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The first thing Kíli woke to every single morning was Fíli. He woke to Fíli, with his arms wrapped around the archer's waist and his lips pressed to the back of Kíli's neck.
The young Prince knew they were lucky. Twenty percent of all dwarves never found their soulmate, and fifty percent of those who did, well, they did not find them until they were well into adulthood.
But he and Fíli had never been parted for more then a week; they hadn't needed to go out searching for each other.
They'd been together all along.
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Dis had taken it surprisingly well.
The brothers had walked into their home, back from their camping trip ("SURVIVAL TRAINING!"), dirty and gross and absolutely tired. Fíli's braids were undone, and Kíli's hair was a complete mess.
"You two are cleaning that up after you clean yourselves off," Their mother had said without even turning around. "You might even have to throw those clothes away, seriously why do you wrestle in the mud with the nice clothes I make you?"
"Sorry mum," Kíli had said automatically, and Dis must have heard something in his voice because she'd turned around, forearms covered in soapy suds, and frowned at them.
"Alright, what happened-no, I see it now. Congratulations. I half expected it, you two could be barely be parted as children. Now go get clean so you'll stop tracking dirt through my house!" And she'd turned around again, going back to the dishes.
(Thorin, upon returning home five days later, had refrained from saying anything and had only really stopped scowling after Dis had elbowed him in the side, hard.)
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Half of the entire company wore the thick, silver soul bands of dwarven culture over their marks.
Gloin and Bombur proudly flaunted their uncovered, marked wrists like he and Fíli did. On Gloin's wrist was an image of three interwoven braids in a bright blue color the matched the shade of the H that stood next to it, while Bombur's mark was that of an oddly-shaped soup ladle, and next to it was a very dark printed K.
Then there was Nori, who wore no silver band but always kept his sleeve pulled down over his wrist like his life depended on it; and Ori, who's wrist was blank but kept scratching at it subconsciously.
Last there was Bilbo. Bilbo's right wrist was smooth, and unmarked, and he did not go out of his way to hide his blank wrist. He was nonchalant about the unmarked skin on the inside of his wrist, but he was always rubbing at his shoulder blades, stretching his back, and going out of his way to make sure no one else touched his upper back.
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Kíli was often the one to initiate contact during the day.
The brunette dwarf could always tell when his older brother was thinking too hard and beating himself up.
Kíli would first lace their fingers together, his grip tight and sure. Then he would get in his older brother's space; press close to him, lock their legs together if they were sitting down, bury his face into Fíli's neck.
"I love you," He would say, and the blonde dwarf would slowly light back up.
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Kíli noticed Dwalin brooding and being moody three days into the journey.
The older dwarf hid it very well, underneath his brusque and prickly exterior, but the young Prince had his well-trained archer eyes.
The fiercesome warrior would stare at the ground, gaze hardened. Sometimes he wouldn't hear what another dwarf would say to him.
But most of all, he kept tapping the silver band around his right wrist.
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"Dwalin's brooding," Kíli announced quietly to his brother two days later, after he had studied the older dwarf closely to make absolutely sure he was right (he was, of course).
"Aye, brother," Fíli reached over the gap between their horses to catch Kíli's hand. "I do believe you're right."
Kíli's eyebrows shot up. "You knew? Why didn't you say anything?"
Fíli smirked. "You do so love to play detective, Kee."
The archer pouted at him, untangling their fingers and riding ahead to go bother Bilbo.
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Ori was young, shy, unsure, and, well, adorable was good word for him.
Kíli and Fíli had never spoken about it, but they had taken him under their wing, trying to coax him out of his shell because he was so shy it was almost painful.
Even though there was only seven years between them, Ori seemed a lot younger then Kíli (although to the other dwarves and Bilbo, they were all just the 'young ones').
He was also not entirely awful with his slingshot, but there was a lot to be desired in his aim. So when Ori asked shyly if Kíli could help him hit farther targets, the archer couldn't say no.
(It was those freaking puppy eyes he had. You really couldn't say no to them)
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Kíli saw a lot of things the other dwarves didn't realize he noticed.
He saw Bofur staring longingly at Nori.
