This is the prize for @lazysaturdayonthebeach won in the WinterFRE.
It was asked for a little story taking place in my Weasel AU and the prompt was: “What if the pedlar realized what he'd lost and tried to steal Kili back? A bit of angst with a happy ending.”
I hope you like it! :)
Fili sneaked slowly around the old wagon the pedlar was living in while he travelled from place to place. Somewhere there had to be a window he could use to peek inside, but it was dark and the wooden shutters hid it well in the scarce light of the lantern, dangling next to the door. But he couldn’t give up.
The sudden return of the pedlar had him suspicious as soon as he’d recognised the wheeled stall. The wariness merely grew into intense vigilance once the man started to inquire after Fili’s little friend. The dwellers couldn’t afford the expensive clothes, spices the only means to make money here. It shouldn’t be a reason to come back here, not even for a brief visit on the way home when there were so many other settlements better suited for trade. And yet the pedlar was here.
His suspicion seemed to be confirmed when Kili, for the first time, didn’t return home for dinner. The shifter was never late. While small in his animal form the weasel was fast and strong, able to outrun bigger predators and small enough to squeeze through the tiniest gaps. Not once had the brunet given him reason to worry, at least before today. Two unusual events at the same time, first the pedlar, then Kili’s disappearance. This couldn’t be a coincidence.
Carefully feeling for the shutters, Fili finally detected a rise at the otherwise even outer wall. As silently as possible he pushed them open, peering inside. At first he couldn’t see anything in the mess of the room. What little furniture the wagon offered was covered in trumpery. Small glass bottles, glittering stones, nuts and berries, they drew his eyes to them with their shiny appearance, allowing Fili only at the second glance to spot the pedlar at the far back of the vehicle. And he wasn’t alone.
Almost hidden by the man’s huge figure was Kili. The little weasel huddled in the little cage Fili had once released him from. Some months ago his friend had briefly hinted at the technique the pedlar had used to catch him the first time. It seemed like it had worked again. Although, the brunet must’ve been unaware of the return of this man and walked straight into his trap. Now Kili was trembling slightly, showing his teeth and hissing warningly.
The pedlar’s bearing looked unfazed as he heated the tip of an iron rod in the flame of a candle. An ice-cold stone settled in Fili’s belly at the sight.
“This is your last chance,” the man growled. “I know what you are. Either you show me what I want to see or I will burn your fur until your true nature begins to shine through.”
Fili had heard enough. With a rapidly pounding heart he darted to the door, ripping it open just before the glowing tip could hurt the shifter. The pedlar whirled around with surprise. It took him too long to recover. Fili’s steps were swift, driven by the white hot hate burning within him. This man had almost… he had almost…
They collided, accompanied by a muffled sound as they crushed to the floor. A couple of glass bottles clattered as Fili fought to gain the upper hand. Throwing his weight on the pedlar he dealt kicks and punches, causing the man to gasp. The iron rod must’ve slipped from his hand during the fall. Fili didn’t care what happened with it as long as the pedlar wasn’t using it to hit him.
Eventually the struggles of the other became weaker and the blond, seizing his chance, reached for one of the expensive clothes and bound the madman with it tightly. Only when he was completely certain to have secured the foreigner well enough, did he hurry to the small cage – although not before shoving a gag in the man’s mouth.
As soon as the door to the cage opened Kili jumped onto his arm, rushing over it up to his shoulder. Needle-sharp claws were buried in his tunic, scratching over his skin as the small body of the weasel curled up in the crook of Fili’s neck, searching for safety after such a fright. The hunter’s relief at having Kili back with him was short-lived, for when he felt the furry creature tremble against him, another wave of anger and hate overcame him.
He didn’t act on those feelings, however. Simply carried his friend out of the cursed wagon and stroked gently over the shaking back. He barely felt the cuts Kili was ripping into his skin with how tightly he held on, just tried to soothe the shifter as best as he could.
“Shh,” he whispered. “It’s over. I got you.”
Despite Fili’s soft words Kili wouldn’t let go before they reached the safety of their home. There Kili hid under the blanket of the bed, whimpering softly. Rage washed over Fili once again, one of his hands wandered on instinct to a knife at his belt. It was this moment he choose to head back to the abductor.
The man hadn’t been able to move very far. With his arms and legs bound crawling was his sole option. A hint of fear wandered to the dark eyes, so different compared with the warm sparkle he loved to see in Kili’s deep brown orbs.
Good, Fili thought. This man deserved everything that was coming to him.
“Do you know what we do with thieves here?” Fili asked him darkly, his grip around the knife tightening.
*
*
Fili made sure to clean up thoroughly by the time he was done. He didn’t want to scare Kili with his bloody appearance. Usually the brunet had no trouble with blood, but tonight… well, better safe than sorry.
Kili had transformed into a human. He wasn’t shivering anymore, but wouldn’t look up, even though he felt Fili’s presence. The blond grimaced, ere he lay down next to his friend.
