#day 4:soulmates

[metalhoops]

The Five Times Eddie Wondered Who His Soulmate Was  and the One Time He Didn’t Have To

1. 

The worst thing about knowing your soulmate was in trouble was understanding there was nothing you could do about it. 

As a whole, Eddie thought the concept of soulmates was bullshit. He thought all that fate and destiny crap was a scam to sell the idea of monogamy or co-dependence. If people were too busy fretting over when they’d meet ‘their person’, they’d forget that actual shit was going on in the world. Who had the time to care about systemic oppression when they were busy trying to work out if the cute girl across the corridor was their one true love? 

That being said, sometimes Eddie got curious about who they were. Not many people found their soulmates. It wasn’t as obvious as you’d think. When they were in pain, you would feel it. Two people could live across the world from one another, feeling each scraped knee and broken wrist but never meet. Hell, you could live across the street from someone and unless you were there to watch them get hurt and feel the same old pang of shared pain, you’d never know. 

It wasn’t like Eddie had never felt his soulmate before that day. They’d twisted an ankle when Eddie was twelve and sprained a wrist when he was fourteen, but he’d felt no pain from them so strong as when he was sitting in detention during his junior year. 

He was counting down the minutes left until he could get out of the high school, hell hole when a sharp and sudden pain flooded his jaw. He gritted his teeth and cradled it with his palm, feeling as though the wind was knocked out of his body. Eddie knew what being punched in the face felt like, and that was it. Just when the ache started to fade, another thud of pain to his cheek made his vision swim. From there, Eddie held his breath, waiting for the pain to end. He rested his head on his desk and felt his heart in his throat as the blows kept coming. 

He missed Mrs Click telling him to go home, too busy gripping the desk for dear life, his fingernails digging into the poorly carved desk graffiti, slicing a line through ‘RB 4 TT.’ He was elated when the pain finally stopped. 

Eddie kept his head down the whole walk home, trying to tell himself soulmates were bullshit, and that he didn’t care about his, but his thoughts kept returning to visions of them. He hoped they were okay. 

Eddie never wanted to know who his soulmate was until that moment. They’d had a hell of a day and Eddie wanted to be there with them, tell them he knew what it was like. He wanted to hold their head in his lap and tell them everything was going to be okay, that if it were up to him, no one would hurt them like that again, but he couldn’t. For all he knew, they could be a hundred miles away. 

2.

The next time it happened, Eddie was at home alone in the trailer. Uncle Wayne was working a night shift, and he was watching a horror movie marathon on the T.V. It was shaping up to be a good night, with him curled up on the couch watching a schlocky creature feature when he felt all the air knocked out of his lungs. 

For a moment, he was worried something horrible was happening to him. When Jeff had appendicitis, he’d reported the same kind of pain. Eddie rolled up the hem of his shirt, watching a black-blue bruise bloom and fade in the span of a second. Sometimes, if the pain was great enough, you’d get what they called an ‘echo’ of the injury. It only lasted a moment, invisible ink fading on pale paper. 

The pain had been so strong that Eddie hadn’t been able to tell if it was theirs or his. From there, it got worse. He felt a sharp pang crash over his head, then another series of blows to the face. It was always the goddamn face.

When it was over, Eddie was left feeling lightheaded. The sensation faded quickly, but he knew his other half would be stuck with the ache for the rest of the night, if not longer. 

There was a lot of conjecture when it came to soulmates. It was hard to conduct scientific studies on something based entirely on sensation, and any research that had been done was less than ethical. All the same, for the rest of the night, Eddie curled his arms around himself, holding his body in the hopes his person could feel it, that he could give them some comfort. 

“I hope you’re okay,” he whispered, burrowing his face into the crook of his elbow. 

Back at school, Eddie floated through the halls feeling less than himself as thoughts of his person swirled. The school was abuzz with rumours of a fight between Billy Hargrove and the former king of Hawkins High, Steve Harrington. Eddie couldn’t care less about some pissing contest for the highest rung on the social ladder, as he still felt the echoed ache of his soulmate’s pain throughout the day. 

He ditched gym, opting to hide beneath the bleachers and smoke. To his surprise, he wasn’t the only one with the idea. When he arrived, he found the overthrown king sitting cross-legged, cradling his still-bruised jaw. Eddie wasn’t a fan of the jocks, but they were the biggest contributor to his wallet, so he tried to play civil with them. Plus, Eddie wasn’t one to kick someone when they were down, and boy was Steve down. He sat beside the man, examined his face, and thought for a fleeting second. Maybe he was the one, but that was crazy talk. The Freak and the King. In what world? 

“You look like you’ve had better days,” Eddie noted. 

“I’ve had worse,” Steve replied. Eddie had a pit in his stomach. 

The two lapsed into silence, hiding out until the bell sounded for the end of gym. Eddie gave the boy a half-hearted salute as he stood.

“Hey, Steve?” Eddie spoke before he left.

“You okay?”

Steve gave Eddie the ghost of a smile, all charm drowned out by Steve’s two black eyes. 

“I will be.” 

3.

Eddie had been worried about his soulmate before, but he’d never thought he’d lose them until the summer vacation after his failed attempt at senior year. He and the rest of Corroded Coffin had just finished their set at The Hideout. Eddie and the boys were carrying their instruments back to the van when the feeling hit. 

He fell to the asphalt. The whole scene sounded all the more dramatic as the hi-hat he’d been holding fell with him. He really wished his soulmate would learn to keep their head down and stay out of trouble because this was getting ridiculous. He got ready to hunker down and wait it out, having gotten morbidly used to their annual beatings. Only this time the pain didn’t stop. 

He was hit with wave after wave of agony. This time, it wasn’t just the face. He felt blows to his jaw, his stomach, and his side. He also felt a sharp spike of pain in his hand, as though someone was trying to peel his nails from his skin.

He could hear his friends around him, desperately trying to get something coherent out of Eddie, trying to work out if it was soulmate bullshit or if the guy was having an aneurysm. By the way he was acting, either seemed possible. When the pain subsided, Eddie felt foggy, like he was going through the worst goddamn high of his life. The neon signs of The Hideout and the street lamps danced before his eyes. Hundreds of little halos clouded his vision. He couldn’t think straight. 

He managed to prop himself up against the wheel of the van and pulled his knees to his chest. He knotted his hands in his long hair and tugged, trying to remind himself what his own pain felt like, though stopped when he realised he’d also be hurting them. That was the last thing they needed. 

“You okay?” He heard Gareth ask when the world came swimming back into focus. Eddie shook his head. Far from it.  

“Are they okay? Are they... alive?” Eddie hadn’t let himself entertain that idea until it was brought up. 

He felt the last flush of colour drain from his face. He could still feel them, but there was something wrong with the connection. Maybe he was dying. Eddie couldn’t help but think of his soulmate as ‘he’. He just knew. 

Eddie kept trying to tell himself he didn’t care about them, but the fact that he could die without Eddie ever having met him made his heart ache. People thought the reason you felt your person’s pain was to protect them, to know when something was wrong. Eddie had done a bang-up job at that. 

“For now, but it’s weird. I don’t... I don’t know how much longer-,” Eddie didn’t let himself finish. 

The rest of the band suddenly took on a sombre mood. Jeff and Grant finished packing up the van while Gareth offered to drive. The boys stayed at Eddie’s trailer for the rest of the night, holding their breaths and waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Eventually, Eddie dropped off to sleep and when he awoke hours later, he was relieved to realise he hurt all over. He was still alive, still waiting for Eddie to find him and god did Eddie want to. 

His uncle came home at the crack of dawn and let out an elongated sigh of relief at seeing Eddie and his band of merry men curled up together on the living room carpet. Wayne greeted Eddie with a tight hug that still hurt like hell.

“I was worried something happened to you,” His uncle stated in his gravelled tone.

“Why would something have happened to me?” Eddie asked, perplexed. 

“The mall burnt down last night. I was worried you were close by.” 

Eddie shook his head and let his uncle hold him as his mind ticked away. He wondered if it was possible his soulmate was in Hawkins. Eddie wasn’t sure he believed in coincidence.   

4.

Eddie started seeing spots during his lunchtime speech. By the end of his rant, the room had started to tilt. He felt unsure on his feet as he clambered from the top of the jock table to scamper back to the hellfire group. He must look worse for wear because he noticed one of his new recruits watching him.

“Eddie, you good?” Dustin questioned, sounding further away than he should. The lights in the cafeteria were too bright and his head was killing him. 

He felt close to throwing up and wondered where the pain had come from before realising the familiar distance from the sensation. It wasn’t his pain. Eddie didn’t want Henderson to butt into his love life any more than he already did, so he gave the kid a tight-lipped smile that more closely resembled a grimace. This wasn’t the first time he’d felt this sensation from his soulmate, but they were growing more frequent.  

Again, sweetheart? Eddie thought, knowing it was the second migraine that week. 

“Migraine,” Eddie hissed through gritted teeth. He could feel his band members' eyes on him. They knew exactly who the ache belonged to. 

To Eddie’s surprise, Dustin passed him a cool glass of water and barked orders at Mike, getting the kid to remove the ugly Hawaiian over shirt, before throwing it over Eddie’s head, blocking out the light. It wasn’t Eddie’s pain, so it didn’t help but he could appreciate the sentiment. 

“Did they teach you first aid at science camp, Henderson?” Eddie guessed offhandedly. 

“Nah. Steve gets migraines all the time. Helps to know how to deal with them.”

Eddie would never understand how a kid like Dustin came to know Steve Harrington, let alone worship the ground the guy walked on. Usually, Dustin had such good taste.  

“Eddie’s soulmate gets them too,” Gareth spoke unhelpfully. 

Even without looking, Eddie knew he was shooting him a shit-eating grin, knowing the rest of the afternoon Henderson would ask him about his soulmate. Just because the kid found Suzie, he thought the whole world deserved to find their one true love. Instead, Dustin came out with the most bullshit statement Eddie had ever heard. 

“Maybe Steve’s your soulmate.” 

Yeah, right. On what planet would that happen? 

5.

With everything that had happened to Eddie in the past few days, he hadn’t had time to think about his soulmate. He’d watched Chrissy die before his eyes, learnt the existence of another dimension and was walking through said dimension after witnessing Steve Harrington take a bite out of a demon bat’s tail. It’d been a weird ass day.  

He wished he’d been like Robin and Nancy, able to jump in and rescue Steve on a whim, but as Steve disappeared beneath the black water of Lover’s Lake, he’d felt his throat close and his lungs ache for air. It wasn’t a good time for a panic attack. Nevertheless, he’d managed to get his ass in gear and follow the rest of the group down into Watergate. 

He’d dropped back to walk with Steve and found himself complimenting the man. Steve was nothing like he imagined. He was not only kind, but as Dustin had put it, a total badass. 

Once the adrenaline faded, Eddie found himself lifting the hem of his shirt, examining his side. He felt a dull throb of pain. It’d be his luck to bleed out without noticing, but he found there was nothing there. 

“You good?” Steve asked.

Eddie couldn’t help but let his gaze settle on Steve’s bleeding side. He held his breath. He thought about pushing his hand against Steve’s wound, hurting him more just to check, but Eddie couldn’t hurt Steve. Not now. Especially if he was who Eddie thought he might be. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. You okay?” Eddie asked, gesturing to Steve’s side. The boy nodded.

“I’m fine, just a scratch. Can hardly feel a thing.” 

If Steve was his soulmate, he was full of shit. If Steve was his soulmate when everything blew over, they had a few things to talk about.

+1

Something was very wrong. Vecna was going down in a blaze of flame when Steve’s body started to ache. He felt the familiar sting of interdimensional bat fangs digging into dermis flesh. Robin and Nancy were cheering, wrapping their arms around Steve, whooping, hollering and panting while Steve was busy feeling like he was being torn apart. 

He was pulling away from the girls and turning on his heels before he had the chance to explain, running from the Creel House to the trailer park as fast as his feet could carry him. There was only one person this pain could belong to. 

Steve had spent his whole life searching for his soulmate, desperate to know who they were, and he’d been under his nose the whole time. The fact that Steve’s soulmate was a boy hadn’t surprised him as much as it should. That’d been a crisis bubbling away in the background of his brain since he’d gone to his first swim meet. He’d seen a boy in tight swim trunks, with tan skin and felt the familiar heart-pounding, crush he’d experienced on pretty girls he’d passed in the school hallways. 

By the time he got to Eddie, he’d hardly been able to fight through the pain surging through their connection. Dustin was wailing, holding Eddie in the wake of a bat graveyard. He looked up in alarm at Steve’s figure, noticing his pale skin and sweat-slicked brow. 

“Harrington?” Eddie’s weak voice came from Dustin’s lap. 

Steve was busy removing his clothes, trying to stop the bleeding. Dustin didn’t need to show him where the man was hurt, he could feel it. 

“I really must have got some brownie points in the end,” Eddie murmured. 

Both boys hissed as Steve shoved his shirt into a wound at Eddie’s side. That was when Dustin appeared to catch on, his eyes swelling wide as they darted between the two boys. 

“What’re you talking about, Munson?” Steve asked, trying to keep the guy talking. 

“Must’ve got into heaven after all,” He hummed, his deep brown eyes gazing beyond Steve at the distant red sky. 

“Hey. No. None of that. You aren’t in heaven because you’re not dying,” Steve hissed, using what little strength he had left to lift Eddie’s body. 

“Gotta be in heaven, if you’re here,” Eddie spoke, giving Steve a lopsided grin. Steve felt Eddie’s pain beginning to fade and panicked, not ready to let things end before they’d even had the chance to begin. 

He hoisted Eddie up through the portal and waited to do the same with Dustin. It wasn’t long before the distant sound of sirens once more surrounded the Munson trailer and Steve found himself passing out from the pain as red-blue lights swallowed the world whole. 

Eddie woke in pain, his whole body humming with a familiar dull ache that was unarguably his. It took time for him to make sense of the scene. He was in the hospital. Steve was slumped over at the far edge of the room, sleeping in an uncomfortable plastic chair, his head thrown back and his mouth agape. Eddie’s eyes trailed to his bedside, where he met Dustin’s. 

“Holy shit, you’re awake,” the boy gasped, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. 

Eddie cringed as he felt a rush of pain swarm through his body. He must have gasped, because Steve sprung to life, waking with a start as his eyes trailed from Dustin to Eddie. Steve’s eyes were a storm of quiet conflict, punctuated by deep purple bruises. 

“Eddie,” Steve breathed, standing to hover beside the bed, unsure of what to do next. 

He was surprised Steve was there at all. He wouldn’t say the two were close. Though Steve had probably found some way of twisting Eddie getting hurt into some fault of his, ever the damn hero. 

“Thought I was a goner for a second there,” Eddie admitted, trying to shake some of the strange tension from the room.

“If Steve hadn’t gotten there in time, you would’ve been,” Dustin spoke. Eddie watched as the boy’s hands trembled. He leaned over, fighting through the pain to ruffle the kid’s hair. Steve’s shoulders hunched over, doubling into himself. 

“I’ll get the nurse. Your uncle left for his nightshift, but he should be back in a few,” Dustin muttered as he made a beeline for the exit. It seemed strange the boy was extracting himself from the scene.

Henderson called over his shoulder. “I told you so.” 

And just like that, Eddie knew. 

He looked up at Steve with wide-eyed alarm, only to find his look mirrored.

“How’d you know we were in trouble?” Eddie asked, though thought he knew the answer. 

“After we killed Vecna, I felt... I could feel you. I knew you were hurt,” Steve explained. 

“How’d you know it was me?” Eddie pushed.

“Thought it was too much of a coincidence that it felt like my soulmate was getting eaten alive by giant bats. I’d call it an educated guess.” 

