Part 4

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The next day it was Kíli's turn to carry you, much to the barely hidden annoyance of his brother.
In his opinion, Kíli was getting a little too comfortable with you in his arms...
Fíli was walking at the front of the group again, right behind Dwalin and Thorin. He would much rather have walked at the back with you, but his uncle had insisted he'd stay at his side.
But even from up there he could hear the laughter and the giggles all too clearly.
It stung, hearing how you were enjoying yourself at the expense of his brother. He hadn't been able to spend as much time with you as he would have wanted yesterday, since you were asleep most of the time. It did however give him plenty of time to think about how he felt about you...
There was no denying he felt something. He just hadn't decided what it was exactly.

At one moment when he looked behind him to check on you, he saw Kíli tossing you up a bit which made you squeal.
"Kíli!" he yelled before he could stop himself. All eyes turned to him, including yours.
Fíli scratched the back of his neck. "Just... be careful, alright?"
"Don't worry brother, she's safe with me," he said, hugging you closer. "I won't let her fall."
He only grunted in response, before he turned around and stomped past Thorin and Dwalin, taking the lead.
"What?" Kíli grinned when you smacked his chest.
"Be nice to your brother."
"Oh trust me, I'm doing him a great favor..."

The following day after Oin rebandaged your ankle - which was getting a little better with the swelling almost gone, the bruise already turning purple at the edges - Fíli walked towards you with the full intention of spending the entire day with you. He grabbed your pack and threw it on his back alongside his own. He'd probably regret that by the end of the day, but he wanted to prove something.
"Fee, that's too much! You can't carry me and my pack!" you gasped.
"That is why Bofur will take over today," Thorin announced. Bofur was standing next to him, beaming at you.
"Uncle, that will not be necessary, I've got it," Fíli insisted.
"It's not open for discussion."
You looked at Fíli apologetically. If you were honest, you preferred to be carried by him - for no particular reason at all - but spending the day with Bofur wouldn't be that bad either.
Fíli didn't handle it that well though, he went to the others, but not before he made Bofur promise him to be careful with you.

"Alright, lass?" Bofur smiled at you, before he took you in his arms. He wasn't as bulky as Fíli or Kíli, but he scooped you up with as little effort as they did.
He entertained you with stories and songs, teaching you a few of the songs he knew but considering the odd lyrics you suspected he just made them up as he went. Not that you minded, it was very entertaining.
You kept an eye on Fíli, but to your disappointment he never checked on you. He kept his gaze straight ahead, talking to Thorin once in a while but unlike yesterday with Kíli, he didn't turn around every few minutes.
Fíli's odd behavior certainly didn't improve the following days when you were carried by Dwalin, Gloin and Thorin. Yes... Thorin.

Dwalin you could handle... a little. It was a very quiet day but not in an awkward way, he just didn't talk much and you kept your mouth shut. Unlike the others he didn't carry you bridal style, but on one arm, which you certainly didn't mind.
How quiet your day with Dwalin was, the louder it was with Gloin. You hadn't had a chance to really talk to him before so he took the opportunity with both hands to talk all about his lovely wife and son, Gimli. You didn't mind really, it took your attention away from Fíli who was still acting weird.

But then Thorin himself announced he would also take his turn. You almost said you could try and stumble or hop on one leg or something to avoid what surely would be a very, very awkward day, but decided to keep your mouth shut.
The thing was, while you were in Thorin's arms - who seemed almost as uncomfortable as you were - you were also close to Fíli, since he walked next to him.
You tried to talk to him a few times, but the only responses you got were grunts, hums or a simple nod. 'Your' kind and cheerful Fíli was gone. Instead there was a moody, grumpy person who apparently had decided to avoid or ignore you at best.
At one point you looked at Thorin in a silent question, who just shrugged his shoulders. The movement made your feet bump against each other, and you hissed.
This seemed to break Fíli's walls, because worry fell over his face instantly and he asked if you were alright, to which you assured him you were.
Thorin apologized, and everything went quiet again.
You couldn't wait for the day to be over.

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