AN: I'm behind on uploading here! This was for the Winter Fandom Raffle Exchange on Gathering Fiki. I had formatted this with a couple images on A03 so sorry if it looks a bit weird here.

Rating: T

Pairing: Fili/Kili

Quest for Erebor

With just under an hour until close, Fíli found his eyes drifting towards the neon clock on the far wall more often than not. The last leg of his shift was always the most difficult, but on that particular day it felt even more excruciating than normal. He had a lot to do that night, plans as it were, to set in motion. The last thing he wanted to be doing was standing awkwardly behind the desk at The Dungeon Crawler while a few stragglers lingered throughout the arcade. Weeknights were never very exciting, and Mondays were the absolute worst.

Fíli liked his job most of the time. It was laid back, he could dress however he wanted, and the management didn't care about his slightly alternative tattoos or the blond facial hair growing on his face. He was able to play any and all games within the arcade for free after hours, and the people there for the most part were pretty cool. The location pulled in a lot of students from the nearby college, along with several die hard gamers that drove in just for the traditional arcade experience and the tournaments they hosted. And other than the people who occasionally walked in expecting an entirely different type of dungeon, the clientele consisted mostly of regulars, many of whom Fíli considered good friends.

And of course there was always him. The one thing that made even the most boring of shifts entirely worth it. He was the most incredible, unique, beautiful creature to walk the face of the planet, and Fíli's sole reason for existence, Kíli. The blond's gaze shifted towards the right, where the oldschool style adventure games were, and sure enough, there he was, playing Quest for Erebor II diligently like he did nearly every day of the week after class. Dark brown hair occasionally fell into equally dark eyes, but it was quickly blown away as Kíli focused intensely on the screen before him. He was slim, and fairly tall, though he slouched a bit, like he was trying to appear smaller in size. He had a messenger bag slung over his shoulders, and wore a somewhat baggy hoodie and skinny jeans. Kíli wore something similar nearly all of the time, with the exception of one particular day when he'd come storming into the arcade with his pastry chef's attire still on. Truthfully, he could have been wearing a snowsuit and Fíli would still be spellbound by the other man. He was absolutely gorgeous, inside and out.

Kíli slumped suddenly, throwing his head back in despair with a loud groan, and Fíli realized he'd just died in game. It brought a silly grin to Fíli's face, because he'd seen the same reaction hundreds of times before. It was heart-warming really, how hard he tried to make the top ten scores. But Fíli knew he hadn't yet, and probably never would. The record holders hadn't changed for well over a year, in fact a single person had consistently remained in all top ten places, and it was Fíli himself. Still, it was fun to watch Kíli try, to take in his cute expressions, like the way he stuck out his tongue while concentrating on a particularly difficult level. Fíli appreciated his love for that particular game, after all it was the blond's favourite as well. Nothing else compared to the intricacies of the level design.

Kíli really was his soul mate, he was sure of it. There was just one tiny little problem with that theory. The fact that the other man had absolutely no idea how he felt.

Fíli sighed wistfully, wondering not for the first time why he had yet to ask the other man out on a date. The question was always there, right on the tip of his tongue. It wasn't as though he had trouble talking to him either. Fíli did his best to strike up a conversation whenever Kíli came to the counter, and though the brunet was painfully shy initially, eventually the two of them had become friends. At least sort of. It's not like they hung out at all. But they chatted about games, about their likes and dislikes. About the world and their hopes and dreams. Kíli had even confided in him when he'd lost his beloved pet cat, and Fíli had treated him to a milkshake from the tiny bar inside the arcade, and watched over him as he tried to distract himself by gaming.

Fíli's daydreaming was interrupted when a group of girls walked by, giggling and talking about their new high scores as they left the building. Fíli tossed them a friendly wave and slouched over the countertop with a yawn. He really was tired. It was going to be a long night. He saw Kíli packing up his things out of the corner of his eye and tried to act natural, looking around at the flickering lights of the various machines. It was never quiet in the arcade, and he could hear a variety of different electronic sounds mixed in with the techno remix playing on the DDR machine. There were paper hearts strewn about in preparation for the following day, and Fíli knew it'd be hopping, even if it was a weeknight.