Eddie gritted his teeth and nodded. Surely, as far as soulmates went, he hadn’t been what Steve imagined. 

“I’m sorry,” Steve said, surprising Eddie. 

“For what?”

“Not being the person you wanted me to be, I guess,” Steve spoke so candidly, it made pain and panic swell in his throat. How could Steve think Eddie was disappointed that he was his soulmate?

“I’m not disappointed, Stevie. Why would I be disappointed?” 

“You had to have known,” Steve reasoned. 

Eddie didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious, but it sounded like Steve had been overthinking every second of it. 

“You give me more credit than I deserve. I didn’t know it was you, sweetheart. Cross my heart,” Eddie admitted, surprised at how quickly the term of endearment he’d used for his soulmate slipped off his tongue when talking to Steve. 

He hadn’t worked out shit. He’d had hunches, as though his heart knew, but the logical part of his brain kept overriding it. In what world were he and Steve perfect for each other?

Eddie threw caution to the wind as he saw the genuine look of affection and excitement painting its way across Steve’s face. He looked hopeful. Eddie cringed, sitting up and trying to lean closer to Steve.

“Come here before I hurt the both of us,” Eddie grumbled.

Steve shuffled closer to Eddie’s bed, crouching down, so the two were at eye level. Eddie wanted to kiss the boy so damn bad, and Steve was sending him all the signs that he should, but there was something he had to do first. He took Steve’s face between his hands, running a thumb over the purple bruises beneath his eyes.

“No more playing hero, okay?” 

Steve nudged his face into the palm of Eddie’s hand and nodded, letting out a weak chuckle. 

“I think I can agree to that.” 

Eddie crushed their lips together and despite the pain, it felt like everything was right in the world. 

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things 4 #st4 #long post #tw violence #bi steve harrington #obligatory soulmate au #i'm back on my bullshit #and back with another #soulmate au #but this time it's #angst #with a happy ending #I don't know where this came from but I wrote it in like a day #so enjoy #5+1 fic #5+1 things #steddie fic #is it even a ficlet at this point? #I'll tage it #ficlet #anyway #drabble

[gunsatthaphan]

yes they are 🥹🫶🏻

#firstkhao #firstkhaotung #first kanaphan #khaotung thanawat #gmmtv #sjkhfds please 😭😭😭😭😭 #the voices won again for a second there #luckily khao knows how to handle them #sdkjhgkjdfg #i hate them so much #(very affectionate) #my pookies 😩🥺🧡😭 #khao at the end like heck yes #we besties #we soulmates 4 lyf #deal w/ it #its okay sweeties we know #everyone knows #not a single day goes by where they dont say some unhinged shit istg #also my boy First was definitely high on some gummy vitamines during this lmao he was so hyper #their matching outfits 🥺🫶🏻

[pascow]

b. August 9, 1990. 🎈

#bill skarsgård #bill skarsgard #bskarsgardedit #userdorff #underbetelgeuse #usermattz #mancandykings #john wick: chapter 4 #barbarian 2022 #soulmates amc #nine days film #clark #gifs by christine #and we're back baby!!! #i know this is late #but i was shadowbanned on his birthday #and my dude deserves proper birthday wishes

[victor-the-vampire]

@serennedyweek day 5 Soulmates

Something super quick cause I'm trying to put all my effort in the last day :3

#resident evil #fanart #leon s kennedy #resident evil fanart #leon kennedy #serennedy #serennedy week #serennedy week 2024 #serennedy week day 5 #resident evil 4 #re4 #re4 fanart #resident evil 4 fanart #my art #soulmate au #soulmates

[the-really-lonely-mountain]

Along for The Ride - Part 1

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Summary: Transported to Middle Earth, you must Join Thorin Oakenshield's Company as they travel to reclaim Erebor! OR: My take on the classic 'modern girl in Middle Earth' troupe. With this first installment, we are following the first movie of The Hobbit trilogy, and falling in love with Kili on the way! Slow burn with this one y'all, nothing spicy till the next work I'm afraid.

Tags: Kili / Reader, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Modern Character in Middle Earth, During The Hobbit, How Do I Tag, Canon-Typical Violence, Kíli Is a Little Shit (Tolkien), wrote this while I had covid, in like 4 days lol, implied soulmates, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Freeform, Holding Hands, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles, Protective Thorin Oakenshield Company Members, Dwalin & Thorin Oakenshield Friendship, Fluff and Humor, Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Where In Middle-Earth Is Gandalf?, Hair Braiding, Dwarf Courting, My First Tumblr Fic, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fíli & Kíli & Thorin Live, Thorin Oakenshield Lives, Fíli Lives (Tolkien), Kíli Lives (Tolkien)

Word Count: 6,292

A/N: I was utterly appalled by the lack of Kili writers on here and Ao3. Y'all who write for Kili, I've been eating your crumbs like it's the shit (cause it is) for weeks, but one can't be sustained on crumbs alone so I've prepared a feast!! This is the first fic I've ever wanted to post, please be gentle. Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are loved and treasured!!

Tagging the amazing Kili writers I've been living off of for the past few weeks and who have inspired me so they might share in the feast as well lol go check out their stuff too: @mikathemonster, @cowboybeepboop, @littleenglishfangirl, @ethereal-inquisitor, @sweetpeakili

Photo credit: @immawriteyouthings

Divider credit: @cafekitsune

You were having one of those days that made you want to run away from everything. Instead, you walked on the golf course behind your house after hours; no phone, no umbrella, no bag this time, just you. You had what you could fit from your hands in your jean pockets as you walked the grassy field. Something twinkled and caught your eye on the far side of the fairway, there was a sparkle in the ferns. You walked over and began looking through the underbrush. Your hand grazed a smooth stick with a mangled end that encased a gem. You picked it up hoping for a better look but were transported to another world instead!

You appeared in the new world holding the staff. You were standing beside an older fellow with a pointy hat and long grey beard. You looked around and saw many other gruff, burly-looking men sitting in an encampment. They looked as confused as you. You did the only thing you could think of doing at that moment.

You turned around and took off running as fast as you could.

The wizard whose staff you were running away with asked the younger dwarves in his company to fetch you for him. They ran after you as quick as the wind. You dodged trees and hurdled bushes, making an all-around great effort. You were slowing down though. You stopped for a moment to catch your breath and plan. A twig snapped in the distance; quick footsteps closed in on you. You took off again. You needed a place to hide, a moment to think for God's sake. You were afforded no such luxuries. They were gaining, you were tiring. In your drained haste, you tripped on a bush which sent you stumbling and struggling to regain your footing given your momentum. You finally fell and scampered to take cover behind the roots of a great tree. Their footfalls grew slower and drew nearer. They were so close you could hear their words now.

“…She’s hiding, Fili,” one said much closer than you expected them to be.

You tried your best to steady your breathing. Your heartbeat was so loud you knew they could hear it.

“Stop scaring her Kili,” The other chastised. “You know she’s got to be scared half to death”. He walked past you, studying the ground. The other came up the other side of the tree doing the same.

You gripped the staff preparing yourself to be found. They turned in unison following the same tracks and looked up at you simultaneously. They were both panting but not as hard as you. Fili, the elder and more experienced of the two knelt where he stood a few yards from your curled trembling form.

“My name is Fili” He put his hand on his chest and motioned to the man next to him, “This is my brother Kili. We mean no harm to you.” He kept his distance and showed his empty hands. You stayed firmly pressed against the tree trunk, your chest heaving rapidly and your eyes as large as saucers. They could have tackled you, beaten you, or done any number of terrible violating things, but they kept their distance and spoke softly.

“What’s your name?” Kili asked, with a charming smile as he crouched beside his brother.

“Y/N,” you said in a shaky freaked-out tone.

“Y/N, that’s our friend wizard’s staff,” Fili said, “If anyone can figure out how you got here, he can.”

“But you gotta come back to camp with us,” Kili said reaching out his hand as a peace offering. So many horrible things could happen to you in the wild of this new world, but even more on top of that could if you didn’t go with them.

“How can I trust you?” You asked them. They looked at each other.

“How can we trust you?” Kili threw back at you with a suspicious look and recoiled his hand.

“Touche” you nodded returning his look.

“Seems we are at an impasse then,” Fili huffed at his brother, “You want to get home, and our wizard can do that. The only way that can happen is if you come with us back to our camp. We can only offer you our word and promise on our honor as dwarven princes that you will not be harmed by any in our company.”

You thought for a moment and nibbled at your lip, “You promise?” you looked up at Kili this time.

Kili looked you deep in the eyes, and very seriously said: “No harm will ever come to you, on my honor as a prince.”

You nodded at this, “Very well”, and tried to stand up but were stuck against the tree. The 2 men easily lifted you back to your feet. You followed them back to the camp.

You tried your best to hide behind Kili as you approached the wizard smoking a pipe. You peeked from around his shoulder at the other men in the camp. They were looking at you.

“Please sit, my dear,” The wizard said to you, motioning to the rest of the long log beside him “We have much to discuss.”

Your legs wouldn’t move you from behind the dwarf. You were still quite afraid.

“She seems to have taken a liking to you Kili,” the wizard said to him. The rest of the company let out a soft chuckle of agreement. You couldn’t see it from your angle, but Kili smiled and nodded.

“Sit down child, we aren’t going to hurt you,” One of the dwarves sitting across the fire said. You took a deep breath to gather your courage. One false move by any of the others would have you bolting again.

You moved from behind Kili and sat beside the wizard still clutching the staff.

“May I take that from you?” the wizard politely asked. You handed it to him. He explained how this type of thing had happened to a couple of his wizard friends before, but he didn’t know the remedy or spell to undo it or how to prevent it from happening again. You sat quietly listening and nodding. He explained to you and the rest of the company that he was leaving to travel to his friend and inquire about your predicament. In the meantime, he convinced the company and its leader, Thorin you came to know, to keep you in the company as an innocent bystander to help around the camp and whatnot till Gandalf (the wizard) could figure out what to do with you. Gandalf gave you a small sack of coins, instructing you to get a bag, a bedroll, clothes, and any other necessities you’ll need at the next town.

As the fire died down so did the company. They got out their bedrolls and sleeping gear like a synchronized unit and as quickly as they started, they were all asleep snoring softly. Kili had first watch and was sitting on the ground next to you leaning against the log you were on. You slid onto the ground next to him curled with your knees to your chest. He looked over at you. You looked over at him.

“I don’t know what to do now,” you said not hiding the waver in your voice very well, “I’m so scared.” You couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. You cried into your hands as quietly as possible, so you didn’t disturb and anger the others. If you had looked at Kili, you would have seen him in a slight panic and at a loss for what to do, he didn’t know how to console crying women. You sobbed into your hands knowing you just needed to let it all out then you’d be fine. Kili looked at the fire and put his hand on your back. Physical contact of any kind back home was next to nonexistent, it felt nice to know he was trying his best to comfort you. After a few minutes of uncontrollable sobbing and hiccups wracking through you, you began calming down. When you were able to breathe properly, you wiped your face even though tears kept falling. You sniffled and rested your chin on your knees letting the tears fall silently now.

“Do you feel better?” Kili guessed in a soft tone and rubbed his hand on your back.

You nodded at him, “Yes” You took a deep breath and wiped the tears from your eyes as best you could, “Thank you” You looked at him and smiled a little. He smiled and nodded too, still concerned but returned his hand to his lap. You sniffled and looked at the fire.

“Really though I don’t know what I’m doing,” you said. “I’ve never been camping before,” you paused to think. “I don’t know how to fight or use a sword or make a fire or hunt or-or—” You were working yourself up and starting to cry again. Kili cut you off before you could start sobbing hysterically again.

“WOAH! Woah!!” alarmed, he put his hand on your back again, “It’s ok. Calm down.” he said harshly, “Take a deep breath, that seemed to help last time,” He mumbled the last part under his breath. That made you smile despite yourself.

“You don’t know how to console someone, do you?” You took a deep breath and wiped your eyes. He shook his head and took his hand from you. “Seems we’re both out of our depth then,” you said making the mood a bit lighter.

“In my defense, I was raised in a pack of manly men,” He smiled fondly “It’s a wonder my mother got through to me at all.”

“So, you do have a mother,” you said, making him look at you quizzically “I assumed you were raised by wolves,” You shrugged. He laughed and you couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re not completely wrong about that,” He smiled, looking over at the men across the fire. There was a momentary silence. “We’ll teach you those things, how to fight, how to make a fire, all that,” He looked over at you, “I mean who knows how long Gandalf will be, and you’d have to be pretty stupid not to pick up a thing or two even from this bunch.” You smiled and nodded; this calmed your nerves a little. A moment of silence fell between you again.

“Is it ok if I stay up with you?” you innocently asked, “I’m not very tired.”

“Sure,” he said casually, “May I ask about your life back in your world?”

“OK,” You nodded.

“What do you do?” he asked, you gave him a weird look. “Like for a living, how do you make money, how do you spend your days?”

“I’m a student at university at the moment.” He looked at you confused this time. “I spend my days studying at a desk, it’s boring and dull” You quickly summed up.

“Ooohh,” He said, “No wonder you couldn’t run for shit,” He laughed.

You scoffed, “So rude,” You huffed, failing to hide your smile. He was glad you were cheering up a bit.

“If it’s so boring and dull, why don’t you do something else?” He asked, naive to your world and its ways.

“It’s…complicated” you sighed “I have to study to do what I want to do for work even though I don’t want to work or study or do any of that, but I have to make money somehow because I need money to do stuff and buy things because the world I live in is shitty that way and it’s so frustrating sometimes,” you gritted your teeth to make your point.

“Well, what do you want to do then?” he asked, trying to understand your strange world.

“Sit on the beach,” You said without hesitation “…Listen to the waves…sleep on a blanket in the sun,” you sighed wistfully. “Die happy and rich.”

“That does sound nice” He agreed “I’ve never seen a tropical ocean before, the seas near the Blue Mountains are all frozen over.”

“Surely there’s a beach somewhere in this world,” You refused to believe the universe sent you to a world without a beach.

“There is! I’ve heard stories of Southern Gondor, where the sun makes the sand hotter than forges, and the water falls over the horizon in every direction.”

“That sounds like the beaches from back home,” You felt a little bad for him. You’d been practically raised at the beach because it was the only free thing to do in your hometown.

“May I ask a question?” you asked this time.

“Of course,” He shifted to lean against the log and face you.

“What are you guys doing?” you gestured to the camp around you.

“We are on a quest!” He said proudly, “A quest to take back our ancestral home from the dread dragon Smaug,” he said in a sinister voice. He explained about Erebor and the dragon and Thorin to catch you up. You listened, nodded, and took it all in, asking questions and giggling at his jokes. He was a decent storyteller.

“And I’m just along for the ride I guess,” you said deflated about your role in all this.

“If it’s any consolation, you’re quite good company,” He indulged; Kili always got so lonely on watch.

“Yay!” you said over a yawn, “I’d hate to bore any of you,” you replied, genuinely fearing your stories may never measure up to theirs. You leaned over and laid on the soft grass, curled in a ball with your arm as a pillow. You tried not to shiver from the cool evening breeze. You heard some shuffling of fabric, and then a blanket fluttered on top of you. You looked at Kili who smiled and said: “I’m quite the furnace at night, I’ll be fine without it,” he reassured.

“Thank you,” you said over another yawn. You didn’t expect to fall asleep but the next thing you knew it was early morning and you were awoken by the clanging of pots and spoons. You sat up and looked around to get your bearings.

