Disclaimer: I own nothing

THE LESSER-SPOTTED BROTHER

Ori spotted Nori at around the same moment that Nori noticed him. Ori's heart always beat a little faster when he caught sight of his officially dead brother because they so rarely got to spend any quality time together, because Nori was his brother and Ori missed him so much it was like a physical ache deep inside of him that no amount of drawing or knitting could assuage. Dwalin helped but he couldn't take it all away.

Nori looked right through him without a single hint of recognition.

Ori swallowed and quickly looked away. He tried to memorise what Nori had been wearing – a huge dark-green overcoat covering everything except for a pair of thick-soled boots. Dori would want to know that Nori was keeping warm somehow.

Nori settled down against a wall, an upturned hat placed at his feet, and shoved back his sleeves before beginning to silently juggle. The bright colours of his juggling balls whirled and caught some attention as did his rings, flashing in the light. Ori wanted to linger, to watch his brother make his living. He had good memories of Nori entertaining him when they were kids with whatever they'd both had in their pockets. Nori now did it to survive and Ori only got to see snatches of it.

He forced himself to move on. Nori didn't look anywhere near him.

That night, Ori cupped his hands around a mug of tea and stared down at it before saying "I saw Nori today."

Dori, bent over a saucepan, only stiffened a fraction but Ori saw it. It made him ache even more. Dori and Nori still couldn't even be in the same room together for very long without arguing. For years, Ori had felt pulled apart by it but it had gotten easier. He'd started telling them how difficult he found it. They still couldn't spare many civil words for one another though. Ori knew it didn't mean that they didn't care about each other, he still didn't know if that made it all better or worse.

"We're still brothers," Nori had put it. "I wouldn't visit if I didn't want to."

He'd occasionally accept a touch or two from Ori. Dori, more than once, had labelled Nori's professed asexuality as his brother being overdramatic. He didn't say that now but he still didn't like or understand it. Amongst the Durins, everyone was tactile, except Nori and he was content that way. Even Bombur's children knew to keep a little bit of distance from him.

It didn't always feel like enough though.

Dori was serving up dinner now. He didn't ask how Nori had looked but Ori told him anyway because he knew that Dori actually did want to know and Dori should know because Nori was their brother. Just because the world thought he was dead didn't mean that they should act the same way. Not ever.

Dori rarely asked but Ori always told him.

Dwalin didn't talk much during sex but his eyes were always firmly fixed on Ori's face and his touch was everything. He liked learning what made Ori gasp and what made Ori blush, Ori liked that too. He liked sitting astride Dwalin's lap and feeling Dwalin thrust deep, it was a comfortable loving burn, it was exactly what Ori often needed.

Dwalin would firmly hold onto Ori's waist and Ori's hands would grip Dwalin's shoulders, his beard, his neck. Ori wasn't ever able to stop smiling.

Nori was eating a bacon bap, chatting to Sabrina and Milton. He looked alert and self-possessed; his hair had been pulled down into two lumpy plaits and he was wearing clean black jeans with a plaid shirt, a light belted coat and of course several of his rings. One of his friends was playing her violin a street or two over, Ori could clearly the familiar beautiful music.

He looked at Nori for as long as he dared before hurrying away to do some shopping. A man in a pale yellow shirt had appeared in two of the same streets as Ori. When Ori got some lunch, he pulled a tiny spiral-bound notepad from his pocket and sketched a thumbnail remembrance of the man that he could work on later. He texted Bifur to let him know.

He also sketched out a tattoo idea; something like one of Nori's rings, something that could be tattooed on Ori's hand. He'd make sure that he could cover it up easily with knitted gloves. Nori had been finding ways to disappear for years now and had taught Ori a few helpful things. He was always finding new ways to cover and change that didn't draw attention to himself.

Ori finished his sketch and rang Beorn to make an appointment.

"Dance with me."

Brin, one of Bilbo's friends, eyed Ori and held out a hand, trying to persuade him to join in on Erebor's dance floor. Ori smiled shyly but shook his head; he was waiting for Dwalin to bring him a drink from the bar. He did like to dance sometimes though, usually with Fili and Kili or Bofur. Whenever he did, he was always aware of how hard Dori's gaze was fixed on him.

"Come on, it'll be fun."

Ori shook his head and cupped a hand around his mouth to make himself heard, "I'm waiting for someone."

"A man worth waiting for? Give him my name and number."

Ori laughed and felt Dwalin's fingers on his shoulder as a cool welcome glass was pressed into his hand. Brin cocked his head and looked Dwalin up and down. Dwalin stared right back.

"Mmm, now that is a good reason to wait around," Brin told Ori. "Very...strong."

With that, he blew Ori a kiss and headed towards another patron. Dwalin sat down next to Ori and tugged him close. Ori turned towards him and kissed his neck, cheek and mouth. Dwalin had already said that he liked Ori's new tattoo idea and that he was looking forward to getting Ori to design a new one for Dwalin's skin too. The idea made creative sparks fly through Ori's veins, he really liked the idea of Dwalin wearing something that he'd personally designed.

Fili had recently told Ori more than once that Dwalin was bound to ask Ori to move in with him soon. It was another idea that Ori really liked. He wanted to make the same offer, only that would mean Dwalin living with Dori too which wasn't the same thing at all. Ori was going to have to talk to Dori about the possibility of him living somewhere else. He wanted Dori to be prepared. He didn't want to hurt Dori and it wasn't as though Ori was moving far away at all, they'd only be just down the hall.

The idea of not living with another brother was almost foreign though, it made Ori ache. It was a familiar brotherly ache by now but he loved Dwalin so much and if Dwalin asked, Ori was going to accept. He hoped Dori would understand. He wished he could ask Dwalin himself. He wished that he could talk to Nori about it too.

Two days later, Ori was having lunch in Dwalin's flat. Dwalin was cracking open a beer when the intercom buzzed. Dwalin went to answer it.

"I'm here about the leak."

Ori looked up sharply, his heart thundering joyfully. That was Nori's voice! Dwalin smiled with satisfaction as he hit the button that released the block's front door, he looked as though he'd expected this particular visit. Had he planned this? He more than accepted Ori's happy hug, kisses and stumbling words.

"I thought it was about time," he murmured against Ori's mouth. "He hasn't fucking annoyed any of us in weeks."

Ori kissed Dwalin again, his mind spinning happily. He was going to see his brother and he was going to talk to him about how much Ori wanted to share a flat with Dwalin because it'd be much easier to talk to Nori than to Dori about it. Dwalin had invited Nori here and Dwalin was amazing and Ori wanted to live with him. He really did.

They kissed as the sound of wonderfully familiar footsteps got increasingly close.

-the end