As Kíli approached, head down, Fíli stood up straight and flashed a brilliant smile his way. He swore he saw a blush filling the other man's cheeks, but it was difficult to tell in the low lighting. The brunet held up a stack of tickets and pointed to the pencil toppers on the shelf behind as he nibbled at his lip, and Fíli hurried to gather his prize. It was so like the brunet to pick out the cute little characters, and Fíli could imagine him taking notes with them bobbing back and forth on the pencil set he'd picked out a few weeks prior.

"All ready for Valentine's Day Kíli?" Fíli asked as he bagged up the toppers and exchanged them for the tickets. Kíli blinked at him with comically wide eyes, clearly caught off guard by the question.

"M-me?" the brunet stuttered shyly, and Fíli swooned as the other man adjusted his bag strap and rocked forward onto his toes.

"Thought you might have a hot date," the blond teased, and he winked at Kíli and offered him a charming grin.

"No! Of course not!" Kíli shouted, and he crinkled the paper bag in his fingers as he leaned forward over the counter. Kíli seemed to realize how close they were a moment later, and he bit his lip again and pulled away with a squeak.

"I'm not…well I mean, no one really…," Kíli trailed off, his gaze slipping down towards his feet. Fíli hated the relief those words brought to him. Because Kíli deserved the best. He deserved to fall in love, and be doted on, and loved in return. He deserved to be pampered, treated, and encouraged at every step. But Fíli wanted to be the one to give him all of that.

"Maybe I'll see you here then," Fíli suggested, his heart thudding in his chest as he waited for the other man's answer. He wasn't let down. Kíli beamed at him, his eyes lighting up as he pulled the paper bag close to his chest, and then he nodded his head up and down eagerly like an excited puppy.

"I'll probably be back to work on that high score again," Kíli mentioned. "Nearly had the top ten this time, just you wait!"

"I admit I have a bit of an unfair advantage, free access to the machines whenever I want and all," Fíli mentioned, and he crossed his arms and once again slouched over the counter.

"I know I've said it before, but I'm so jealous," Kíli breathed, and with one last longing sigh he smiled brightly and skipped away. Fíli watched him with adoration, unable to keep the grin off his face, even as the other man disappeared beyond the exit door. Kíli always had that effect on him. It was as though a bright aura followed the other man everywhere he went, infecting those around him with its brilliance. All he wanted was to bring Kíli the same kind of joy in return. Maybe just maybe, if he played his cards right, he might just get the chance.

Fíli stood up and stretched out his arms, looking over at the Quest for Erebor II machine with determined eyes. He cracked his knuckles and walked out from behind the desk, finally ready to lock up for the night.

It was time to get to work.

It was late afternoon when Kíli reappeared the following day at The Dungeon Crawler, and Fíli blinked wearily at the figure walking through the doorway for a moment before nearly choking on nothing but air. The blond straightened his clothes, checking for wrinkles that weren't there. Sweat was already forming in the palms of his hands as Kíli approached the front desk, rifling around in his bag for spare change. Fíli took a deep breath and plastered what he hoped was a confident smile on his face in greeting, and Kíli giggled under his breath and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear when he saw it.

"Can I interest you in a Valentine's Day special?" Fíli asked, watching as Kíli's eyebrow rose in question.

"Purchase twenty tokens and I'll send a cinnamon heart milkshake your way, on the house," Fíli said with a wink, and Kíli's face flushed slightly in response.

"S-sure, that sounds good," the brunet muttered. Kíli paid quickly and hesitated for a few seconds as he scooped the tokens into his hand, his mouth opening and closing several times as though he was trying to think of something to say. But eventually he just nibbled at his lower lip like he always did before making his way towards his favourite game. Fíli swallowed over the lump forming in his throat, fighting the urge to tap his fingers atop the counter. He was nervous. Beyond nervous. On the cusp of terrified to be honest.

It felt like his life was flashing before his eyes. That at any moment the floor might cave in and envelop him in a fiery prison. He wanted to throw up.

Fíli rang through a few more customers, all the while watching the brunet out of the corner of his eye. As predicted Kíli only spared the title screen a quick glance before sliding a few tokens through the coin slot, and not long after he was working his way through the first level. It was just a matter of time now. The deed was done. He could only hope that Kíli liked the surprise in store for him.