‘Still in the same strange world’ you thought not fully awake. Kili appeared, greeted you good morning, and handed you a bowl of white goo he called porridge. You thanked him and ate your breakfast in silence like the rest of the company. While the men packed up the camp you were tasked with washing the dishes in a nearby stream. You were struck by the beauty of the incredible woods around you even in the dim morning light. You returned to camp and put the dishes in their bag, which was taken by one of your new companions. You felt out of place without a task among everyone who knew what to do. Balin saw you standing in the middle of the camp looking lost. He asked Thorin what they were to do about their lack of an extra pony for you. They decided you could ride with Kili seeing as he was the lightest (next to Bilbo) and his pony could take the weight and because you seemed the most comfortable with him. The old dwarf with a white-grey beard curled up at the ends approached you with as much of a nonthreatening air as he could muster.

“Good morning, my dear!” He greeted you with a chipper smile. “My name is Balin”

“Good morning,” you replied. “I don't quite know what I’m to be doing,” you said sheepishly.

“That’s ok lass, it’ll come with time,” he reassured, “For now, you’ll ride with Kili so you can see if he needs help getting ready.”

“Ok,” You nodded and started walking in Kili’s direction. You stopped in front of his pony and petted its nose and down its neck. “I’ve been told that I’m to ride with you,” you said timidly looking at him adjust his saddle. Kili looked at you and nodded.

“I’ll be happy to have a lovely conversation again” He smiled and looked back at his saddle, making the final arrangements.

He turned to you and said, “I’ll give you a leg up,” And jabbed a thumb at his pony. You nodded and approached the animal. You put your hands on the ponies back and bent your leg waiting for him to help. He leaned forward so he could whisper in your ear: “Wrong leg”. You blushed quite profusely at that and switched legs. He heaved you with such strength he nearly threw you over the other side of the pony. You made yourself comfortable behind the saddle before he hooked his foot in the stirrup and carefully mounted so he didn’t knock you off.

“You ok?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yep!” you smiled. He nodded. You were excited to see new lands even though you feared what they harbored.

“If you need to hold on to me when we get going you can,” he said, making you both blush despite yourselves.

A few moments later Thorin called out: “Company ready?” in a deep booming voice, “Aye!” They all replied in unison. “Company, move out!” He bellowed and urged his pony forward. The rest followed behind him one by one. When your animal lurched forward you grabbed Kili's waist for dear life. The company was silent till they got to the end of the forest. You had your cheek pressed against Kili’s shoulder and your chest against his back. The fur of his coat was very soft against your face as you turned your head to look over his other shoulder. You yawned but didn’t realize you did it right next to his ear and breathed down his neck. He determinedly kept his eyes on the pony ahead of him to keep the blush rising in his chest at bay.

“You can take a nap if you need to,” he said over his shoulder in a soft voice for only you to hear.

“That sounds like a good idea,” You yawned again. You buried your face in the soft spare fabric of the hood on his back and cuddled closer to him to rest your head on his shoulder. You closed your eyes and sleep swiftly took you. He knew this because he could feel your breathing slow on the back of his neck. He was happy you could sleep and couldn’t help his smile. You shifted now and then, turning your head one way then a while later turning it the other. Kili tried not to talk or move too much in fear of waking your delicate slumber. By midday, you felt very well rested. You took a deep breath and released your grasp on Kili to stretch your arms above your head, arching your back to wake yourself up. You quickly slipped your arms around him again, so you didn’t fall.

“Good morning!” He chirped, “Well afternoon really,” he corrected with a smile, “Sleep well?”

“Mhm,” You hummed against his shoulder “I haven’t slept that well in a long time,” you said thinking back on the restless weeks before your arrival in Middle Earth.

“Good,” He nodded. “Happy I could be of service.”

“Yes, you make quite the comfortable bed,” you replied.

An easy silence settled between you for a while. You contentedly watched the landscape pass by while he kept the pony on the path.

“What’s a good weapon for a beginner?” You asked knowing you needed to start wrapping your head around the fact that you could be stuck here forever and needed to protect yourself. He thought about that for a few moments.

“I’d have to say a bow,” He shrugged, “I don’t know honestly, lemme ask Fili,” he kicked up his pony to walk faster to be next to his brother. “What is the best weapon for a beginner?” He asked him. Fili glanced at you and thought for a moment.

“Hmm I think a sword would be easiest,” He replied, contradicting his brother.

“A sword?!” Kili said incredulously “No that’s one of the harder ones,” He swatted his hand as if to swipe the words from the air.

Fili scoffed “For you maybe,” he said barely keeping his teasing smile under control “But not to the rest of us, my weapon-challenged brother.” That made you giggle. Kili huffed and pulled his horse back, so he wasn’t beside his brother anymore.

“Are you that bad with a sword?” you asked, trying not to laugh too much.

“No!” he exclaimed, “I’m just better with a bow and arrows,” he pouted.

‘Awe he’s so cute when he pouts’ Your thought took you by surprise.

“Perhaps you can teach me, Archer,” Your voice was lower than you intended, making you both blush. Your breath ghosted over his ear making him shiver just a little. He turned his head to look at you over his shoulder, his face so close to yours. He looked at your lips then deep into your eyes holding eye contact.

“Maybe I will,” he said in a deep gruff whisper that made you gasp and goosebumps rush over your skin. He turned back and smiled; proud he could get a rise out of you. You huffed and distanced yourself from him by leaning back, needing the space to calm down.

As night drew closer, Thorin led the company to the edge of a forest and found a shallow cave, more like a cliff overhang to make camp for the night. He told Fili and Kili to take care of the ponies and Oin and Gloin to make the fire. After the meals had been handed out Thorin told you to take Fili and Kili a bowl. You walked through the forest and found them looking at a downed tree in panicked awe.

“Something took 4 of the ponies,” Fili said to you, hoping you’d have the answer to their predicament.

“Yes, and…” you nodded at them trying not to panic yourself “What are you going to do about it since it’s your problem?”

The brothers decided to see what took the ponies and if they could handle it themselves, no need to worry Thorin, right? You followed them as they tracked the pony-nappers. Kili hid behind a tree and peeked around, you hid behind him and peeked over his shoulder. 3 large trolls were something to worry about, and a sight that made that dreadful feeling drop from your chest into your stomach. Your grip on Kili’s coat tightened.

He turned to you and said in barely a whisper, “Go back to camp and tell Thorin”.

Fili was immediately against it, huffing and puffing from behind his tree. Kili shrugged and motioned with hands as if to say, ‘What else would you have us do?!’ Fili huffed again and snuck around the tree. He tried to cut the rope fence with his sword, but he took too long. The trolls caught him. They were deciding ways to eat him when Kili looked at you in alarm and told you to go back to camp. You ran as fast as you could.

“Ponies! Big grey troll things took the ponies!” You said out of breath pointing the way you just came “Fili…in…danger”. Thorin cursed in dwarfish and rallied the company. Balin told you to keep your distance, so you didn’t get caught in the fight.

The dwarves fought bravely but were captured. Bilbo bid for more time while you thought of a plan. You heard the trolls complain about daylight coming and that gave you an idea. You saw the trolls had made camp in the shade cast by a large boulder. You wedged a branch under the rock and used the leverage to try to roll it. It was very heavy, and you were not. It took everything in your power to push the branch to roll the boulder down the ditch edge it rested on. The trolls were washed in sunlight, turning them to stone and freeing the company. They cheered when you stepped over the branch and into the clearing. You helped them from their confines and smiled and blushed when they praised your good job.

Back at camp the company gathered their things and discussed what to do now. Fili suddenly hushed the company.

“Warg howls in the distance,” He whispered to Thorin “They are coming!”

“RUN!” Thorin yelled at the company. Following Thorin everyone started running. You all ran as fast as you could onto a hilly plane sprinkled with trees and boulders. You ran and ran till the Wargs finally caught up. They began to encircle you. The company fought the beasts, taking them down as still more came at them. You went to hide behind the rock formation but fell into it instead. You climbed out as the Wargs were closing in.

“Down here!” you called “There’s a passage this way!” you slid down to make room for the others. Thorin was the last one, as he slid down a horn was blown near the entrance to the passage.

“I can’t see where it leads, do we follow?” One of the dwarves asked.

“Yes! We follow!” Thorin barged through the dwarves and led the company through the narrow pass. You all walked for a few minutes, but then Thorin rounded a corner and slowed as he realized where he’d unwittingly led the company. The rest kept walking around him, but Bilbo stopped and said in admiration: “Rivendell”. You stopped as well to take in the view before you. It was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen. A small town on the side of a mountain with water flowing from beneath some of the glittering structures.

As Thorin led the company over a bridge, you grabbed Kili’s arm to steady yourself as you looked around and took in the ornate statues and architecture of the front steps of a large building. A man much taller than you or the dwarves approached the group.

“We would like to speak to Lord Elrond,” Thorin said through gritted teeth. He was swallowing his pride for the betterment of the quest, that much was clear through his clenched fists and tense shoulders.

“Lord Elrond isn’t here,” The elf said regretfully.

“Then where is he?” Thorin’s patience was growing thin. A horn was sounded on the other side of the bridge you’d just crossed. Everyone turned to see a group of horses galloping towards them. The dwarves began shouting in dwarfish and closing ranks with their weapons ready for battle. You were pushed into the very center of the circle as tall horses and riders circled you. They stopped suddenly and the one on a black horse dismounted.

“My Lord Elrond,” The elf who first approached you said with a bow.

“Lindir” Elrond bowed his head at him then turned to the leader of your group, “Welcome Thorin son of Thrain,” He looked over the dwarf “You have your grandfather's bearings.”

“I’m afraid I know you only from the stories my grandfather told me,” Thorin was doing his best to be polite. (You were later informed that the stories were mostly about him being a ninny.)

“I’d like to offer you and your company a taste of our elfish hospitality,” Elrond said with a warm smile.

“Does that mean we’ll eat?!” Bombur called from the back. The company chuckled at him.

“Yes Bombur, that means we’ll eat” Dori replied. The company cheered at the prospect of a full belly and a warm hearth.

Not long after, you were sat next to Bilbo and Kili at a large table. The salad appetizers were very good despite the dwarves not liking green food very much. You giggled at their jokes about how bad the music was or how they wanted chips and meat. Thorin was sat at another table across from Elrond discussing something you couldn’t hear, but you could tell it pained Thorin to be in the other man's presence.

You turned to Kili beside you. “Thorin looks constipated,” you said in a low voice barely containing your laughter “He can’t even pretend to be enjoying this”. Kili looked over at his uncle and laughed with you.

When the meals were served there was boisterous laughter and general dwarfish shenanigans, the usual at any merry dwarfish gathering. Bilbo looked like he was having PTSD from when they were doing the same at his house at the beginning of the quest. At the end of the meal, Thorin and Balin disappeared with Elrond to discuss a map. You asked Kili if he would escort you to the markets with as much innocent girlish need as you could muster to solidify your security. He agreed and walked with you through the corridors and to the market. He helped you get a fair price on a bag, a blanket, and a bedroll. The next thing you needed was clothes to blend in.

“What do the women around here wear exactly?” You asked him. He shrugged.

“It depends, I guess” He had his hands shoved in his pockets as he followed you around the clothing stalls like a puppy.

“Gee, that’s a big help.” You teased.

After some more wandering you found a stall selling clothes that looked your size. You purchased a dark blue form-fitting tunic that stopped above your knees and had slits on the sides that went up to your hips. It paired very nicely with the brown pants and brown coat with dark blue highlights you bought as well. Kili helped barter with the merchants since you didn’t know the fair price of things here. In another section of the market, you bought spools of black, blue, and pink thread. You put your belongings in your new bag.

“Are we done?” Kili asked, sounding slightly annoyed. He was ready to go back to the others and be away from so many elves. You sighed and rolled your eyes playfully and nodded. He led you through the busy crowded markets by holding your hand. You were thankful he was in front of you so he couldn’t see your blush. You made it back to the group, who had set up camp in a courtyard garden at the end of a hallway. Just as you arrived two female and two male elves came down the hallway.

One of the males stepped forward, “The bathhouse is ready for you now” he said to the group.

“Bath?! We don’t need no stinkin’ bath!” Exclaimed a dwarf from behind the fire. The rest heartily agreed, not ready to drop their pants on elvish soil it seemed.

“I’d like a bath” you timidly said, not wanting to make a fuss but very much wanting to be clean.

“Very good mistress dwarf, if you’ll follow us,” one of the female elves said. You were tense as you followed the four elves down the corridor, not sure what you were doing.

“You best go with her lad,” Dori said to Kili, “You never know what an elf might try to pull.” He glared at the back of the elves as they walked away. Kili nodded and ran after you.

“Y/N!” He called making you and the elves stop.

“Oh, change your mind, Kili?” You asked with an innocent smile, happy to have his company.

“Yeah, I guess so.” He smiled too.

You were led to a large door that opened into a covered hot spring that flowed over the balcony to create an assumably gorgeous waterfall. Columns lined the outer edge of the room which was split down the middle by a cloth partition. The male elves walked to one side of the divider with Kili in tow, while the females walked to the other. The elves asked that you wash under the heated shower of water off to the side before entering the hot springs. They left you to your own devices.

“I’ve never seen anything like this have you?” You asked Kili across the large room.

“No” He smiled at the wonder in your voice from seeing new things and making discoveries. He thought it was very cute.

You placed your bag and new clothes on the vanity in the corner. You undressed and stepped under the warm shower. You used the bar of soap you found to wash your hair and body. It was the best-smelling soap you’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

“Hey, Kee?” You hollered.

“Yeah?” He yelled back.

“Do you plan on keeping your soap?”

“No…Why?”

“I’ll take it then. I’ll need extra anyway,” And you were so happy you did. That soap made your hair silky smooth and stronger than ever. You rinsed the suds away then stepped into the hot springs.

It felt luxurious. You couldn’t help but moan a little as the heat pulled every knot and tense muscle from you. Relaxed, you floated in the steamy water.

“You still there Kili?” you asked suddenly nervous he’d left you.

“Yeah, I’m here” He replied, “We shouldn’t take too much longer though, Thorin could be back any minute and who knows what kind of a mood he’ll be in.”

That made you enjoy the bath a little faster. Not long after you began drying off and getting dressed. You took the hairbrush and beads and other miscellaneous hair trinkets that were on the vanity. You looked in the mirror at your new outfit. It fit as you thought, though a little snugger in some places than others, hugging your curves to allow for movement yet still baggy for breathability and insulation. Overall, a nice ensemble.

“Ready Y/N?” Kili asked from across the partition.

“Yeah, you can come over, I’m just packing my things.” You replied, folding your old clothes, and putting them in your bag with the rest of your things.

“Here’s the soap” He handed it to you.

“Thanks!” You smiled at him; you simply wrote his flushed cheeks off to the hot water. When you stood, he was able to get a much better look at you in your new clothes.

“A perfect fit I see” He smiled, looking you up and down. He couldn’t help but imagine what you’d look like wearing nothing but his tunic. A line of thought he blushed at and quickly willed away.

“Does it look alright? I don’t know how it’s supposed to fit” You fussed with the hems and the folds trying to make them lay better. He grabbed your hand to make you stop fidgeting.

“You look great,” he said with a genuine smile. You smiled and nodded your appreciation.

You walked back to camp, making moneyless bets on what mood Thorin would be in when he returned.

As you approached Fili saw you in your new outfit and said, “Well look at this…” Making the rest of the company look at you too, “Our wee lass looks like a bona fide middle earther now!” They cheered at your near-complete indoctrination.

“Now she just needs to learn how to fight like one.” Bofur quipped from beside the fire.

“Then I wouldn’t need any of you to protect me!” You put the back of your hand to your forehead feigning a damsel in distress, making the company laugh. You sat on the ground beside the long chair Kili was now examining his weapons in and leaned against it. You held out a stone fish figurine to him.

