back on the road. When you opened them again, you were looking right into Fíli’s.
You wanted to tell him something. Something vulnerable, something meaningful. But it felt quite too early on to be thinking any of that. And so you didn’t. And instead, you said:
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Bright and early,” he gave a soft smile, squeezing your hand before letting go and walking away to his room.
Leaving you to stand in your doorway alone, as you wondered if you did the right thing. And if everything would work out.
And if you’d even hear your alarm in the morning.
taglist. @loopyloo2610 @shiinata-library @arthursdodobird @burglarbilbo
comment if any of y'all wanna be tagged :) bet y'all thought I died, huh? surprise, bitches <3