Fíli hurried towards the shake bar, and mixed up the custom drink he promised the other man. He wasn't much of a food artist, especially not compared to the gorgeous work Kíli prepared for his classes, but he still took his time arranging the little cinnamon hearts atop whipped cream and adding a plastic valentine stick as a finishing touch. After a quick glance around the arcade for possible customers Fíli gathered his wits and walked towards Kíli, drink in hand. The other man was already engrossed in the game, halfway through the third level by the time he sidled up beside him, and Fíli waited patiently for a brief pause in the action. As the title screen for the fourth level popped up he moved closer, setting the milkshake down on a nearby ledge.

"One cinnamon heart milkshake, for the beautiful brunet in the Adventure Zone," Fíli voiced, and Kíli laughed and ducked his head at the compliment.

"Thanks," he whispered in return. The next level started up and Kíli tensed a bit, focusing all of his attention back on the game. His eyes flickered over the screen rapidly, fingers tapping buttons and moving the joystick with a surprising amount of precision. He was doing pretty well actually, and Fíli wondered if he might make a personal record on that day's first playthrough.

"Mind if I watch a sec?" Fíli asked, during a brief lull in enemies. Kíli didn't turn to look at him, but he grinned widely and shook his head a bit before the action started up again. Fíli watched with baited breath as the other man's score continued to increase. It would be just like Kíli to make the top ten on the one day Fíli absolutely didn't want that to happen. Any other day he would have been overjoyed to watch the brunet gleefully type in his name, see it there for the first time on the score listing. But on that particular day, watching him climb the levels was doing little more than stress him out.

The fifth level ended, and then the sixth, and Fíli crossed his arms over his chest anxiously as Kíli became visibly determined. There was a look in his eyes, one Fíli was familiar with. It made itself known when victory was just within grasp. Kíli's knuckles had gone white where they gripped the controls far too tightly, and he flinched when new enemies appeared he had never seen before in game. Fíli knew the next boss would be the deciding factor. If he got past it, he would have enough confidence to power through the next level.

The fight started well, Kíli seemed like he was going to finally take it, but then fire shot out from all sides of the map, catching him off guard. The brunet gasped, and moved his character quickly, but not quick enough, and he was engulfed on screen, the pixels turning black and falling to the ground in a pile of dust. Game Over flashed across the display, and Kíli groaned loudly, his entire body slouching in despair. Fíli's chest tightened, and for a moment he almost wished the other man had won. Wished he'd made it to the top ten like he always hoped to.

"No! Aaaah, I almost had it!" Kíli shouted, wiping his sweaty hands on his hoodie as he frowned at the screen. He pouted for a second before yanking the milkshake off the ledge and taking a long sip. The brunet made a satisfied sound, turning towards the blond to thank him, but Fíli for once, wasn't looking at Kíli at all. Instead his eyes were glued to the screen where the credits were just finishing up, making way for the record scores. Kíli followed his gaze, preparing himself for the sight he was so familiar with, only to nearly drop the glass in his hands in shock. His eyes widened as the top ten scores flashed up on screen, and he scanned through them quickly, and then again just to be sure.

Quest for Erebor
II
High Scores

1st DEAR...180259
2nd KILI...180187
3rd WILL...179690
4th YOU...178993
5th BE...178805
6th MY...177499
7th VALEN...176567
8th TINE...168145
9th LOVE...168021
10th FILI...167524

The brunet gaped at the screen, his lips stained a bright red from the cinnamon hearts. He stopped breathing entirely for several seconds before turning towards the blond with probing eyes. Fíli was hesitant to look towards the other man, but eventually he shifted his gaze away from the screen to meet the deep brown eyes he loved. Neither of them spoke, blinking at each other awkwardly, and finally Fíli let out a strange sound somewhere between a laugh and a whimper, scratching at his head as he looked towards the floor sheepishly. He wondered if he'd made a terrible mistake. Perhaps he'd ruined everything, not only made a fool of himself, but also lost a friend in the process.

"So-," Fíli began, only to get immediately cut off.

"Did you mean it?" Kíli asked, fingers toying with the straw of the milkshake. It was crinkled into a misshapen mess, and likely no longer worked. Fíli faltered for a moment. It was his chance to take it all back. He could have apologized for everything, called it a joke, laughed it off, but he couldn't bring himself to lie, and his mouth had always worked faster than his brain.

"Of course I did!" he blurted, hands flailing out to the sides. "Do you have any idea how long it took to get all those top scores again? I was up all night!"