“As a thank you for helping me” you cleared your throat “…And for being my friend.” You couldn’t meet his eyes, but you knew he was smiling a little around his reed pipe. He took it from your open hands. You know it wasn’t much but it’s all you could offer.

“Maybe one day you can return it to the ocean,” you said, referring to your previous conversation.

“Maybe I will,” he smiled down at you with genuine fondness.

“Bombur!” Bofur called before throwing a sausage to his cousin. The table, which took skilled elfin craftsman months, even years to craft and carve out of solid wood, collapsed under the massive weight of Bombur. Everyone erupted in laughter, it was nice to be part of the group and share in the merriment.

~~

Thorin stopped Balin on their way back to the camp, “We should leave her here,” He said, “She is a liability.”

Balin had a terrible sinking feeling in his round tummy when he thought of splitting you up.

“So what if she is, Thorin?” Balin said near pleading. “Have you ever seen your nephew that happy or open with a girl that quick before? I’ve never seen the lad so engaged in a conversation that didn’t have to do with weapons before last night. So what if she dies on our quest, at least we gave them a chance to happen, and if fate finds their pairing favorable it will all work out!” Balin was desperate to keep you and the young prince together if only to keep the sinking feeling at bay.

Thorin huffed, “Very well, but her blood is not on my hands,” He walked away and into the camp.

~~

Thorin and Balin returned, and the tone became slightly more serious—slightly. The company settled and laid their bedrolls in the grassy parts of the garden. You laid yours out as well and prepped for sleep by removing your shoes and coat. The night was warm enough that your blanket would suffice. You looked up at the stars wondering if any of the constellations were the same as back home. You cuddled your coat to your chest relishing the feel of the soft fabric. The low conversation between Fili and Kili, while they sat on watch across the fire, lulled you to sleep.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

#Reader-Insert #Slow Burn #Modern Character in Middle Earth #During The Hobbit #How Do I Tag #Canon-Typical Violence #Kíli Is a Little Shit (Tolkien) #wrote this while I had covid #in like 4 days lol #implied soulmates #Dwarf Culture & Customs #Freeform #Holding Hands #Cuddling & Snuggling #Sleepy Cuddles #Protective Thorin Oakenshield Company Members #Dwalin & Thorin Oakenshield Friendship #Fluff and Humor #Domestic Fluff #Tooth-Rotting Fluff #Where In Middle-Earth Is Gandalf? #Hair Braiding #Dwarf Courting #My First Tumblr Fic #Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies #Fíli & Kíli & Thorin Live #Thorin Oakenshield Lives #Fíli Lives (Tolkien) #Kíli Lives (Tolkien) #kili x reader

[asnowfern]

We’re Not Strangers, We’re Lovers

Summary: Cassian's muscles twitched as every fibre of his being screamed at him to go after her. He didn't know her, not in this lifetime, not yet. OR another take on the reincarnation/soulmate trope. 

Rating: Mature

CW: Implied character death

Word count: 3.1k

Read on AO3

A/N: Written for day 4 of @cassianappreciationweek : Lover💕💕💕

Enjoy!

Hazy sunlight streamed through the curtains into the room, brightening up the room in the orange glow of sunrise. Cassian's eyes fluttered open to observe his surroundings. 

The room was functional and barely decorated, the kind that said bachelor's pad without being overly obvious about it. He shifted his hand and sunk into soft flesh, pulling the warm body close. Slender arms wrapped around him in response.

"Good morning, governess," he greeted, his voice hoarse from sleep. He traced her neck with his lips, watching in delight as it left a trail of goosebumps in its wake. 

The bed creeked slightly as she flipped around to face him, fixing him with a mock stern look with those piercing green eyes. 

"Good morning," she returned primly, her hand moving to fist his morning arousal. A flicker of amusement sparked in her eyes as he groaned. She continued, tutting, "Didn't your Oxford educators teach you that this isn't the way to greet a polite lady?" 

His lips tugged up to flash her a rakish grin, "Perhaps I'm due for a refresher, governess." 

He leaned in to capture her lips and-

A loud beeping blared across the room, the synthetic sound at odds with the suddenly archaic furnishing of their environment. 

Cassian snapped his eyes open, taking in the familiar modern room fittings. He sighed heavily as he looked down at his raging erection. 

He padded lazily to the bathroom. His eyes shut close as his brain too easily conjured those emerald eyes and how those plump lips would feel wrapped around his cock, quickly drawing out his release with a grunt.

It was one of those damned dreams again.

They started when he was ten as he was playing around with Rhys and Az, foolishly racing to be the first to top the tree. One misstep later, Cassian was knocked unconscious on the ground with two panicky boys.

It was during that bout of unconsciousness that began the first of a very, very long series of dreams. It was of a beautiful girl, similarly aged around ten. She had flaxen hair that glowed with the sun and crystal blue eyes that could get her anything she wanted. They played in fjord, chasing sheeps and each other. Cassian never wanted the dream to end. 

And it didn't. 

The dreams continued to follow him even after he had fully recovered from the fall. Dreams of him with multiple girls - chasing the beautiful blonde in the fjords, splashing water with an Indian girl who sported cute dimples along the Indus River, running and giggling around the English countryside with a ginger, scouring through Chinese libraries with the delicate female with the beauty mark. As he grew, so did the girls in his dreams. Many girls but Cassian knew from the whispering voice deep within him that they were all one person. His soulmate, a love that transcended lifetimes.

Haunted by the stories of past loves was a curse and a blessing. A blessing to know that there was someone out there for him, a curse that got bothersome after nearly twenty years of waiting. That left him oscillating between doubting his own sanity and wondering if the fates skipped out on him this go round.

Turning off the tap with another sigh, he stepped out of the shower and toweled himself dry, mindlessly getting himself dressed and ready for the day ahead. He internally hummed along to the boppy tune as he waited for the traffic light to turn. Glancing up to the red man sign, Cassian's mouth went dry. 

Standing at the opposing end of the crossing was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Golden brown hair swept into a neat coronet braid with bored stormy blue eyes that assessed her surroundings with casual ease. The voice whispered to Cassian once more. There she is, the one you've been waiting for. 

His muscles twitched as every fibre of his being screamed at him to go after her. He didn't know her, not in this lifetime, not yet. With his mind so wholly focused on figuring out how to approach her, he failed to notice the rushing commuter barreling his way into Cassian's back with his eyes still glued to his phone, failed to seize his muscles and absorb the impact. Instead, Cassian fell headfirst into the oncoming traffic.

The last pair of eyes he saw were wide, concerned stormy blue eyes. He attempted to lift a heavy hand towards her only for darkness to overtake his being.

***

Alarm and panic surrounded him as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Amidst the chaos, soft fingers interlaced with his, radiating comfort and warmth.

"There's so much blood," a small gentle voice sliced through the noise, reaching his ears effortlessly, "Hang in there, love. Help is on its way." 

So Cassian did. Through the sirens and curt instructions from paramedics, Cassian clutched on tightly to the warmth in his palm. Don't let go, never let go.

He looked up with hooded lids at the look of breathless ecstasy on his wife as her thighs clamped tightly around his head. With a satisfied smile, he rode her through her release. He slid up the length of her body, taking care not to press any weight on her belly. 

“Well, breakfast was delicious if I could say so,” he said smugly, licking his fingers. 

“Cad!” She laughed, playfully pushing his face away as he leaned in for a kiss. She glanced at the rising sun through the window and heaved a gentle sigh, “You should get ready for work.” 

He rose from the bed to wash up, letting the covers slide off his body and blanket his wife. Just as he was about to leave the house, he rounded back to the bed, dropping a kiss on her forehead and lowered to level himself to her middle, pressing his forehead to the small bump, “You be good today and not give your mummy any trouble, alright?” 

She smiled, pulling him up for a chaste kiss, "Have a good day at work, love."

"Catch you later, stranger," he promised, his heartstrings tugging at him as a cloud of sleepiness visibly descended on her.

"Not if I catch you first," she murmured, sighing contently as he adjusted the blankets.

With one last longing look, he exited the house, counting down every minute until he could return to his growing family. It was with the same drive to return that got him through the day and happily walking back home when a fire truck raced past him. He quickened his pace, an unsettling fear blossoming in his stomach. His heart leapt to his throat as he saw the fire that engulfed his home.

No. 

No, he thought desperately, sprinting towards the building. Not when they had finally found their little cocoon of peace, not when he had finally returned from fighting in the Great War.

He ignored the blustering warnings from the firefighters and rushed headfirst into the inferno. His heart pounded in his ears in time with the roar of the flames around him, overpowering even his own frantic cries for his wife. The world around them slowed as he spotted the familiar collapsed feminine form. 

His breath only returned to him as she blinked her eyes opened. "Let's go, baby. Let's go," he murmured into her hair as he enveloped her with his large frame, protectively shielding her out. 

Just as they were a couple of steps away from the door, he heard an ominous creak in the ceiling. Instinctively, he pushed her out of the way and allowed the heavy concrete to crush him instead of her. 

Because it would always be her. There was only ever her. 

So he stopped her from trying to lift the heavy structures crushing him and shakily reached for her hand instead, pulling her close enough to gently stroke her dirt smeared face for the last time. 

"No, you're not leaving me like this," she declared tearfully, steely stubbornness bright in her eyes, "I'm going to get help so promise you'll hold on." 

"Swear it!" She repeated forcefully when he remained silent. 

He held her gaze for a sorrowful beat, acutely aware of the darkness edging his vision. "Go, it isn't safe here for the both of you."

Conflict warred in those sapphire orbs before her body angled towards the exit, "You hang on for as long as you need to." 

He pushed past the heavy agony to give a shaky smile, "I'll catch you later, stranger." 

The beautiful angelic voice reached him easily even as his eyes shut close, likely for the last time.

"Not if I catch you first."

***

Cassian blinked blearily, his vision sharpening with every steady beep of the machine next to him. 

"Cass" a familiar baritone voice breathed next to him, shrouding him in a rain of salt and citrus. 

Rhys, friend, his brain helpfully provided. 

He groaned as he turned his head to the side and the small movement triggered a pounding against the inside of his skull. Rhys's usual sharp violet eyes were alight with worry, his brows creased as he swiped a thumb over Cassian's damp cheeks, "You're crying." 

Cassian slouched back into the hospital bed. His insides twisted achingly as his brain caught up with the dream. He wanted so desperately to be with them and Cassian could still feel every pain, regret and longing. He inhaled sharply, taking in the ache in his lungs and exhaled, feeling the pounding in his head and heaviness in his leg. 

These pains were his and his alone. He focused on the thought to dissociate himself from the man in his dreams. 

"What happened?" He asked. 

"You were hit by a car about two junctions from the gym," Rhys said, concern and uncertainty lacing every word, "Do you remember?" 

Rhys continued when he didn't respond, "You suffered a blow to the head. I heard a blonde woman accompanied you to the hospital." 

Something twinged in him at those words. 

"A blonde?" 

"Yes, a blonde lady was at the scene. She called the ambulance and rode it with you to the hospital." Rhys's shoulders loosened as he raised an arched brow, almost in amusement. 

The image of the stunning female with the braided crown and piercing blue eyes cut through the fog in his brain. Next to Cassian, the machine beeped a little faster, something Rhys clocked with a quirk of his lips. 

"Is she still here?" 

"The woman? No, the nurse mentioned she left right after hearing your condition wasn't serious and we were coming." Rhys replied, continuing with a scowl, "But really? You just woke up from an accident and the only thing on your mind is picking up a girl?" 

Cassian flashed him a grin, "Is that not how you know that I'm alright?"

"You're an idiot."

***

Three years later

A buzz from his phone dragged Cassian away from his computer screen. 

Emerie: I invited a friend to class later. Don't be weird about it.

Cassian: Excuse me, I am a professional😤

Emerie: Sure💁🏻‍♀️

Putting his phone away, Cassian returned his attention to updating the gym's website and did not give the conversation much thought for the rest of the afternoon. Not until evening rolled by and Emerie entered the gym with another woman trailing behind her. 

Cassian halted as his world froze to a standstill around him. 

It was her. 

With cheekbones so sharp one might cut themselves with it (oh, how his hands itched to try) and assessing steely blue eyes, she appeared exactly as Cassian remembered. But somehow, even more breathtakingly beautiful. 

Their gazes locked for a moment as she scanned the gym, her lips pursed into a tight line. Cassian cut across the practice mats, stretching his arms, knowing full well how they flexed in his muscle tee. Next to her, Emerie rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Ems. This, your friend?" 

The brunette tilted her head to the side in confirmation, "This is Nesta."

He turned to her. Her eyes burned with a fiery strength as her chin tilted up, daring him to make a move. His lips twitched, "Do you have any experience in MMA or martial arts in general?" 

She shook her head, "First time."

"You'll do great," he said sincerely. 

His belief cemented into conviction as she gave a derisive huff. She had a fighter's spirit, that's for sure. 

He clapped his hands to gather the students, barking loudly. "Let's start with warm-ups. Laps around the gym. Let's go!" 

The training proceeded smoothly, Nesta possessed far more grace than any beginner should, catching on the legwork with a natural ease. She stood fists at the ready to swing at the punching bag, grunting in frustration as her wrapped knuckles made a lackluster impact on the apparatus.

"May I?" He asked, raising his arms and hovering them around her shoulders in question. 

At her nod, he stepped behind her, so close that he could feel the delicious heat that she radiated, and gently grasped her forearms. She stiffened in his grip, a tenseness that made the muscle in his jaw feather and sent a surge of cold rage through him.

He could kill whoever tried to hurt her. Instead, he swallowed the lump in his throat and guided her arms into the two-step jab and uppercut motions, his body twisting and swinging in tandem with hers, "Use the momentum of your entire body." 

He released the grip, his hand flexed at the loss of contact. With a look of renewed determination, Nesta attacked the bag once more. The bag swung hard with her strengthened blow. Exhilaration and relief overtook her face, splitting it into a white smile that took his breath away.

"Now you get it, Nes." 

She raised a perfect brow, "Nes?" 

He crossed his arms and shrugged, "I like it." 

"I don't," she returned, the words not having much heat to it.  

Cassian leaned down, his breath hot against her ear, "But I think you do." 

He couldn't help but laugh at her scowl as rose tipped her ears. 

The words echoed soundlessly across the gym as Nesta attacked the bag relentlessly with a series of strikes, each blow getting more precise than the next. Never again will I be powerless, never again.  

***

"Flat white for Nesta?" The barista's voice boomed over the noise of the cafe.

Cassian's head snapped up as his attention on his phone vanished instantly. He instantly drifted to her, his body moving on its own accord like a magnet. 

"Nes"

Azure orbs widened a smidge as she tilted her head to him, the micro muscles of her face jumped as she scalded herself on the hot beverage. She maintained a careful silence as she capped her tumbler. 

Finally, she turned to him, "Didn't expect to run into you here." 

The place in question was a quaint coffee shop whose patrons consisted primarily of staff and students of the nearby Velaris University. 

He held the door as they exited the building, his steps falling in line effortlessly with hers as he answered, "I'm pursuing a degree in physiotherapy. Expanding my reach as an instructor." 

"That's incredible," she admitted as grey blue eyes flashed with admiration, "You're a decent instructor. It suits you."

"I'm still at the halfway mark," he nudged her shoulders teasingly, "You'll still see me at the studio for a couple more years yet."

"Well," she scrunched a button nose, a sight so adorable his heart squeezed in response, "I prefer Azriel anyway." 

He placed a dramatic hand on his chest, “Az always steals the good ones.”

They settled at a bench overlooking the Sidra which leads into the sea, silver light glinted and twinkled in the reflection. The light gush of the moving water accompanied Nesta’s small sigh of content as she sipped on her coffee. 

