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The days after the Battle of the Five Armies were grim, at least, at first. Wounds and such were tended, as much as broken hearts. Not everyone survived the bloody war, but many had.
Fíli, Kíli and Thorin lived, somehow. As did the rest of their Company. Though many had incurred irreversible physical or mental pains.
However, some who had come to their aid could not claim such luck.
When those from the Iron Hills took their leave alongside Dáin, Erebor was even emptier than before. To some, that was dreary, given all that had happened prior to their departure, while others privately cheered, if only so that no one might worry about the Dwarven lord attempting to take the throne.
Regardless, to Ori and Fíli, it was anything but a weary time, at least whilst with each other. The two had begun carving out a little piece of freedom, of softness, for one another. In the confines of Erebor's once renowned library, they met and exchanged letters or kisses. Occasionally, they would share a picnic that was coupled with candlelight, which brightened up the otherwise dim space until the lamps were replaced.
Though not wholly untouched by what had happened upon their journey, the two found solace in each other and the love that had slowly grown over the many years of knowing one another; once only platonic, now having become romantic. It was a different facet to their bond - no better nor worse than before. Still, the two were drawn together, and over time found love in a different form that deepened within the musty stacks and dust mote filled air.
One night, amidst it all, Fíli laughed as Ori half-heartedly helped him stretch in between the kisses they shared. They were meant to be going through his whole routine of stretching so that his muscles didn't hurt too much, as they were prone to without the efforts they should have been giving. However, instead they were bright-eyed and laughing, swapping sweet nothings and presses of lips.
Their noses brushed, and Fíli's breath caught. Ori was quite stunning in this light, or any sort, really. It was something he had known but continued to appreciate more with each passing day elapsed.
"We really ought to stop," Fíli said, doing his best to detangle from Ori long enough so that he could manage some more stretching positions.
Ori smiled. His brown eyes shimmered in the candle's light, and the sight nearly made Fíli pull him back in for another quick kiss.
Prior to the battle, Fíli had never been so affectionate in matters of the heart, but nearly dying then finding what he had with Ori made him so. Love, in this context it turned out, wasn't so scary nor mundane when done beside his friend, whom he adored.
Ori sat back enough that Fíli managed to properly focus, and then did as Óin had bid him to before. Much healing had been afforded to him as much as the rest of his family; Thorin had needed the most, and then he had next. Kíli had been hurt, but perhaps the Valar smiled upon him, allowing his body less pain following the battle, given that he had previously taken an arrow while escaping Mirkwood.
Nevertheless, Fíli moved about, poorly concealing the fact that he would rather be wrestling Ori to the ground or tickling him. His eyes remained upon Ori, who was watching him.
"Once you're finished, do you care for a break elsewhere?" Ori asked.
"Why?" Fíli responded, moving to allow for his legs to shift before him as he awaited an answer.
"I found a map earlier, and it leads somewhere you might like to see," Ori said, not fully meeting his eyes.
"Care to tell me where that would be, so I know what I'm walking into?" Fíli queried.
Ori looked at him then and said, "It's a surprise."
His tone verged into an excited lilt, and even more than before, his brown eyes were sparkling.
"Alright. We can do that."
Ori beamed at Fíli, which only served to make his stomach swoop, happy he had agreed to the idea at all.
Eventually, they blew out the candles, and Fíli looked at Ori, who stood beside him. "We should at least tell someone where we're going."
Ori smiled up at him. "Already taken care of."
Fíli's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, really?"
Ori nodded, allowing one of his hands to tangle with the one Fíli reached out and grasped it with.
Fíli lifted Ori's hand and brushed a kiss across his knuckles before allowing their conjoined hands to drop. "Thought of everything, I see."
Ori shrugged, though even in the lack of light, Fíli could see a bit of rouge upon his cheeks.
"Well, lead the way," Fíli replied, amusement colouring his tone.
Ori turned, tugging him about, and Fíli followed willingly. He trusted that wherever he was being led, it was safe, because Ori would never want him to be harmed.
Eventually, they were in what appeared to be an abandoned corridor, much lower in Erebor. Too close to an area that Fíli would rather not be near, but soon he was being pulled elsewhere, away from where the gold rested. It would be a while yet before it could be properly moved elsewhere; however, with Erebor's ghosts, it remained an ever-present reminder of all that had happened since the reclamation.
Once away from that and the lingering ill feelings it brought up, Fíli could breathe again, focussing on only Ori. The Dwarf who had become his proverbial light in the dark; who loved him as his own Dwarf, and nothing more. Who saw him clearly, when so many others didn't.
Heart swelling with affection anew, Fíli continued walking alongside Ori, wondering where they were going, but not really caring because they were beside each other. Aside from his younger brother, Ori was easily his favourite individual in all of Arda. Not that he didn't love others, but those relationships weren't the same; weren't as steady, as healthy as those two bonds. Fíli loved his family no less, but Kíli and Ori both had separate, distinctive places in his heart, neither capable of being overwritten by anyone.
After walking for some time, Ori finally stopped and looked over at him. Where they were was far from anyone else in the Company, or the few that hadn't left in favour of elsewhere.
"Where are we?" Fíli asked.
Ori looked into a specific roughly hewn doorway, if it could even be called that, and said, "Go look."
Fíli dropped Ori's hand and walked into what he thought was complete darkness, until catching sight of the glittering surfaces all around him. It was like the night sky but within a mountain; small flecks of light bouncing everywhere his eyes could see.
There were mushrooms around, dotting the cavern’s walls in various places, all of which appeared bioluminescent.
"It's an old garden that was left behind; rations which are safe for the Company to eat,” Ori said after he had time to properly assess what his eyes had already roved over.
"Does Thorin know?" Fíli asked, meeting Ori's watchful brown eyes as he nodded.
"Yes. He gave me permission to bring him some back for inspection, but this is a discovery which will give us more food once Thranduil's good will dries up. Until we can re-establish proper agriculture and trade routes between kingdoms again."
"Did he ask you to do this?" Fíli queried, curious.
Ori shook his head. "No, I found it on my own and followed up on it."
Ori sighed. "Everyone is contributing something to the restoration efforts, and it is early yet. One day, the library and all its contents will matter more, but right now, it doesn't, and so I have less to do and more time on my hands. My brute strength can be utilised as necessary, but it hasn't been honed over time, and so I wanted to do what I could with what I have at my disposal; literature and keen focus."
Ori continued talking as Fíli watched him, stunned by his brilliance into a proper silence.
"I also wonder at what might be growing that could have medicinal properties. Óin needs his healing herbs refilled, and there once were overflowing gardens like this one throughout the levels of the mountain." Ori took a breath then looked at Fíli again.
"Did you know that Hobbits love mushrooms?" Ori asked.
Fíli shook his head then stepped closer to Ori as he said, "No, but my mind is not considering such things now."
Ori cocked his head to the side, brow furrowing just slightly. "What else could you possibly be thinking about? This is a major discovery and -"
Fíli kissed Ori speechless, because it was all he could do with the overwhelming awe he felt; the renewed sense of love at who Ori was. There in that glittering cave, Fíli thought Ori would make excellent consort material one day.