The shifter wasn’t protesting when Fili pulled him into an embrace, but went willingly with it, nestling up against the blond. Fili began to caress his love’s back gently, tracing the curve under the blanket, while pressing an innocent kiss to Kili’s temple.
“It’s alright. He won’t hurt you again,” Fili murmured, lips brushing over the brunet’s brow.
Kili seemed to release a breath he had been holding all this time and with it a part of the tension melted from his body.
“Thank you,” Kili croaked.
They didn’t let go of each other for the rest of the night.
86. Hiding an injury / pretending not to be coming down with a cold (and getting taken care of anyway)
This is a fill for the WinterFRE and takes place in the same universe as this one.
I want to finish one more prompt, but since I’m not sure if I can manage it in time: I’m going for digital prizes only.
Kili smelled it already before Fili came down with any symptoms. Knowing the blond, he would deny it anyway, even if he would lie as a withering mess to the shifter’s feet. The nose of the weasel was sensitive and picked up on the sickness long before his friend awoke with a groan on a particularly cold morning. Humans seemed extremely fragile and got sick easily as soon as the temperatures went down once winter was approaching.
For this very reason Kili had prepared some tea for him before Fili began to stir and was just pulling the tea pot over the floor and towards the bed, where a mug was already waiting. Sure, he could’ve done this as a human, but Kili loved his animal form and besides, the weasel was much faster.
Climbing onto the bed he heard Fili swallow with difficulty, confirming the sore throat diagnosis, which urged Kili to tug at one of the blond strands to attract his tired gaze to the tea waiting for him next to his bed. A frown appeared on the pale features when Fili regarded the pot as if he didn’t understand why it was there. Kili took this as an invitation to push his nose against Fili’s brows.
Fili laughed hoarsely, before shooing him away with a sweaty hand.
“What are you doing? I’m fine, you silly weasel.”
A noise of disapproval left the small body of the animal as he glared at the unreasonable human. Fili, however, had the audacity to chuckle. His mirth wasn’t holding on for very long once the giggling turned into a coughing fit.
Kili huffed. Sure, Fili’s skin still had a perfectly healthy glow to it and his forehead didn’t feel warmer than it should be. Sometimes the weasel was surprised how the blond was meant to be the more mature one in this house.
“It’s just a little cough, don’t make such a fuss,” Fili commented all out of breath.
It didn’t impress Kili very much, not with the way his friend’s arms trembled when he pushed himself up. Humans needed lots of rest when they got sick and so Kili would make sure Fili was going to follow his treatment plan.
He hissed at the blond when he attempted to get up without permission, nipping at a strand of hair and tugging it disapprovingly.
“Ouch!” Fili went down with a huff, followed by a cough.
Seizing his chance Kili climbed onto the human’s chest and stared down at him in warning.
Blinking up at him, as if he was seeing the weasel for the first time, Fili seemed to weigh his odds. While the weasel might be smaller, it was used to fighting with bigger opponents and in any case, Fili was unlikely to get very far if Kili decided to change his shape.
Pleased Kili noticed how his friend’s muscles relaxed under him.
“Am I at least allowed trips to the loo?” Fili surrendered.
Kili pretended consider the question, enjoying the look of alarm crossing the stubborn idiot’s face. Eventually he nodded, but not without before he pointed to the tea with one of his paws, though. He only hopped from Fili’s chest once he agreed, sniffing miserably. Time to fetch a couple of handkerchiefs.
This made his next mission a trip to fetch a couple of handkerchiefs.
Assured that Fili was provided with tea and a warm blanket he darted outside, where they stored the firewood. The small flames in the stove where slowly turning into embers, allowing the cold to spread through the room of the small cabin. Kili had heard stories about icy air worsening the condition of ailing people and was keen on to keep their home nice and warm.
Once he was happy with the amount of wood the stove was topped with, he hurried to the kitchen. While it wasn’t hard to fetch the ingredients he would need for a stew, cooking was a different story, so the weasel briefly shifted back into his human form to peel and chop and since he was now running around like this he also made sure a hot bath was waiting for Fili.
His friend meanwhile was still the most annoying patient Kili could imagine, claiming he was perfectly fine just before coughing or sneezing pitifully. On top of that he must have felt terribly in his sweaty clothes, which only adding to his terrible mood.
One thing was for certain: Fili hated it when someone was taking care of him. Kili was completely unfazed by it, however, and so the blond had to deal with it.
The shifter had already planned his day down to the last details. While Fili was taking a bath, Kili would air the room and change the sheets.
It seemed to go well at first: he helped his unhappy friend out of his clothes and leaped onto the edge of the tub to dip his paw into the water to make sure it was still hot enough. when Fili suddenly got up without being asked. He wasn’t expecting Fili to suddenly sway and grab the tub for support, making Kili lose his balance and plunge into the water.
When he resurfaced again he could hear Fili laughing loudly – which soon turned into another coughing fit – while the weasel scrambled hurriedly out of the water, sneezing pathetically. Shaking the water from his fur Kili glared up at Fili, who was still enjoying himself far too much for his liking.