It was a perfect view of the river and the skyline of the skyscrapers that towered over Velaris. But all Cassian could and wanted to do was to stare at the woman seated next to him, at the curl of golden tendrils framing her face, her lips shaped in a slight pucker as she blew on her coffee, steely blue eyes stared pointedly at the body of water. He could do this forever. 

Something in him purred in agreement like a lazy cat resting on a heated surface. Keep her, make her stay, it crooned. 

"I got into an accident a few years back," he said suddenly, shattering the easy silence that settled over them. His hand unconsciously rubbed his healed knee, "the doctor said it was a miracle I regained as much function in my leg as I did. But it wasn't just me, I had an incredible physiotherapist who literally walked me back to health."

"That's why you do this," she surmised.  

He smiled, "That's why I do this but that's not why I'm telling you this." 

Hazel eyes bore into silvery blue, "What really pushed me through my sessions was a mysterious beautiful woman who held my hand the entire time I was in the ambulance, only wrenching it away when I was pulled into the ER," her lips parted as her breath hitched imperceptibly, "a mysterious woman that disappeared before I woke up, leaving no trace of how I could find her, thank her, ask her out." 

Their faces were now inches apart, close enough that he could make out and count each freckle speckled on the bridge of her nose. Her gaze dipped slightly to his lips before raising back to his eyes, a small smile played on her lips just before she leaned in and closed the gap. 

Cassian's mind was wiped blank. Then the sensation of soft lips pressed against him moved. That spurred him to action, raising a hand to envelope her cheek as he deepened the kiss and slid in a tongue through parted lips. 

Nesta tasted like warm fire on a cool winter night, sending heat through his veins and lighting his entire being ablaze. A rough tug on his hair had him groaning into her mouth. He pulled her closer as tongue and teeth battled for dominance. 

It was an effortless bliss that was simultaneously new and old to Cassian. 

"So dinner tomorrow night?" He asked, chest still heaving from the kiss. 

Nesta laughed, a sound so bright and lilting. "Tomorrow night," she agreed and recited her digits, pausing occasionally as his fingers tapped them into his phone, "I guess I'll catch you later, stranger." 

He froze. 

The words wrangled through his soul and left the organ in chest reeling. Finally, a heavy presence lifted and Cassian felt anew.

"Not if I catch you first."

End

#cassianappreciationweek2023 #day 4: lover #cassian #nessian #nesta archeron #nesta x cassian #nessian fic #reincarnation/soulmate fic #acotar

[thegoblinboy]

This was a quick write and I put in my own experiences in. It’s a bit rushed but I ended up writing more then what I meant to 👀 pretty much I’m projecting my overstimulation on Eddie, plus I love to think Steve doesn’t just babysit the group but other smaller kids as well and he becomes very aware of their needs.

Just- Eddie gets overstimulated all the damn time and has to either bites something or does his overwhelmed bat hands. Flapping them aggressively as he runs away from a situation making Goblin noises. Before he’s putting his hands to his ears and just letting all the noises off from his chest. The amount of times he’s just done that with the group of hellfire boys, it’s become a normal thing. Garett, Jeff and Grant all got used to this years ago. So they knew about how the other got.

Meanwhile Dustin, Mike and Lucas could all get a tad overwhelming. Which is why the other boys all just decide to try and teach them that Eddie gets overstimulated really easily and it takes him more effort to understand peoples tones. Because he puts all his energy into that his tone sometimes doesn’t come off as friendly, and he doesn’t realize it half the time.

But anywho back to the being on course. All of them are somewhat used to it, and they are all shocked by how well Eddie is handling everything in the upside down. Besides a few clicking noises and popping noises he doesn’t run away from them. And when he looks like hes getting overwhelmed he has to close his eyes and rub his head back to hold himself back.

So when everything is finally done and the other is in the hospital. He’s so fucking overstimulated that he’s not even crying because of the pain anymore. The doctors don’t know what to do, not until they start to catch on and they try to help the other be as comfortable as possible. Then Eddie’s ok for a bit.

Then when he leaves the hospital, that’s when everything hits him all at once. It had always strained him a bit to hold himself back from doing what normally helps him with being overstimulated. So he has on and off days but soon enough it’s all good days and he’s with Robin and Steve. The two are energetic just like him but today he can feel himself getting overstimulated and he doesn’t want to embarrass himself. Though something on the radio turns to a high pitched static and robins making noise that doesn’t make since jumping up and down and holding her ears as Steve is quick to shut it off. Quickly and gently not touching her the best he can, moves and has her sit in the back room in the dark with a window open so she can breathe. He moves back out apoligizing to eddie who is really trying not to do the bat flap and just run away with goblin noises.

Steve looks at him and raises a eyebrow. You see he’s been helping Robin out for a while, plus he’s been babysitting smaller kids for a while and he doesn’t know what it’s called but he knows when someone’s getting overwhelmed. He moves over closer to the other as he hums. “Are your stims loud or are they quite?” He asks curiously. That’s what one of the parents used for their child, who was in the process of being diagnosed for autism. And it seemed to be the only word that would fit Robin and Eddie at the moment.

“My what?” Eddie asks confused.

“Stims? Oh shit sorry I have this kid who gets overwhelmed really easily, and well he does these things when he is. He does a bird flap with his hands, starts to click his tongue, whistle or just say certain words over and over again because he likes how they sound. His parents call them stims, and Robin has them as well when she gets overwhelmed and you have the same face that the kid I babysit gets when he’s trying to act normal so- that and the kids told me you apparently turn goblin sometimes.” Steve explains looking at the other with curiousity.

And if Eddie wasn’t about to cry from how overwhelming everything was he would shamelessly fall in love with the other. No one’s ever treated what he has done normal for the first time he does it in his life. Though he’s quick to stammer out a sentence. Breathing picking up. “I get loud.”

“Well, Robin gets overwhelmed by loud or i else I would let you chill with her.” Steve frowns. “What normally helps?” He asks curiously. And Eddie flushed.

“I don’t know.”

“Ok- um come here. The kid I babysit when he gets overwhelmed really likes to cuddle. Maybe you’re the same?” Steve hums and Eddie’s face is flushing as he moves shamelessly over. If the other thought he could help then he would take it. He would cry if it didn’t work.

Steve moves letting the other in and he pulls the other into a warm hug gently rubbing his back and playing with his curls. It was a little overwhelming at first but when Eddie finally lets himself have a moment to close his eyes and breath, Steve’s the first person to properly bring him down. Though Steve does ask him what it means for him to turn “goblin” so he does end up making the noises he normally does acting as if he was saying normal words. Steve doesn’t laugh and nods his head as he helps the other to the best of his abilities.

When Robin comes out shes a little tired but a lot better. Eddie finally lets go when he feels better and Steve hums. “Weighted blankets normally help that kid I was telling you about, if you want I have a extra if you want it.”

And boy does Eddie fall in love.

#stranger things #steve x eddie #steddie #overstimulated #i get overstimulated #autistic eddie munson #Robin gets overwhelmed as well #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #post season 4 #Eddie calls his flappy hands bat hands #he bites things when he gets overwhelmed as well #he makes a lot of mouth noises and will say your mom a lot #I’m projecting so hard on this character #this is a bit rushed but I’m proud #Steve has learned how to help only because of his babysitting skills and because he loves his platonic soulmate Robin #Robin and Eddie share tips afterwords #Eddie does get a weighted blanket and he will drop on his knees for King Steve any day #Eddie would have a thing for Dino’s #he would totally find a stuffed Dino at Steve’s that a kid left behin and would just steal it #Eddie likes chewing on things so Steve constantly has gum on him now #this is a healthy relationship where Steve helps Eddie’s needs and Eddie helps Steve’s needs #bxb

[bellamyblakru]

- sheila burke

MERTHURWEEK2022 DAY 4: SOULMATE + GREEN

for my soulmate, in this lifetime and in the next. i love you. you will always be the arthur to my merlin. ill be beside you until the end, my love @its-hyperfixation​

#ashley creates #merlingifs #merthurgifs #alielook #xuserann #userkatza #userdorksinlove #merthurweek2022 #day 4: soulmates + green #im sorry its not my best work my love #i tried to put light purple!!! #i had to make u something on soulmate day bro i had to #ilysm #mi amor<3 #AND we got them aroace colors representing which i love #okay byeee gonna continue eating my bbq chips

[brekitten]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Tim Drake/Danny Fenton Characters: Tim Drake, Danny Fenton Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Poison Ivy's Cuddle Pollen, Sickfic, Burrito, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fentonic 2024 (Danny Phantom), Cape, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, tall danny, Twink Tim Drake Series: Part 9 of Cat Soulmates Fentonic 2024 Spoilers, Part 3 of Tell You You're The Greatest (But Once You Turn They Hate Us) Summary:

Tim, during a fight with Poison Ivy, gets hit with cuddle pollen. The Bats are busy with other things, so surely, he can ride it out on his own, right? It wouldn't be the first time, after all.

Danny wanted to apologize for being such a jerk to his soulmate. So, he brought some peace offerings to Red's safehouse - takeout and coffee. Except Red Robin doesn't seem to want to talk to him, which is understandable, really. Still... something didn't feel quite right. He should check up on him, just this once.

Cuddling | Cape

Day 9! A bit of fluff, a bit of angst... It's perfect! @catnek-writing-things

#fentonic2024 #cuddling #cape #dpxdc #danny fenton #tim drake #cuddle pollen #fluff and angst #the perfect combination #tim finally gets a hug #i recommend you read day 4 and 8 before you read this one #you definitely need to read day 8 before this #day 4 is just the first time they meet #soulmates #the bats are jerks in this ftr #tall danny #twink tim drake

[13thspectre]

Long ass ramble on Mariner and Boimler and their relationship

I think the first step in why Mariner comes to care for her purple dork is the fact that he surprised her. These two idiots knew each other for about a year by the first episode, had probably been around each other a lot being bunk mates, so Mariner probably had a confident idea of who Boimler was deep down. She saw him as a product of propaganda and social engineering. The kind of guy who would sell her and a ship of refugees out for a superior's nod of approval. Someone who saw rank as the end all be all of what Starfleet had to offer.

So, when he ends up not ratting her out on that first episode, I think that may be one of the first times since she'd become more cynical towards Starfleet that Mariner had gotten someone wrong, that they proved them to be a little bit better in her book. So from there, she becomes attached, thinking there's hope for this bootlicker. Maybe, if he turned out to be better than she pegged him for, he could be trusted. Maybe this organization where she's been listlessly dragging herself up and down the ranks in some kind of administrative limbo can really do good. And some part of her that's been questioning if she belongs here at all, doesn't even believe she could really belong on her own mom's ship, thinks that maybe she's found somewhere and someone with whom she does belong.

Boimler's side of things is... very similar. Mariner surprises him. Constantly surprises him. She breaks protocol, disregards authority, spits in the face of the Prime Directive. She's an ensign, same as Boimler himself, but Mariner is easily one of the most frustratingly amazing and impressive people he's ever met, having stories rivaling many starfleet legends, and having the skills and contacts to back them up. And she shows him that she's not just some tantruming rebel, she actually does care, wants and is willing to go the extra mile to help. To do the kind of things that Starfleet often professes to do, but so often just never gets around to.

Mariner challenges everything that Boimler thought was concrete: the infallibility of starfleet, the concrete importance of established protocol, the belief that the achievement of rank is the most certain sign of purpose and importance. She is everything he wants to be and not. She is sociable, likable, able, strong, witty, quick on her feet, and yet she also possesses none of the bigger-picture ambition to do something widespread and worthwhile with her ability. Mariner lacks some of the sensitivity and cautiousness that comes with avoiding unnecessary disaster, and the desire to achieve a higher rank to actually combat the shortfalls of Starfleet she complains so much about.

It's in that mutual challenge that their mutual importance is found: they're each other's anchor. Mariner anchors Boimler so he doesn't get swept up in monotonous idealism, and Boimler anchors Mariner so she doesn't wash away in listless despair.

And I think that's why Mariner is so angered by Boimler's leaving for Titan. It's why despite professing some kind of cool when it comes to dealing with disappointment, she is so stuck up on him that she leaves him dozens of angry messages, demanding an explanation. Why, months after he left and no chance of him returning, she still keeps onto the idea that he's still there or will be back, like keeping spaces for him in the showers. Because it wasn't just that he betrayed her, and right after professing friendship. It's that him leaving her, and so coldly, implies that she was right about him from the beginning. Boimler leaving for the Titan proved her instincts right, that other people, especially those in starfleet, couldn't be trusted. To do what really matters. You couldn't trust others to not hurt you if you trust yourself to them.

Boimler, I think, does not realize he's lost his anchor. He doesn't realize it for a while. On the Titan, trying to survive every batshit crazy operation Riker sets them on takes precedence. When he isn't screaming his lungs out in a wordless prayer to the cosmic koala for survival, he's trying to reconcile what he thought he joined Starfleet for and what he actually wants to do. Boimler isn't in this for the missions, or even the glory (mostly, he still likes to brag a bit, I mean who wouldn't). Boimler wants to be an explorer and a diplomat. Someone who wants to learn what there is to know about this insane deadly universe they're somehow prospering in (he's someone excited for anomaly consolidation duty, and sometimes has a close to encyclopedic knowledge of the things they're dealing with, like Tendi and the cube). He wants to find and learn about other cultures, wants to find and learn how to make new friends (even if his execution on that last bit is clunky and awkward at best, at least for now).

Boimler realizing how important Mariner is to him doesn't come until 2x5, when only he is able to get into Starfleet's biggest party with its biggest names. The shouting pulls through, the hurt comes back, and Boimler and Mariner go separate ways again. But when Boimler finally has his dream of rubbung elbows with the top brass, he sees the party differently. Maybe a little more like Mariner would. Boimler doesn't see people schmoozing and networking. He just sees a party, full of people enjoying the company of those they trust and love. This is where Boimler realizes some of the true weight of his leaving, and just how much it affected him in turn, not having his anchor with him.

Now I'll be honest here in that I haven't really watched much TOS, so I'm missing some of the full gravity of the comparison betwen Kirk and Spock and Mariner and Beckett. What I do know is that they were combative but also complimentary, one was the charismatic daredevil that flounced the rules, and the other was more by the book and research-oriented, though the LD dynamic duo I guess has much more in the way of neuroticism and personal dysfunction. I know I'm doing a bad job of distilling Spock and Kirk's dynamic, so please let me know if I'm off the mark, or elaborate on how this might fit into my little spiel. But the point is that here is when both realize how important they are to each other. Seeing those names carved into the counter of a bar, following perhaps a similar story of how Kirk and Spock ended up there, Mariner and Boimler now realize that they can come back from this. They have the potential to do great things together, but more importantly, they just want to be in each others' lives again.

When they get stranded, there's once again the issue of trust. Mariner still clings to that idea that she is the mentor and better of Boimler, and so she has to look out for him, whether or not he realizes or wants it. She doesn't trust hum to do well on his own or to make the best decisions. At the same time, we see Boimler stepping up a bit. He takes the douche-bot AI with them against Mariner's idea to just bury it (at first) to keep monitoring AGIMUS, he tries to climb the tree to get fruit himself because Mariner is injured, and even just shuts Mariner down a bit when she's anguished that that shithole planet's fruit somehow also tasted like black licorice. We see hints of Boimler being a bit more confident, a bit more capable and sure of himself, without empty pride being the only thing in his arsenal. And when it seems like Mariner was right all along and Boimler fell for some manipulation, it's revealed that he was playing AGIMUS, playing both of them like a fiddle. Boimler had a plan, executed it flawlessly, apologizes to Mariner for deceiving her, and gets them rescued. Now, both of them still know Mariner is far and away the more capable of the two in most areas, but Mariner now doesn't see Boimler as some hapless naive child. She'd still go out of her way to save his butt, but not because he's her self-proclaimed responsibility, rather because he's her friend.