He saw his uncle, furrowed brows, staring intensely at Bilbo like he was trying to figure out a problem.
He saw the way Nori would often hold his right wrist subconsciously, like he was trying to protect the most important secret in the world.
He saw Ori's wrist, raw and red.
And he saw the way Bilbo would kind of just smile at Thorin when his uncle's back was turned.
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"What are you thinking about?" Fíli asked their first night in Rivendall. After Thorin (and Bilbo) had scolded them for throwing their food at each other, the two had retired to the room they'd been assigned, changed, and crawled under the covers together.
"Ori's mark is going to come in soon," Kíli yawned, pulling his older brother's arm around his shoulders and laying his head on Fíli's chest.
"Oh, yeah? And how do you know that?" Fíli asked, poking him in the side. The archer made a noise in protest, squirming, and frowned up at his older brother.
"I dunno. Just do. I notice these things, yeah?"
"You and your crazy archer eyes."
"Shut up, I'm taller then you."
"What does that have to do with this conversation?" Fíli asked, bewildered.
"It means I win."
"Win what?"
"Shut up, I'm tired," Kíli whined, pouting. Fíli chuckled, ducking his head down to brush their lips together lightly.
"Love ya, Kee."
"Love ya too," The brunette dwarf muttered, and then he was asleep.
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"FÍLI!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, hand still outstretched as the ground beneath their feet moved, shaking, forcing them apart. Gloin grabbed his other arm, holding him to the rock as the rain poured down on them.
In front of him, Kíli heard Dwalin roar Ori's name, and Thorin yell his.
He watched as Bilbo latched onto his brother and Nori, the thief securing them to the wall.
He could hear nothing more, his heart pounding in his ears as they jumped to safety. He watched as Fíli, Bilbo, Nori, Dori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur disappear, and he let out the most heartbreaking noise he'd ever heard.
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"Kíli, look at me. Are you okay?" Fíli asked forty-eight hours later.
"Fíli," The archer was holding onto his brother, tears in his eyes. He was exhausted, and he hadn't had time to process the events that had happened, one after the other, that had led the Company to the Carrock. Only now were they getting a break, in this hastily set up camp at the base of the Carrock.
"Hey," His older brother said softly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and practically crushing him to Fíli's chest. "I'm alright, yeah? So are you."
Kíli's knees buckled, and he didn't protest as Fíli guided them down to the ground, next to Bilbo, who was passed out.
"I thought I lost you," Kíli muttered, curling into his brother's chest as the older dwarf ran a hand through his hair.
"You can't get rid of me that easy, Kee," Fíli said, and the archer choked back a half-sob, half-laugh.
"Don't scare me like that again," The brunette said tiredly, already feeling his eyes slip close.
"Same goes for you," He heard Fíli say, and then he was asleep.
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"C'mon, why won't you just tell us?" Kíli pleaded, tugging on Bilbo's jacket lightly.
"Why are you so keen on knowing?" Bilbo sounded exasperated as he absentmindedly fixed the archer's hair.
"He's a curious little bugger, that's why," Fíli laughed, and Kíli growled, punching him. Fíli punched him back and then the two were rolling around on the ground.
"Ow, that's my shin!"
"You just bit me!"
"Yeah, but you liked it," Fíli laughed, and the archer elbowed him in the gut, ducking under his brother's arm and running out into the garden.
His brother followed after him, yelling war cries, and tackled him into the grass.
"Get off, you oaf," Kíli protested, and Fíli just laughed at him.
"No."
"Seriously, there's a rock digging into my side, gerroff-"
Fíli kissed him.
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"Uncle's taken off his soul band."
"I noticed. He has a tea cup on his wrist," Fíli sounded amused in the dark.
"Bilbo was totally wrapped around him."
"You knew, didn't you?"
"That he was going to be our auntie? Yes."
Fíli chuckled, ran a thumb over his cheek, and exhaled slowly. "Mom's going to be ecstatic."
"For sure. Her and Bilbo are going to click and cause uncle all kinds of trouble. It's going to be glorious."
"Aye," Fíli smiled. "I do believe you're right."