An Unexpected Romance

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

*Kili's POV*

The aftermath of Smaug was devastating. People screamed for the family members they had lost in the chaos as Bofur, Oin, Fili, and I pushed towards the shore. Tauriel trailed close behind with Sigrid and Tilda, who searched desperately for their father and brother. I made my way back to Tauriel while my friends and brother got the boat into the water.

"So, uh, thanks." I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck. "For everything."

She gave a curt nod, seeming cold and far-away.

"Kili!" My brother yelled. "Let's go."

I looked at her, searching her eyes for any sign of the friend I had made. There was nothing, just the distance I had seen that very first day in Mirkwood.

"Stay safe, Tauriel." I whispered. "Keep yourself alive, yeah?"

She swallowed, her expression softening. "I will if you do."

I smiled. Without a moment of hesitation, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Rune stone my mother had given me. I pressed it into her soft palm and closed her fingers around it.

"I can't take this." She shook her head softly.

"Think of it as a loan." I said. "Next time you see me, you can give it back. That way, you have a reason to be safe."

Her eyes shone with a sadness I had not seen in her before.

"This isn't the last we'll be seeing of each other, Tauriel." I said. "I promise. You're too good of a friend to lose."

Then, before I embarrassed myself further, I took off towards the boat. I jumped in the front and started to paddle, not daring to look back.

As much as I wanted to be glad we were finally headed to Erebor, I was terrified of what we might find. The last thing I wanted was to see the corpse of the only girl I ever loved, or worse, not find it at all.

*Ariel's POV*

I sat inside a corridor off the entry hall, fighting back the tears that had begun to sting my eyes. I was worried about Thoin and the men who had stayed in Lake-Town. Thorin was beginning to scare me. He spent far too much time with his treasure hoard. He barely slept, I had to coax him into eating, and it seemed like he had almost forgotten who I was. And those we'd left behind.. Would I ever see them again?

A first wracking sob had just clawed it's way up my throat when I head a familiar voice.

"Hello?!" It called, echoing off the rubble. "Anybody? Bifur! Bombur!"

I stood quickly, nearly toppling over. Bofur! If he had lived, maybe..

"Ariel!"

My heart clenched. I started at a walk, but my legs had a mind of their own. I broke into a stumbling run, my arms pumping by my sides. I tore into the Main Hall, my feet slipping out from under me. My legs crumpled but I was back up in an instant, scrambling towards his voice. I yelled his name before I even saw him.

"Kili!" I cried as he came into my view. "Fili! Oin, Bofur!"

"Ariel!" Kili gasped and sprinted towards me.

When I looked at him, I was taken aback by how healthy he seemed to me. He had his color back and that trademark gleam in his eyes. There was nothing left of the pale, sickly boy I'd left behind. He looked strong and sure and stupidly wonderful. Kili didn't even stumble when I threw myself into his arms. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist, trusting him to support me without a moment of hesitation. His lips crashed against mine and it made me think that the dragon fire I'd faced could not compare to this intensity. The kiss was passion and longing and apologies and forgiveness and everything we wanted to say to one another.

I pulled away and raked my hands through his tangled hair. "I thought you were dead." I whispered, pressing my forehead against his. "I thought you were dead."

"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried." He murmured, pressing his lips against mine with every word.

"You're okay." I sniffled, letting out a relieved laugh. "You're all okay."

"What about everyone here?" Bofur asked, sounding panicked.

"They're fine." I assured him, never taking my eyes off of Kili's. "All of them."

I heard the sound of retreating footsteps and them Kili and I were alone, our eyes still locked.

"What happened?" I asked, unhooking my leg's from Kili's waist. I landed back on the ground softly but kept my arms locked around the back of his neck. "You were so sick.."

He just shook his head. "Tauriel healed me."

Maybe I should have been angry that the Elf had saved him, and not me, but I was just grateful. I stood up on my toes and buried my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent I had missed so much.

"I didn't think I would ever see you again." I confessed.

"I knew I would. See you, that is." Kili said, stroking my braided hair.

I pulled back, studying his face. "What? How?"

He smiled, all teeth and happiness. "When else would I get to tell you how much I love you?"

*Kili's POV*

All those times I'd imagined saying those words were nowhere near as satisfying as actually saying them. Of course, I told her in Dwarven before she left, but I was dying and she was leaving, and it was desperate and almost didn't seem real. She deserved to hear it without the pressure, when I could say it and mean it and she could hear it. I wanted it to be real. It was so real this time. She didn't respond right away. First she squeaked a bit, then her cheeks went pink- and I could barely stop myself from kissing them both- and finally, she smiled.

"You love me." Ariel whispered.

"More than this is treasure in this mountain."

She laughed happily, pressing a kiss to my lips. I tightened my grip around her waist, pulling her as tight to me as possible. I loved the way she fit against me, with her soft angles and warm breath and the way she wound her fingers into my hair.

"I've never been in love." Ariel whispered as I planted a kiss on her forehead.

I stiffened. "Am I going to fast? If you can't say it back, it's okay."

She shook her head. "If I have ever been sure about one thing in my life, it's that I am completely and utterly in love with you."

Something like I'd never felt before washed over. It took me a moment to understand exactly what it was. It was my heart, finally at peace. Ariel loved me, everyone had lived, Smaug was dead, and the mountain was ours.

"Where's Thorin?" I asked, hoping to see my uncle.

The smile dropped from Ariel's face and she unwound her arms from around my neck. Her eyebrows slid together, like they always did when she was concerned about something.

"What?" I asked cautiously, searching her face. "What happened?"

"I was going to tell you." She whispered. "I was, I swear, but then you said you loved me and I just-"

"Where's Thorin?"

Without a word, she raised a small hand and pointed to a corridor branching off from the main hall. I snuck past Ariel, then paused for a moment. Quickly, I spun back around and dropped a soft kiss onto her mouth.

"Remember that first night, when you beat me in a drinking game?" I whispered, my hand catching her chin and keeping her eyes on mine.

She nodded wordlessly.

"And then when I let you shoot an apple off my head?"

Another nod.

"Somewhere in between there."

"What?" She murmured.

"That's when I knew I loved you."

I grinned and turned back around, running off the find Thorin.