Kíli's ears reddened to match his lips, and he looked down towards the glass clasped tightly between his fingers. Whipped cream was beginning to melt and drip down the edges, catching on his skin and leaving a sticky trail in its wake. He ignored it, but Fíli couldn't tear his gaze away. He watched the cream start to drip from the other man's pinky, until finally Kíli set the glass back down and lifted his fingers to lick the mess away. The brunet caught him staring and Fíli turned away and ran a hand through his hair.

"I…didn't know how else to ask you," Fíli mentioned, and he scratched at his arm idly and glanced around the arcade. He wanted so badly to crawl into a hole and never come out. Kíli must have thought he was a total creep.

The other man bent to pick up his bag, and Fíli thought for sure he was about to leave, but Kíli started rifling through it instead of walking away. He pulled out a little box, flattening the bow on top before he shoved it out in front of his body like some kind of offering. Fíli stared at it, and then stared at Kíli. The brunet's face was as red as a tomato and he pursed his lips and shook the box a little until Fíli reached out to take it. There was a tiny tag on top with the blond's name written on it, and Fíli lifted the lid and stared down at the contents searchingly. The box was filled with tiny chocolates, intricately decorated, some even shaped like characters from his favourite games. He picked one up to observe it closer before looking at Kíli in awe.

"Did…you make these for me?" Fíli asked, and his heart swelled when Kíli nodded and rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Happy Valentine's Day," the brunet said, and he smiled a bit and tilted his head to the side. "I'll…be your valentine, if you'll be mine."

Fíli couldn't keep the grin off his face, and he wanted nothing more than to envelop the other man in a tight hug. Unfortunately there was also a visibly impatient customer waiting over at the counter.

"Hey…uh, how late are you staying today? Are you free after I get off? There's something I want to show you," Fíli asked hurriedly, backing away all the while. Kíli nodded again, still smiling. The blond nearly tripped over a wire, but he recovered while Kíli giggled and watched him retreat with several overly casual gestures, the box of chocolates clasped tightly in his hands.

Fíli practically sprinted to the door when the arcade finally closed for the night, hardly glancing around for stragglers as he locked it. Kíli was already leaning against the front desk, watching curiously, and Fíli nearly melted when he saw the brunet looking up at him from beneath his eyelashes like some kind of ethereal creature. He cleared his throat, standing up straight as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Hi," he blurted, immediately laughing at how silly it sounded. The brunet smirked at him and shrugged his shoulders, grabbing onto his bag strap.

"H-hey," Kíli stuttered in return. He was holding the empty milkshake glass in his hand, and he set it on the counter as Fíli strolled over and rinsed it out.

"Um, it's just…it's silly really, the thing I wanted to show you," Fíli mentioned after he finished drying out the glass, and he gestured for the other man to follow him through the door behind the front desk. Kíli hesitated for a moment before edging around the counter and walking alongside him. The blond led him through a small room filled with boxes and a work desk, opening another door that revealed a storage area that in another workplace would have been terribly cliché. But this particular storage room revealed what Fíli considered to be a gamer's paradise. The walls were lined with old arcade machines, the collection featuring several out of commission pinball games and a variety of discontinued first editions that hadn't been used in years. There was one in particular however, that Fíli pointed to, and Kíli's eyes doubled in size when he saw Quest for Erebor plastered on the sign above it.

"The…original?" Kíli breathed, taking in the entire machine from top to bottom as he stepped up for a closer look.

"THE ORIGINAL!?" he nearly shouted this time as he held his hands over the controls in awe. His mouth hung open as he took it in, turning his head towards Fíli and back again in disbelief.

"Fíli!" he gasped, clasping his hands tightly together. "This is…does it work?"

The blond smiled broadly and moved behind the machine, digging through a bunch of loose wires before he found the right one. As he plugged it in the game came to life, lights flashing as the distinct sounds of the theme song echoed from the speakers on the side.

"Yep," Fíli voiced, and he wiped his hands on his pants as he stood up again to double check it was working properly. Everything looked in order, and Fíli punched away at a few buttons to get to the main menu. When he glanced to the side he was met with a completely shellshocked brunet.

"Oh. My. God," Kíli drawled, still staring at the game in awe. His eyes began to water, and for a moment Fíli thought he might cry, but the other man blinked rapidly to clear his vision before looking at him with searching eyes.