“Now, be careful not to get sick,” Fili croaked with a grin, stepping into the tub under Kili’s careful gaze.
The weasel rolled its eyes. Oh yes, his friend would certainly like that, turning tables and being the one that pushed him back into the bed. He was going to be sorely disappointed: shifters had a much better resilience. After all, their body had to handle two shapes and not just one, and so his kind got rarely sick, if it happened at all.
With a soggy, wet fur Kili retreated back into the main room of the cabin, occasionally checking that Fili hadn’t managed to drown himself – “I’m not a child alright? I can handle a bath! Stop checking in on me” – and got the sheets changed swiftly.
Once Fili was done with the bath, the air in the room smelled much cleaner and the delicious scent of the stew was slowly seeping through their home, hitting Kili’s sensitive nose and telling him it had simmered long enough. By the time Fili was back in bed, the weasel had changed form again and gone off to get his friend a steaming bowl.
Fili looked exhausted and already completely fed up with his cold, when he accepted the stew without much enthusiasm.
“Eat,” Kili told him.
Fili’s gaze wandered back and fro between the brunet and the bowl in his hands.
“Do I get some cuddles in return?” hethrew him a hopeful look. Sniffing, he put the food away in favour of reaching for a handkerchief.
An exaggerated sigh slipped past Kili’s lips, buthe complied. As long as it got Fili to eat and to rest he was prepared to do anything.
Fili chuckled softly, when the shifter crawled under the blanket with him.
“You are such a nudist.”
“Eat your stew,” Kili answered drily, wrinkling his nose scandalised.
Leaning against the shifter, Fili did as he was told, humming contently when Kili’s arm pulled him closer on instinct. The stew was finished off in no time, but when he offered to get him another serving, the blond simply protested and hugged him tightly. His poor sick friend had eaten a little and since a little was better than nothing at all, Kili accepted Fili’s need for closeness and began to stroke over his hair gently.
The complaints and the whining died down considerably while they snuggled up to each other… Kili blinked with surprise.
Maybe Fili wasn’t an unbearable patient… maybe Kili had simply chosen the wrong approach.
This takes place in the same ‘verse as this and this story.
Yes, I have a problem, okay? But hey, if someone would like to give me prompts for this ‘verse, I would happily accept them.
Kili squeaked with surprise as Fili poked his belly all of a sudden, giggling softly. The shifter glared at him indignantly, the unexpected touch had startled him out of his state of contentment. He’d felt warm and loved as he cuddled close to the blond and just when he stretched on the mattress, still tired from a long night full of gentle touches and whispered promises, trying to get a little more awake, the attack yanked him out of the wonderful feeling of peace.
He huffed. Of course he would never be angry about something as this, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t mourn the loss of a sleepy morning. Meanwhile Fili grinned at him far too smug.
“Someone has put on weight,” he teased him softly.
“I have not!” Kili denied on instinct. Only when Fili poked him again, murmuring an amused “sure”, did his gaze wander.
And indeed, the once well-built body had gone soft around the middle and was even pushing out a little now. The shifter could feel heat rising to his cheeks as he realised what had happened over the last weeks of winter. The days were shorter, the snow covering the whole country under a thick layer that was hard to cross and therefore it was easier to stay inside and wait it out. They weren’t getting out as often as usual, which was a change Kili’s body couldn’t cope with.
He was used to hunting regularly, the small body of the weasel burning lots of calories and therefore demanding a great amount of food. Since he lived with Fili, he didn’t have to fear going hungry anymore, there was always enough to eat. But a body that had learned all its life that it needed to eat a great deal to survive, couldn’t simply stop maintaining the balance the shifter had relied on all his life. So it was no surprise that he was slowly gaining weight, he had never been this inactive for such a long period of time before.
“I wouldn’t be so smug,” Kili pouted and folded his arms in front of his chest. “This is all your fault.”
“My fault?” Fili asked surprised, laughing softly as he propped himself up on his elbows. His long blond hair was falling over his naked shoulders in such a tempting manner that Kili had to swallow hard to keep his sulky expression upright.
“Of course! I’m stuck in here with you all day! I’ve never been this inactive before, so it’s not surprising my body doesn’t handle it well. But just so you know, once the snow will start melting, this will as well!” As if to emphasise his words he poked the thin layer of fat on his tummy like Fili had done before.
At first Fili seemed speechless, but not much later a devilish grin claimed his features. Kili tilted his head in confusion before his friend pulled him down again until their noses almost brushed. He could feel Fili’s breath ghosting over his skin and shuddered pleasantly at the desire shining in the other’s eyes.
“Oh, I’m very sorry we haven’t kept you active enough. I think we should change that right away, what do you think?”
His hurt pride was immediately forgotten. Nodding with excitement at the promise he could read in Fili’s gaze, Kili pressed closer until one of his nipples began to brush over the blond’s skin and their lips met in a heated kiss.