In 3x1, Mariner is depressed and angry. Her mother's in custody, in a public trial, and she can't do anything, except apparently trust the system. Despite empty assurances from her father, Mariner is unable to find hope for her mother. So she goes to her anchor, Boimler, to try and find hope where none exists. And here, we see the growth of their bond. Even stuck planetside, they find each other. They're anchors, in a sense. Through Boimler, Mariner is able to find some kind of hope thst she can save her mom. Through Marjner, Boimler finds a new purpose so doesn't waste away at his family's vineyard. Hell, Boimler is so ride or die at this point that he helps Mariner steal a fucking amusement park starship and board a locked down Cerritos!

During the season two finale when Mariner is about to go down in cetacean ops to release the final panel, Rutherford, Tendi, and Boimler all talk sense into Mariner, convincing her to make up with her mom before they all die or never see Captain Freeman again in what I think is a very satisfying intervention. But something I want to point out is what Boimler tells Mariner. Boimler says they'll all either die soon, or Mariner's mom will get promoted and the two may never speak again, and he asks Mariner if this is how she wants things to end. It makes me think that Boimler's talking about when he left. He left without clearing the air, without saying goodbye, without anything. He knows in retrospec how painful that actually was, how much it hurt both of them to never really try and reconcile things until the party, and he doesn't want Mariner to go through that again with her mom.

In 3x5, Boimler tries his best to keep Mariner calm and out of trouble, but he loses it, throttling conspiracy weirdos' necks like Mariner would, despite attempts by Mariner to try and calm him down. And while that is fun, something that really catches my attention is how once people start coming to their tent in genuine interest, impressed by Boimler's confidence and defense of Starfleet, Mariner actually seems genuinely interested in finding ways that people could join Starfleet. It's some kind of inversion of their roles, with Boimler being the impressive act of violence that wows everyone, and Mariner being the eager one to bring it all up to protocol.

Crisis Point 2 comes around, and even without knowing what's up, Mariner still tries to stick things through with Boimler for a while, knowing Tendi and Rutherford are off actually having fun on something with Boimler's holomovie, something she had just been teasing him about earlier. She can easily tell that he's going off his own script, but she still goes with him, not yet realizing that she's watching her friend go through an existential spiral. When she does learn about William's death, Mariner immediately goes to Boimler to be his friend. She tells him that the story may not be a good one, but it is a Starfleet story, so it's worth telling, and so they should try to find the ending they're after. This brings up two ideas: one is that Mariner hopes the holodeck can provide the same kind of therapeutic realization it gave her. The other is that she's telling Boimler that his story, irrevocably a Starfleet story, may not be glamorous or exciting the way others' are or the way he wanted it to be, but it's still important.

When Mariner leaves, things apparently get a little weird. By Rutherford's own admission, Boimler loses grasp of reality without Mariner around. He's lost his anchor, and he's a bit adrift. For Mariner, things are going well. It's honestly a bit like the Titan all over again, with Mariner having her own adventures. But something still feels off. She tries to find reason to distrust Petra and this new purpose, but it's just Mariner trying to find a reason to return. Back to Starfleet, back to the Cerritos, back to her friends and family, back to her mom, back to her anchor. In saving the Cerritos, Mariner brings back every California-class ship. In one act, she demonstrates her faith and trust in Starfleet, or at least the people in it. She finds the others that had been given up on and gives them another chance. Similar I think to the way Boimler did for her in not reporting her that first episode, and again when she welcomed him back to the ship. When she comes back on board, the first thing she does is rush and hug Boimler, finding her anchor. And what Boimler does is own up to his own lack of trust and action, apologizes, and promises to make up for it. Afterward, Mariner changes direction and wants to try her hand at making her way in Starfleet again, finding hope in her purpose in the same way she did when Boimler first decided to trust her.

*edited a bunch of typos and some weird wording

#star trek #lower decks #long post #star trek lower decks #beckett mariner #brad boimler #spoilers #i guess for the whole series? #marinler #that last one isnt necessarily a hard fact of this post #i do ship them #but i wrote with with the intention of them being platonic soulmates #sorry if you finished this #i hope it makes half sense #i watched all of lower decks in the past 4 days and wrote this with on like 2 hours of sleep #most use ive put my english major to all summer #please tell me if i remembered events wrong

[daphnebowen]

okay just rewatched the last episode of season four of hsmtmts and noticed something I hadn't noticed before that's making me scream and kick my feet in the air...

so you know at the end of the musical when they're taking their bows and singing "high school musical" iconic yes? and Ricky and Gina take their bow and they look at each other as they are holding hands as they're singing "memories that last forever." you can particularly hear Ricky's voice over everyone else's as well as Gina's. now whether this was on purpose I don't know, but remember at this point Ricky and Gina never really got to talk about Gina going to New Zealand. The bomb was sort of dropped on Ricky and then he dropped the bomb on Gina that he knew and they didn't have time to talk about it or resolve anything. because yes, while Ricky wanted his beautiful amazing Uber talented girlfriend to follow her dreams and be the big star he knows she is, he also wants her for himself. he doesn't want to let her go yet. It's not selfish, it's high school. but anyways, I just think it's so special that even though, at this point, rina is going to have to go their separate ways and leave so many people heartbroken forever, they're thinking about forever. Ricky and Gina are singing to the memories that they made this past year and a half, basically, with each other (as well as with everyone else, but for the sake of this post I'm sticking with Gina and Ricky) and also, in my mind, to the memories that they'll make in the future. at this point they don't know when, they have no idea when they will reunite, but I can imagine they feel like one day they will. they're certain. because the stars won't keep them separated for long. and so I just think that's so special and so meaningful and deep and amazing. that little detail about forever - when the song Ricky's about to go sing to her is basically about forever - melts my heart. The details put into this series - whether on purpose or on accident, I don't really know - are incredible. so yeah, just thought I would point that out.

#no idea if this has already been said or not #but I thought I would say it anyways #rina #hsmtmts #gina porter #high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts season 4 #ricky bowen #ricky x gina #ricky and gina #they're soulmates you can fight me I will say this until the day I die #I really really really want a spin off or a new series or something in the future #like the way these people are so precious and important to me is unreal #not to mention josh and sofia's insane chemistry both on and off screen #not shipping them just saying they had great chemistry I think they're amazing friends and I think that's all they need to be! #sofia wylie #joshua bassett

[brandstifter-sys]

Prearranged Arrangement

@dukexietyweek 2024 Day 4 - Soulmates + Colors

Word count: 3038 (Ao3)

Rating: T

Characters: Remus, Virgil, Roman, Dragon Witch

Pairings: Dukexiety

Warnings: ftm!Remus, arranged marriages, mild violence, sex mention, soulmate au,

Remus always knew he would have to get married for political reasons, despite being one of the few royals with a soul mark. His only caveat is that his husband has to share him with his soulmate. But his latest suitor has him questioning that condition.

---

Sometimes being a prince was a pain in the ass. Remus sure thought so! He was supposed to be a good little boy and play nice with his little brother, play nice with all the snooty hued nobles and dignitaries, and get married off to secure more political power with his puss. Granted, he would be fine with that last part, if he didn't have a stupid mark on his neck. 

Like most commoners, he had a patch of skin that was a different color than the rest, dark purple in his case, where his soulmate would first touch him. No one else in his family had a soul mark, not since his great grandfather, and it only led to tragedy for him. Remus absolutely refused to let that sorrow attack him. And he would have fun keeping it away. 

“Remus,” the queen hummed as she cut into her fish with the utmost dignity, “We received a marriage proposal for you this morning.” 

“Who's the poor sap who's rejecting me?” Remus jeered and set his silverware down. Roman was scowling at him, waiting for him to make a scene. 

“The eldest prince of Blinthansa, the Vigilant Violet, and he won't be rejecting you. Queen Millicent informed me that she is aware of your mark, and it is not a problem for them,” the Queen said and took a dainty bite of her food. 

“Then I get to reject him!” Remus gasped and wiggled his shoulders. He was a handsome little imp, and any rejection from him would hurt! He was looking forward to causing a little upset! Roman, who was judging those wiggles, glared at him, daring him to step out of line again.

“You will do no such thing,” she huffed, “I have gone out of my way to ensure that our allies and subjects address you as a prince while discarding every proposal letter that dared to revert to your former title. You are Prince Remus the Veridian, and you have to get married for political reasons, you know this—this is a wonderful opportunity for you to make the most of your situation.” 

“So this guy knows I can make babies, and he's still calling me a man? You're really not letting me worm my way out of this! What if I meet my soulmate? I'm not pulling a gramps and letting this suitor kill them because he thinks my cunt is his!” 

Roman jolted to his feet and knocked his chair over. 

“How dare you say such a thing in front of Mother!?” Roman snarled, “Have you no shame!?” 

“Mmmm, nope! I don't see why you care about my future marriage, it won't keep you from the crown when you come of age! If you make it that long!” Remus responded with a dastardly grin.

“Veridian! Vermilion!” the queen snapped, “Enough!” 

Roman wilted and picked up his chair, pouting like a kicked puppy. Remus rolled his eyes and picked up his silverware. He was used to the lectures about his manners. 

“Now then,” the queen sighed, “Remus, you will set off for Blinthansa in three days to acquaint yourself with the royal court and the territory.” 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Remus said and waved his hand, “Isn't he supposed to come here?” 

“Seeing as you would be the prince consort, you would have to go there. If he were merely a noble, it would be as you said.” 

“So I have no idea who I'm supposed to marry, I have to go to a foreign country, and I have to give up my soulmate? And I'm getting kicked out in three days?” 

“You say that as if I wouldn't let you return. Granted, I want this to go well, as a mother and as a ruler. Blinthansa is a hub of magical trade and a powerful ally,” she said and took a sip of her wine, “So give the poor prince a chance.” 

“Fine! But I'm going incognito, no guards or fancy carriage.” 

“Aren't there monsters in Blinthansa?” Roman pouted. He was right, of course, but that wouldn't stop Remus! 

“I'm the best fighter in the kingdom! A couple beasties are nothing!” Remus beamed. The queen knew it was pointless to argue with him over this. Remus would go off on his own anyway, regardless of her concern.

“You must carry a satchel of lavender and wolfsbane if you want to venture off alone. I will send a carriage with gifts for the royal family and your amenities, so I urge you to stay close to the party. And don't forget your scarves. The last thing you need is a scandal over your mark.”

“You got it!” Remus beamed. He would make it to the capital, meet his supposed fiance, and flee into the night after rejecting yet another proposal. It was the perfect way to take back his own life! 

.

A week later…

Remus was so bored! He arrived in Blinthansa a whole day before the royal caravan, and he had no one to talk to or annoy. Queen Millicent was kind enough to welcome him and show him his room, but she was busy being the queen! After two days of doing nothing but building a ballista out of his tea set and ribbons, and wandering the grounds, he needed social interaction! 

He made up his mind to go out on the town and see the sights, without some boring escort. He let a couple of the maids know where he was headed and why he was wearing commoners clothes without a scarf and left before they could protest. What were they really going to do? Get the guards?

The capital of Blinthansa, Spinnaha, was a bustling city on the Webbilubbi river. Remus could fall in love with such a chaotic place. The streets were lined with shops and merchant stalls, and in the middle of the square there was an ornate fountain of a dragon on a spider web. The back alleys were shady and dangerous, there were street performers and plenty of opportunities to pickpocket, and the music that filled the air was eerie and cheerful. 

Remus didn't have much money on him, so he wasn't too worried about getting robbed. He was more concerned about the odd magical creatures that seemed to follow certain people around. There were cats and dogs, ferrets and birds, dragons and butterflies—and so many creatures from myths. Blinthansa was known for its magic, so it was possible they were familiars. And if they were just pets, that was even cooler! 

He noticed one that seemed to be out of place, perhaps even attacking someone. He was near the edge of a small crowd, cheering for a fiddler who was going to town, when he saw a giant spider on the back of a tall, cloaked figure. Its glistening purple fangs were moving as if it were chewing on the cloak with the intent to kill. 

Remus didn't think, he just reached out and smacked the spider off of the cloaked figure. 

“Ack!” 

In a flash he found himself pinned against the nearest alley wall with a gloved hand holding him up by the neck. 

“What do you think you're doing?” the man growled. Remus couldn't see his face, but he could see how built this guy was when he wasn't hunched over and hiding. 

“Oh, just hanging,” Remus chuckled, happy that he could still breathe. 

“Try to rob me again and kiss your fingers goodbye,” he huffed and brandished a knife. Remus had never been more turned on. 

“I was just getting a bigass spider off your back! I'm many things, but thief isn't one of them! Unless you want me to steal your heart!” Remus argued. He was enjoying himself too much! He could only imagine having this much fun when he met his—

Wait.

This guy was holding his neck exactly where his mark was! 

“Don't you dare hurt my familiar!” the man snapped and squeezed his throat. This guy was doing things to Remus and he had no idea! 

“I didn't realize!” Remus gasped, “It won't happen again!” 

The man dropped him on his ass and sighed. To him, Remus was obviously just a confused foreigner, not worth the frustration. To Remus, this man was a total babe!

“If I hurt your pride, I could always kiss it better!” Remus cooed and fluttered his lashes, “I am at the perfect angle!” 

The man snorted and shook his head. 

“You're at the perfect angle to get your teeth kicked in.” 

“Use your third leg and you can!” 

“Are you always this horny or do you really think I might kill you?” 

“That's partly why I'm horny!” 

The man put his knife away and rolled his shoulders. He was clearly not used to this reaction. He even seemed flustered.

“Go jump in the river and cool off. I have better things to do.” 

“What could be better than teaching a sexy little imp a lesson?” 

“Meeting my fiance,” the man shrugged and left in a hurry. Even with that cloak, Remus could tell that the man had a biteable ass. 

Remus swore under his breath. Of course the first person who could be his soulmate just had to be engaged! He was getting cock teased by the universe right before he had to meet the prince. It was so unfair! 

He got up and brushed himself off. It was probably time to go back to the palace and get ready to deliver his rejection. And then maybe flee for his life. 

-

Once he was squeaky clean and dressed in his favorite green and black jacket, minus the tall collar, he was ready to meet royalty. But a certain sadness hit him as he navigated the castle. Remus was about to deal with a marriage proposal from a stranger, a stranger who knew that he would choose his soulmate over a political marriage. And the thought that his future husband would kill his soulmate, just like what happened to his great grandfather, made him sick. 

Remus approached the parlor and knocked on the door, rubbing his exposed neck, since Queen Millicent requested he leave his scarf back in his room. He was not ready for this.

A woman opened the door and smiled at him. She was in a simple, elegant black dress with red scales adoring the collar. Her piercing red eyes matched her lips and her raven hair fell around her horns and over her shoulders. 

“Your Majesty, Queen Millicent the Cerise Dragon Witch, it is an honor to be summoned to your parlor at such a late hour,” Remus said with a bow. Queen Millicent snickered and ushered him inside. 

“Spare me the formalities,” she said and led him to one of two couches. 

“Oh thank gods!” Remus gasped and flopped on a couch, “Formalities are worse than pulling off my fingernails one at a time!” 

Queen Millicent sat down on the couch next to his and chuckled. 

“You really are the perfect candidate for my son's hand. And for the country,” she said and motioned to the coffee table in front of them. It was loaded with tea and sweets. 

“I don't know about that! I’m pretty clueless about the culture here, and I might not even accept his proposal,” he said and poured himself a cup of tea. 