"Want to give it a shot?" Fíli asked nonchalantly, nearly bursting out in laughter at the look on the other man's face.

"Are you for real right now?" Kíli muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, absolutely. We can two player it, come on," Fíli said, and he tilted his head towards the game and took hold of the joystick on the left. Kíli swallowed before dropping his bag and taking the other side. They spent hours working through the levels together, laughing and shouting when enemies caught them by surprise. Fíli teased the brunet when he missed an easy jump, and Kíli shoved him in return, before trying again. It was well into the night when they gave up, watching the credits roll as the scores popped up on screen. Kíli's eyes scanned the names that flashed in front of them, widening once again as he recognized a few from a particularly nerdy documentary he'd watched a few years back.

"The greats," he voiced, eyes scanning through the list intently. Fíli nearly snorted, but a part of him understood the reverence.

"Even I haven't been able to top those scores," Fíli mentioned. His eyes lingered on one in particular and he wondered if the day would ever come that he could beat OAK's top score. Thorin was probably the best known Quest for Erebor player of all time, though you wouldn't know it unless he told you. Fíli wondered what Kíli might think if he knew the famous OAK was in fact his uncle, that he got to play against him nearly every week. That he'd grown up learning from the best of the best. The blond smiled secretively and decided to keep it to himself for now.

"Wow. It's like a piece of history!" Kíli exclaimed, and he sighed wistfully as the music came to an end and the game reset. Fíli stood there just watching him, entranced by the way his eyes lit up as the lights reflected off his irises. He couldn't believe he was standing next to Kíli, actually hanging out with him, playing a game with him, that the other man was so close he could have leaned over and rubbed up against his shoulder. Fíli nudged him gently with an elbow, unable to resist the temptation, and the brunet giggled and nudged back, finally pulling away from the controls.

They stared at each other for a while, watching the neon lights flicker across each other's faces. Fíli could have drowned in those brown eyes. They were beautiful, just like everything about Kíli, and Fíli wanted desperately to kiss him. But it was too soon wasn't it? They hadn't even had a proper date. In fact, he wasn't even sure they were dating. Still, Kíli wasn't looking away, and even as Fíli leaned closer the brunet didn't flinch, in fact it seemed like he was leaning in as well.

Was it just the lights? Was it all in his head? Fíli couldn't be sure, and his heart was pounding so loudly he was certain the other man could hear it even over the music playing just next to them. The blond hovered close to Kíli's face, not quite ready to close the remaining distance in case he was mistaken and ended up ruining everything before it even had a chance to start. He pulled away slightly, nearly deciding to forget it altogether, but Kíli made a strangled sound and lifted his chin just enough to urge him on, and Fíli took the chance, rushing forward to press their lips together softly.

Kíli sighed against him, leaning into his body as they kissed each other tentatively. Their lips moved slowly, exploring each other and finding each and every way they fit together. Fíli ran his tongue along Kíli's lower lip, tasting the lingering cinnamon and sugar, and then he brought a hand up to frame the other man's jaw. His skin was warm against Fíli's palm, and the blond could feel the quick but steady rhythm of Kíli's pulse beneath his fingers.

In that moment, Fíli was sure he could have fought off a dragon. He could have slayed an entire army of orcs, sliced through goblins like they were nothing. He was sure he could have beaten his own record on any game just as a result of the adrenalin coursing through his veins. Kíli empowered him, just being near him was enough to lift the blond's spirits to places they'd never reached before.

When the two men pulled apart their faces stayed close together, brows touching slightly as they studied each other's expressions. Fíli let his fingers slide along skin to brace the back of Kíli's neck, and he tilted the brunet's head up to kiss him again very briefly before pulling away with a soft smile.

"T-that was…," Kíli trailed off, and sucked in his lower lip shyly, his eyes lighting up with glee. The brunet's face was flushed, his lips a bit swollen, and Fíli was sure he looked much the same.

"Yeah," the blond murmured. He wanted to freeze time, stand there side by side with Kíli for the rest of eternity, just grinning like a fool while the Quest for Erebor theme song serenaded them. The blond grasped Kíli's hand and entangled their fingers together, basking in the moment. He couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's Day. And he couldn't wait for the days yet to come.