“Why wouldn't you?” the queen asked with a smirk and eyed his mark.

“I might have met someone else,” Remus shrugged, “I like to keep my options open.” 

“Then perhaps you should meet him before you decide. He's having second thoughts as well, but he agreed to at least meet you first. I think that's a reasonable request,” she hummed and got up. 

Remus watched her ghost to the door and open it. It was as if she knew someone was on the other side. 

“Virgil, darling, take a deep breath,” she said as she ushered a young man inside. He was tall and strong with shaggy raven hair and the prettiest pout. He wasn't dressed up to meet a foreign dignitary, in a plain tunic, leggings, and gloves, but he made it look good. 

“Prince Remus, allow me to introduce my eldest, Prince Virgil the Violet of Blathansa,” Queen Millicent said and dragged Virgil to stand next to her. He was staring at the floor and fidgeting like a scared child. 

“Nice to meet you,” Remus said with a smile. Even if they didn't get hitched, he wouldn't mind being friends with this guy! 

Virgil went rigid and his eyes snapped to Remus. There was a mix of emotions on that pretty face that Remus couldn't place. 

“If you don't mind,” Queen Millicent hummed and kissed her son's cheek, “I have to make sure that your father's room is ready for his return. You two should get better acquainted.” 

Before Virgil or Remus could protest, she zipped out of the room. The tension in the air tripled. 

“Are you just going to stand there and admire my sexy mustache or are you going to sit down?” Remus jeered and wiggled his upper lip. He was proud of his mustache—it took so much time and so many potions to grow! 

Virgil reluctantly sat on the other couch, keeping his distance from his guest. 

“So you aren't much of a talker, or are you pissed off I'm marked?” Remus said and took a swig of tea. 

Virgil was silent. 

“Well if the mark bothers you, I have worse news, I think I found my soulmate, and I want him carnally. So if you have a problem with sharing me, we can call this whole thing off!” Remus said and set his cup on the table. 

“I might have a problem with that,” Virgil said softly. If that voice didn't set off the alarm bells, the giant spider that crawled onto the back of the couch did. 

“That was you?!” Remus gawked, wearing the brightest grin. Virgil shrugged and took off his gloves. 

“Back in the market, yeah. I thought it was weird you were flirting with me. I was threatening you and you're out of my league.”

“So that means I didn't meet my soulmate,” Remus suddenly pouted. He was the only royal he knew with a mark. It was silly to think that Virgil would have one, much less one that matched his. 

“You think so?” Virgil hummed and held up his hand. Remus noticed that his forefingers and thumb had a single green mark across the palm side. 

“I get it if you're disappointed—” he continued and averted his gaze. 

He did not expect to get pinned to the couch by a hyper prince. 

“Why would I be disappointed? I'm getting engaged to my soulmate, he's hot and scary and adorable, and I like it here!” Remus laughed, “This is better than anything I expected!” 

“You’re really excited about marrying the guy who threatened you with a knife,” Virgil grumbled and met his gaze. 

“Hell yeah!” Remus grinned and nodded, “I love a man with a dark side and a sexy voice! Don't tell me you're disappointed that I'm the prince they sent! I'm no refined gentleman! I'm a menace!” 

“I’m not disappointed. You don't have to be refined. You're cuter the way you are,” Virgil said with a faint blush. 

“You think I'm cute? You'll change your mind when I'm unbound!” Remus jeered and ran his fingers through Virgil’s hair. Virgil melted into the touch and shook his head. 

“Doubt it. You'd still be a cute little prince.” 

“I’d be a sexy little prince!” Remus countered, “But you're sweet! We should go on a date tomorrow and handle the marriage contract! I'm not letting you get away!” 

“I'll show you around the castle and the training grounds before I have to go  practice. After you apologize to Cass.” 

“Practice? Cass?” Remus pouted and sat on his lap. 

“I play piano and violin, I have to practice,” Virgil explained, “And Cass is my familiar.” 

“Can I stick around for your practice? Please?” Remus gasped and wiggled, “Can you get any hotter?!” 

Virgil blushed furiously and nodded. At the same time that spider chirped and crawled towards Remus cautiously.

“Hi Cass!” Remus giggled, “I'm sorry for slapping you earlier! I thought you were attacking Virge! No hard feelings?” 

The spider chirped and crawled up his arm. Her spider paws tickled, but he didn't jerk away. She rubbed against his cheek and crawled back to the couch. 

“She likes me!” Remus beamed, “I really hit the jackpot! I'm not magic or musical but I get a musician and a witch as a soulmate!” 

“I'm a witch, but you're the spellbinding one,” Virgil grumbled shyly. Remus froze and hid his face in his hands. Oh no, he was smooth too! Remus was going to combust! 

“You okay?” 

“My face is going to explode!” Remus whined and lowered his hands. He was beet red. And Virgil just had to smirk and make it worse. 

“Maybe you're not too far out of my league,” he teased and grabbed Remus' hands, “I'll stop by your room tomorrow morning to show you around.” 

Just to make Remus implode, he kissed his knuckles. 

“Who gave you the right to be romantic?” Remus whined, “Threaten my life and manhandle me instead!” 

“Does that make you uncomfortable?” Virgil hesitated and let go of his hands. 

“It makes me want to cuddle you and rip your clothes off!” Remus argued and crossed his arms. 

“Then I'll just hold off until the wedding night,” Virgil said and gently placed his mark over Remus'. 

“I can't believe this is real,” he said and let Remus lean into him. 

“It's real, I'm real, you're real, and I really want you to kiss me!” 

Virgil chuckled softly and kissed his cheek, releasing his throat. Remus pouted at him and cuddled up to his chest. 

“I'll kiss you on the lips when my mom isn't waiting outside the door. She's waiting for the right moment to catch us in a compromising position,” Virgil explained and hugged him. 

Remus giggled and cuddled closer. He was with his soulmate and they were going to get married. He couldn't be happier. 

#dukexiety #sanders sides #remus sanders #ftm!remus #virgil sanders #roman sanders #dragon witch #dukexietyweek2024 #day 4 #soulmate au #bonus prompt: colors #arranged marriage cw #violence mention tw #sex mention tw #sandyscribed

[beep-beep-sunny]

Reddie Week Day 4 Soulmates!!

This is my longest Reddie week post so far! I'll put it below the little squiggly line and see what that does. Please let me know what you think if you decide to check it out! Thank you!

Soulmates were real. Right? Eddie Kaspbrak was always told they were. That there were auras that were visible to just you and that special person. That being around them made things smell different… taste different. They made you look at the world with fresh eyes. He had no proof of that. 

He had no proof of it because he wasn't able to see anything. He never could. It would be one thing if only that "special" person was supposed to have an aura. No. People said they could see their own auras. Eddie never saw anything. He didn't even know what it was supposed to look like. It's like how no one how's how well they can visualize things because they'll never know what other people are seeing. How clear is the apple? What the fuck does that even mean.

He used to try to see it. He'd convince himself he was a late bloomer. It was coming. His colors would come in and he'd see the world in a new vibrancy. 

His mother was pushy from the start. "Describe it sweetie? What are your colors?" She wouldn't drop it. Wouldn't let it go. "Why won't you just tell me, sweetie?? What are you hiding from mommy?" 

She pushed it and pushed it until Eddie popped. He started crying and screamed out. "I don't have any colors! I'm blank! I'm broken!"

He regretted it immediately. He feared what might happen after speaking to her like that, but she just pulled him close in an oppressive stranglehold. "Oh baby, it's okay!! Maybe you don't have colors because you don't need a soulmate because you have me. I'm all you need, Eddie bear." Eddie, overwhelmed, only cried harder. 

When his friends asked, he lied through his teeth. He was silent as he listened to his friends describing their colors. Bill was sad because his colors didn't end up matching with Beverly Marsh, the girl he had a crush on ever since they kissed in the school play. His were purple. Stanley mostly just said his were green. He didn't give much away about his stance on "soulmates". Just green. Then, Richie. For some reason, Eddie has been dreading Richie's explanation the most. He and Richie had been "Eddie and Richie" for so long. Always together, always fighting, always tangled up limbs forming the infinity sign. It was selfish for Eddie to wish Richie was like him, but he did. He told himself he just didn't want to be the only one. 

Richie has colors. From the sounds of it, the most beautiful and obnoxious colors that ever existed. He painted a picture with a rainbow of colors. Eddie watched him with wide eyes, stunned, in awe, as Richie kept going, kept describing the most beautiful colors in the world. "What about you, Eds?" Richie asked. Eddie searched Richie's face. Did he know? Could he tell? They made eye contact, Eddie swallowed, though his throat was dry. Richie's eyes were so, "Blue." Eddie said, before he even realized his lips were moving. The eye contact held for a moment longer, the air sticky thick, before Richie smiled wide, carefree as if Eddie's world wasn't falling apart. "Cool!" 

Not long after, Beverly Marsh joined their little group as well as Mike Hanlon and Ben Hanscom. As it turned out, Beverly Marsh's soulmate was the new kid, Ben. Bill tried to hide the heartbreak on his face when they told everyone, hand in hand. Eddie's mouth turned up in disgust. Why should something so stupid control love? What If they don't feel it? What if they love someone else? Who decided that's what the colors meant anyway? Bill cried on Eddie's shoulder for a week while they ate goldfish and gushers and watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The rest of them didn't see the person with their colors throughout their highschool years. It didn't matter much, as Eddie saw it, with what they'd been through together? They were all soulmates in the ways that mattered. 

They all lost touch after graduation. 

He met Myra on a Sunday. He got off work early Sundays, so he likes to spend his nights sipping fruity cocktails at The Lucky Turtle. The old dusty sign under the name read "your destiny awaits". Her voice had a familiar shrillness, even though they'd never met. She was wailing to the bartender about her boyfriend loud enough for the entire bar to hear, and the bartender looked overwhelmed. "He's a bum!" She blubbered. "I can't believe I got saddled with such a gross loser for a soulmate! I was really going places before he came along ya know! All A's in school and cute as a button. Now we're broke and all my potential is wasted. Stupid freaking," she paused, "Pardon my language, but stupid colors shouldn't trap a cute teen girl into a life of suffering with a total loser. I need a man that can take care of me!" Myra wasn't pleasant, but Eddie couldn't help but be intrigued by her disdain for the colors. He moved closer to her. "W..what??" She sniffled. "Come to take advantage of my fragile position?" She looked at him through her eyelashes and puffed out her lower lip. 

Eddie almost just left, but he didn't. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through his veins"I don't think the colors know everything." He said coolly. "It's all a huge scam." She lit up at that. 

They went home together. It wasn't like Eddie to mess around with a married woman, but it wasn't like him to mess around with anyone and he was so fucking lonely. When Eddie blurted out his defect. I have no colors. I'm blank. I don't have a soulmate. He thought that would be it. Why would anyone want someone that was deficient? It wasn't. She was delighted. 

By the fifth meetup, Myra announced she was leaving her "dead beat" husband for him. She loved that Eddie was dependable with a good paying job and benefits. She also loved that he was broken. It was like having two soulmates, she'd say. She never had to worry about him leaving her for his real soulmate because he didn't have one, and she thought that was great. 

Their relationship wasn't anything special. Things didn't smell different or taste different, but at least he wouldn't live his life alone, and that was better than nothing, right? They were married on a Sunday, just like the day they met. His mother cried. Seeing them in one space was unnerving. It made it impossible to ignore their similarities. Two women that used his deficiency to claim him. 

He was married. That's what he wanted, right? To not be alone forever like he feared he would be? It seemed as though he should have been happy. He had everything normal people had, and yet, maybe the colors really meant more than just "soulmates", maybe it was the soul itself. Maybe Eddie was soulless. Maybe God forgot to give him a soul. Maybe he'd never be happy because he was hardly a real person. 

One afternoon, he was doing the dishes and Myra was watching TV in the sitting room. The rooms were connected, so they could still look over at each other. Myra was laughing, until she wasn't. She'd been watching her favorite late night talk show. "This guy sucks." She whined as she sunk deeper into her chair. "Eddie bear, come here! Look at this guy!! He really thinks he's funny, but he's awful. I can't believe Johnny Daily would have a hack like this guy on the show. What is the future of TV coming to?" She just droned on into an unpleasant white noise. 

"Okay okay, just for a minute. I'm doing the dishes." He took a few steps over so he could see the TV, absentmindedly drying a plate. 

"Richie Tozier, ladies and gentlemen." The TV came into crystal clear focus. There he was Richie. All grown up, scruff, laugh lines, and all. Same shitty jokes. The plate slipped from his fingers and shattered on the ground. 

After that, Eddie secretly sat in the bathroom to look up Richie, watch his standup, he'd only watch him on TV if he knew Myra wouldn't be home as if he were having an affair and not just embarrassed to be obsessed with a guy that his wife thought was "offensively unfunny". 

Myra was out with friends one night. "Girls night, don't wait up!" She said, going out the door in low-cut cheetah-print. Eddie had recorded Richie's recent TV appearances on a secret account and had been itching to watch them. Just waiting for an opportunity. 

The first was very typical of Richie's TV appearances, promoting his upcoming Netflix special that Eddie was already ready to sign up for a free trial to watch as soon as it came out. The second recording was different. It wasn't like his usual appearances. The vibe was more serious. At first, Eddie worried something was wrong. 

"So, you've come out! Tell us more about that." The host probed with a sympathetic smile that felt artificial. 

Richie's smile felt genuine, but nervous. "Sort of, I guess. If you want to put it like that. It's true. I don't have colors. I never have." Eddie felt himself immediately become cold and clammy. His mouth grew dry. 

"Never?" She asked. 

"Nope!" Richie replied, almost jovial. "I'm tired of lying. I figured I couldn't be alone. I thought, maybe I should finally be at least a little brave if that means it would help some other confused kid. It would have meant a lot to me to know I wasn't alone." 

Eddie stared at the screen, much closer to it than his mother would have been okay with. She always said sitting right in front of the TV was like staring at the sun. That hardly felt like it mattered at that moment. Eddie got up from.in front of the TV while earnest Richie and the fake interviewer continued the interview in the background. Eddie desperately pawed through the medicine cabinet. He'd thrown out his inhalers years ago, but suddenly felt desperate for a puff. Seeing Richie made him feel strange and small and scared. 

No. He thought. Nononono. Richie had colors. He said so. He had the most beautiful colors of all. Swirling blues and green and orange and yellow like the sun. He told them. He. He lied. Just like Eddie. Eddie always assumed, before he saw him again on TV, that Richie was living a happy white-picket-fence life with a beautiful wife. Someone special. Someone that also had the most beautiful colors and together they were raising two boys with a cat and a dog and a chameleon that could turn all kinds of different colors. Richie always wanted a chameleon, but no. Richie didn't have those things. He was just as confused and scared and lonely as Eddie had always been. 

Before he realized what he was doing, his body moving almost automatically, he was in the car and driving. Where am I going? The broadcast wasn't live. I recorded it a week ago. At a red light, Eddie skillfully typed out, "Where does Richie Tozier live"  like a stalker. He got a vague area in LA from a sketchy tabloid site, and that was good enough for him. 

He didn't say a word to anyone, not to his work, not to Myra. Maybe he should have attempted to message Richie, but it's not like he'd see it. He was famous now and Eddie hadn't talked to him since highschool. He just got on a plane, looking unkempt and jittery. He didn't think the random screening he was pulled for was very random. 

He'd never been to California. He used to want to go. He used to want to see all kinds of places. Road trips in fast cars, wind running through his hair from open windows, even though it's terrible for your ears. 

He opened Twitter and navigated to Richie's page. Eddie didn't use Twitter, and using it now just made him feel even creepier. What am I even doing? This is crazy! He thought, but he looked anyway. Richie had a bad habit of posting everything. Eddie went on a wild goose chase, following his Twitter breadcrumbs to no avail. He almost gave up. It was getting dark, and Eddie had retreated back into his hotel room. He relaxed in the provided hotel robe after a long scolding shower. Eddie heard once that lonely people take the hottest showers. 

His phone buzzed. Probably Myra. He told her something came up for work. He hated lying like this, but how could he possibly explain the truth? Sorry darling. I'm in LA stalking your least favorite comedian. He's actually my childhood friend and it turns out we're both broken in the same way. It was stupid. It was so stupid. 

It wasn't Myra. It was an alert from Richie's Twitter. He posted a picture of himself on a stage in front of an empty stadium. It said, "I'll see you all at my show tonight!" It included a link to more information as well as a kissy winking face that flipped Eddie's stomach. 

He was performing a show at a place nearby the hotel at 9pm which was only an hour away. This was his only chance. He got dressed quickly. He didn't pack much. He looked unpolished and ridiculous, but he headed out anyway. 

He thought he could buy tickets at the door, but no such luck. He ended up crossing his fingers and buying a ticket from scalpers for five times the price. He had no idea Richie was so famous. He wasn't even funny. 

He got in with his scalped ticket. He watched from the nosebleeds. Okay, maybe he was a little funnier than he'd been as a kid. He was in his element up on the stage. He'd really grown up. Eddie heard sounds coming out of himself that he hadn't in a long time. Fond little laughs that were embarrassed to bubble out. Okay, maybe he always found Richie a little funny. 

By the end of the show, Eddie was a bit more relaxed. He was here. Richie Tozier. In the flesh. Richie Tozier who didn't see the colors. Just like Eddie. 

When Richie finished wishing the crowd goodnight, Eddie was already out of his seat. He was fighting through the legs of slow patrons with a flurry of "Sorry, excuse me sorry." He could lose Richie. Not again. He didn't have a plan beyond "get to Richie". 

There was a crowd around the front and a bodyguard that was on the short side, but still muscular and stocky. I probably could put run this guy. Eddie thought, seemingly embracing his fate as a creepy stalker. "Back up!" The guy yelled, spitting as he talked. 

Richie was walking down the side stairs. They were so close now. Eddie took a deep breath. "Trashmouth!" The yell came out more squeaky and desperate than he would have preferred, but he had to do it. What else was he going to do? 

Their eyes met. Richie looked scared. Eddie realized this was a mistake immediately. Richie was scared. Of course he was scared because Eddie was a total fucking stalker. Richie would probably get a restraining order and he'd never see him again. 

"Alright, get out of here." The bodyguard walked over to shoo him, and Eddie was ready to let him, but Richie wasn't. He reached out and stopped his bodyguard from moving forward. 

His eyes bore into Eddie. Eddie shivered under the intensity of his icy blue eyes. "Eds?" Richie said. The nickname gripped Eddie's heart and wouldn't let go. Richie and his bodyguard shared a look that must have communicated "let him through" because that's just what he did. Eddie walked past the bodyguard and was suddenly feet from Richie for the first time in two decades. 

They stared for a while. "Hi." Richie said, his voice suddenly raw and vulnerable. 

"Hi." Eddie replied, shyly.

"What are you, I mean, how did you, I um," Richie struggled to form a coherent thought. Some things never changed, though he never used to seem so careful about word choice. "You're here." He settled with. 

"I can't see the colors either!" Eddie blurted, almost like he couldn't hold it in anymore. Like the words have been pounding on his throat for a long time. 

Richie looked lost. He searched Eddie's face as if he thought this was all some kind of mean joke. "But," his throat sounded dry. He probably wasn't hydrating properly. "But you're blue." He said, not needing to search his mind for the color. It was as though he'd thought about it many times before, but why. Why would he remember that little lie after all these years? The answer to that was simple, but Eddie couldn't let himself believe the simple answer. Because if Richie remembered Eddie was blue the same way Eddie remembered the picture Richie had painted of the most beautiful colors in the world then maybe that meant he felt it too.

But, what the hell? "I lied." Eddie said. 

"Why?" Richie sounded desperate, hanging on Eddie's every word. 

"I didn't want you to think I was broken. I-" Almost as soon as the words were out of Eddie's mouth, Richie caught his cheeks in his hands, pulling him impossibly close and linking their lips. Eddie didn't shut his eyes. He couldn't, because suddenly he was filled with such clarity. He could see the green grass, the dark night sky, the yellow dandelions of spring, the blue of Richie's eyes. The colors were all there. They were always there. They were everywhere. Who's to say he's missing anything? The colors were here the whole time. Blue wasn't a lie, because it was there, in Richie's eyes. Eddie wanted to live in the blue of his eyes forever. 

It didn't take long for the kissing to deepen and for Eddie to notice the cameras flashing. Eddie held up both his middle fingers. He heard that makes it so the magazines can't use paparazzi photos. He wanted this moment just for them. 

#reddie #eddie kaspbrak #richie tozier #it 2017 #reddie week 2023 #reddieweek #reddie week #day 4 soulmates #sunnywrites #fanfiction #long post

[floofypan]

Day 4 of Kreate10 : Continuation of LMK AU animatic (snail's pace at this rate, lmao)

I'm hella busy and I gotta do my homework... why did I do this challenge again? Bruh moment, myself 💀

But I can't say I 100% regret it. It's been so fun to draw and brainstorm when I do have the time. It's just life being busy that's hindering me a little. Smh.

Anyway.

⚠️SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 ⚠️

Not very happy with today's sketches, didn't get to spend much time on them. Only had time to outline my thoughts and draw like 3 things :,,D

#Kreate10challenge #Kreate10 #lego monkie kid #lmk #lmk fanart #season 4 spoilers #lmk au #lmk au art #lmk sun wukong #lmk mk #lmk monkey mk #soulmate au #platonic soulmates #good things come to those who wait by RitzWrites #good things come to those who wait au #May 2024 #my art #honestly #when the 10th day hits #I'm either going to be extremely silent because I'm busy #or I'm gonna get possessed by some unfathomable force of will to render one of my sketches I have in the backburner #because I'm impulsive like that sometimes💀

[stellarwaffles]

You know those soulmate aus where if you write/draw something on your arm it’ll show up on your soulmate’s too?

#lego ninjago #lego ninjago kai #lego ninjago jay #jay walker #plasmashipping #lego ​ninjago soulmates au #so ive been thinking about soumate aus this week #i saw this very clearly in my head so i had to draw it #jays writting him poetry. kais not reading it #theyre too busy running a blacksmith shop #thats the longest thing kai writes to jay pre s1 #he has one pen + its been dying for 4 years now but he cant buy a new one bc any money he makes needs to be spent on food #they cant even tell jay that bc itd use up too much ink #i wrote the words on jays arm w my left hand so itd be realistically bad (im right handed) #bc like. how often would kai be writting stuff? hes running the shop all day #i hc kais ambidextrous btw. not really important just a hc i have #stellarart ♡ #ninjago kai

[the-really-lonely-mountain]

Along for The Ride - Part 2

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4

Summary: Transported to Middle Earth, you must Join Thorin Oakenshield's Company as they travel to reclaim Erebor! OR: My take on the classic 'modern girl in Middle Earth' troupe. With this first installment, we are following the first movie of The Hobbit trilogy, and falling in love with Kili on the way! Slow burn with this one y'all, nothing spicy till the next work I'm afraid.

Tags: Kili / Reader, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Modern Character in Middle Earth, During The Hobbit, How Do I Tag, Canon-Typical Violence, Kíli Is a Little Shit (Tolkien), wrote this while I had covid, in like 4 days lol, implied soulmates, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Freeform, Holding Hands, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles, Protective Thorin Oakenshield Company Members, Dwalin & Thorin Oakenshield Friendship, Fluff and Humor, Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Where In Middle-Earth Is Gandalf?, Hair Braiding, Dwarf Courting, My First Tumblr Fic, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fíli & Kíli & Thorin Live, Thorin Oakenshield Lives, Fíli Lives (Tolkien), Kíli Lives (Tolkien)

Word Count: 1,318

A/N: I was utterly appalled by the lack of Kili writers on here and Ao3. Y'all who write for Kili, I've been eating your crumbs like it's the shit (cause it is) for weeks, but one can't be sustained on crumbs alone so I've prepared a feast!! This is the first fic I've ever wanted to post, please be gentle. Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are loved and treasured!!

Divider credit: @cafekitsune

You rolled over to reposition and searched for your cuddle coat in a sleep-addled stupor. When this yielded nothing, you reached further and felt soft material. You wrapped your arms around it and brought it to your chest. You rubbed your face against it to find a comfortable position and exhaled content as sleep found you again for a while longer.

Soft murmuring and chuckles slowly pulled you from sleep, but what woke you was Kili gently shaking you and telling you it was time to wake up. You sighed and opened an eye to see the sun had started painting the sky in its rise. You looked over to see Kili much closer than you expected. He smiled sheepishly as you let go of his arm that you’d been unwittingly cuddling. You blushed profusely embarrassed of your unconscious actions.

“I—I am so sorry.” You sat up attempting to create space between you. He followed your actions, sporting flushed cheeks of his own.

“I’m the one who should be sorry. I should have woken you up” He paused looking at the back of your head as you looked steadfastly away from him, “You just looked so peaceful I—I couldn’t bring myself to.”

“Thank you, Kili,” you could spare him only a glance, still blushing “I’ll just never hear the end of this.” You covered your face as you felt it growing warm. You peeked through your fingers to scan the camp, catching some of the older dwarves looking at you and conversing in a conspiring manner over their breakfast.

“Calm down it’s not that bad” You could practically hear Kili roll his eyes playfully at your antics. He stood and looked down at you, taking pity knowing you wouldn’t want to face the other company members in fear of being teased and outcast from the group. He knew their teasing was just their way of showing their acceptance of you. He approached the cauldron and Bombur handed him his portion.

“Go easy on her, will ya?” Kili sheepishly asked the dwarves colluding across the fire, knowing you wouldn’t be far behind him. They mumbled their agreement only half listening to him. You came to the cauldron and thanked Bombur for breakfast.

“Sleep well Y/N?” Bofur asked, making Nori and Bifur chuckle beside him. You blushingly whipped around and said, “Shut up!” though your large smile, despite yourself, made it significantly less threatening. They laughed with you at their teasing, and you fake pouted as you stomped back to your bedroll and plopped down with a huff. Knowing you’d endured the worst, and now they’d drop it, you ate with a fond smile, happy to be part of the company.

Thorin paced anxiously at the outskirts of the garden ready to leave Rivendell while everyone ate. You didn’t have time to rinse the dishes in the stream that ran through the garden in Thorin’s impatience to leave.

Balin led the company through the paths of the mountains. No one had anything to say while they focused on not falling to their death on the narrow cliffside path.

You then spent the first half of the day walking through shrubbed hilly planes that were drab in color but expansive across the horizon. The next half was spent in the freezing rain, tiptoeing along the razor-thin path on the side of the mountain. The thunder was deafening, startling you every time.

“LOOK OUT!” someone yelled before a boulder the size of a balled-up skyscraper impacted the cliff above you sending rubble onto the company. Dwalin caged you against the cliff face, so you didn’t get knocked off. When the last of the loose rocks had fallen, someone yelled: “This is no thunderstorm! This is a thunder battle!”

“We need to take shelter!” Balin implored Thorin.

“There’s a cave just ahead!” Thorin replied.

“GET DOWN!” Bilbo shouted as another gargantuan rock hurtled through the sky. Dwalin pressed you into the mountainside again to protect you.

“Sorry lass” He backed away when it was safe “Can’t go losin’ our greatest treasure now can we?” He smiled trying to make light of such grim circumstances. You’d have to ask about that when the time is right.

You gently placed your hand on his arm, “Thank you!” You smiled trying to ignore how cold you were. He helped steady you as the ground quaked from another far-off impact.

The company poured themselves into the cave. Oin excitedly began building a fire but much to your dismay, Thorin extinguished his attempt by saying mountain caves are seldom unoccupied, they needn’t attract unnecessary attention.

You were shaking and shivering so intensely you thought you’d bring the mountain down. You couldn’t even get your bedding ready, too concerned with trying to stay warm. You curled in a ball against the cold stone wall of the cave.

“Oh lass,” Dori said under his breath seeing you struggle in the corner. He entered the circle of conversation Kili was engaged with and nudged him on the shoulder to get his attention. The elder dwarf jutted his chin in your direction. Kili saw you miserably trying to stay warm. He excused himself and quickly made his way to you.

“Hey Y/N,” he said in a soft voice, crouching in front of you to assess the situation.

“H-h-hey k-Kee,” you laughed, trying to get ahold of yourself. “A-aren’t you c-cold?”

He smiled at your concern, “Nah.” He helped you take off your waterlogged coat, “We dwarves are built like furnaces.” He got your blanket and bedroll from your bag and wrapped them around your shoulders and legs. He sat beside you and positioned your legs to drape over his to soak up their warmth under the blanket. He put his arm around your shoulders and leaned you against his chest. You unfurled your arms from yourself to cling to him, selfishly stealing the heat he free gave.

You tried to focus on your breathing, taking comfort in the knowledge that the company wouldn’t let you die, as much as it felt like you were.

Kili caught Thorin’s eye from across the cave where he stood with his arms crossed, “She’s shiverin’ somethin’ fierce Uncle.” Kili said, worried. Thorin looked you up and down with no warmth in his gaze.

“Wrap her in your bedding as well and give her time,” he simply said, “She’ll be fine in a few hours.” Kili nodded, trusting his uncle’s judgment, and then caught his bag which was tossed by Fili. He did as Thorin said and pulled you closer to him, keeping you in place with an arm around your shoulders and over your legs.

“H-he sc-scares me.” You whispered to Kili making him chuckle.

“Yeah, he does that to most outsiders,” Kili said rubbing your back. “He’ll come around eventually.”

Your bone rattling shivering eventually slowed to manageable quakes. You rested your head against Kili’s shoulder which aligned the slope of your forehead and nose perfectly to the exposed warmth of his neck. Kili turned his head to rest against yours. You could tell he was tired from the way he leaned into you and his eyelids drooped heavily. You were exhausted too, now not only from the long day of walking but from the cold that still drifted over you.

“Feel better?” he asked with a hopeful lilt. You nodded against him, only able to spare a tired ‘mhm’.

“Sleep while you can” He whispered, “I don’t know how much longer we’ll be here.” Sleep took you within 3 deep breaths.

If only you could see the image of pure affinity you both made. Even in sleep, you clung like a barnacle to him, and his grip on you never faltered in his rest either, keeping you tight against him.

The older dwarves of the company saw this and smiled, fond and happy…but still made bets about when you’d officially start courting.

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4

#Reader-Insert #Slow Burn #Modern Character in Middle Earth #During The Hobbit #How Do I Tag #Canon-Typical Violence #Kíli Is a Little Shit (Tolkien) #wrote this while I had covid #in like 4 days lol #implied soulmates #Dwarf Culture & Customs #Freeform #Holding Hands #Cuddling & Snuggling #Sleepy Cuddles #Protective Thorin Oakenshield Company Members #Dwalin & Thorin Oakenshield Friendship #Fluff and Humor #Domestic Fluff #Tooth-Rotting Fluff #Where In Middle-Earth Is Gandalf? #Hair Braiding #Dwarf Courting #My First Tumblr Fic #Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies #Fíli & Kíli & Thorin Live #Thorin Oakenshield Lives #Fíli Lives (Tolkien) #Kíli Lives (Tolkien) #kili x reader