I wrote this on an fan-crazed whim four years ago right after the final trailer for the third movie came out. This was before I even discovered FF, and had just stumbled upon it from some old files. I didn't really change anything since.

This had been my version of the hinted-romantic moment between Kili and Tauriel in the trailer scenes and I just feel like sharing it now.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asks Fili. "You almost died, Kili."

"I'm fine, really," says Kili. He looks up and sees Tauriel finish talking to the blond elf prince, Legolas, who walks away, and she gazes out across the lake where the smoke rose from the center. She looked so strong, so beautiful...Kili felt his face heat up. He may have been in a dazed state after Tauriel healed him, but he remembered it all, like waking up from a dream. After Lake Town burned down, when they narrowly escaped from the dragon and the fires, his dream state wore off on the boat ride to the lake shores...and now every time he looked at her, which was most of the time, he could only think about how foolish he must look to her. To his fellow dwarves, to his brother, to himself...he could only imagine what Thorin would think of him if he ever found out.

Kili struggled to get up, and when his brother helped him, giving him a puzzling look, Kili murmured, "I'll be right back," and went over to Tauriel, feeling his brother glaring behind his back disapprovingly.

Kili came next to her. "Tauriel."

She looked down at him, her face clearly exhausted but her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Kili," she said. Surprise, tenderness...awkwardness. Uneasiness.

Durin, help me, he thought, feeling sick in his stomach. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

She blinked, her cheeks turning bright pink, but she nodded. Her hands were folded in front of her, looking small and softer than they really were, especially with her weapons. She probably didn't trust herself to say anything that didn't sound harsh, Kili thought. I wish the poison killed me before facing this.

"Look I just-" said Kili.

"I wanted to-" Tauriel said. They had started talking at once, and stopped. Kili took a deep breath, heart pounding. "Can I go first? Please?" When Tauriel was silent, he continued, "First, I wanted to start by saying thank you...for saving my life, again. I-my friends and I have given you no reason to risk your life, but I thank you...and I owe you my life. And second...I remember what I said to you when...after you saved me..."

"Kili-"

"And I apologize," Kili hastily said. "I was weak, confused, and I wasn't...wasn't fully aware of what was happening around me. They were uncalled for, and...and I had no right saying such things to you, especially when you don't know me that well, and that I am dwarf and you are elf, and we-" He stopped before he would continue to embarrass himself. Tauriel was waiting, patiently, for him to say something, her lovely face gentle and sad. Kili wished to see her smile again.

"I must look a fool to you," he said softly. "To everyone. It's a wonder why Thorin didn't want to take me with him. Not just because of my wound."

Tauriel shook her head. "You are a reckless fool," she said. Then she smirked. "Something, I believe, we have in common."

Kili smirked back, feeling her glow vibrate from her presence.

"What you said last night, before the dragon attacked," said Tauriel softly, "I know you were delusional, but I wanted to ask...did you mean what you said?"

Kili gazed up at her for a long while. His brown eyes were tender and bright...and did not waver when he whispered, "Every word."

Then, slowly, Tauriel smiled, but it was sad. She then glanced over at the ruin of Lake Town, and Kili watched with her. "There is going to be a retaliation after this," she said gravely. "The people of Lake Town have no home now. They have lost many people in the fire. They are going to find someone to blame."

"This is all our fault," Kili whispered, miserably. "We unleashed the dragon. Something must have happened in the mountain...my friends...Thorin..."

"You weren't in the mountain," said Tauriel. "You weren't there to unleash the dragon...but the town people will turn against you and your kin. The first thing they will do is make you hostages, perhaps use you as bargaining tools against Thorin Oakenshield, if he still lives. You must take them and run before it is too late."

Kili was silent. Then he reached into his pockets and found his rune stone. He stepped forward and took her hand. It really was soft and warm to his touch, her fingers toughened from her advanced archery, much like his. "I want you to have something. Something I believe you remember well," he said. He placed the stone in her palm and covered her hand with both of his larger ones.

Surprise and recognition flickered on Tauriel's face when she saw the stone. She opened her mouth. "I...I cannot take this," she managed in a breathless whisper. "Kili, your mother's stone..."

"Whatever we have now," says Kili, looking up at her with love in his eyes, "whatever may happen after this, I do not want whatever conflict our kin have to interfere with our friendship. I want you to keep it safe...in exchange for a promise."

Tauriel met his eyes, and he continued, "I simply ask that you do not forget me. Do not forget what you do. Helping those who need your strength, your spirit," He smiled with warm tenderness, still gripping her hand close, "as I had the privilege to witness."

"Kili..." whispered Tauriel, her voice filled with awe and wonder as she gazed into his warm, brown eyes.

"Tauriel!" From the background, Legolas called out to her sharply, making her wince.

"Kili, we have to go! Now!" Fili called to his brother with equal firmness, causing the brunette Dwarf Prince's jaw to tighten briefly. Still, his eyes never left Tauriel's.

Finally, the red-haired she-elf nodded, smiling back. Though she could not find the words to speak from her heart (which was still to overwhelmed with a strong feeling she still could not comprehend ever since she healed this dwarf), the promise already sparkled from her green eyes. "I will keep it safe," she said softly.

Filled with newfound hope, Kili lifted her closed hand and kissed her fingers, surprising Tauriel with a brief gasp. On both sides, two blond princes, both dwarf and elf, stiffened in surprise, then displeasure at the uncommon scene.

"Until we meet again," whispered Kili, squeezing her hand briefly before backing away. Their fingers slipped slowly away as he went to join Fili (who looked openly irritated at his younger brother's affections toward an elf), Oin, and Bofur. Tauriel watched with a distant sadness as the dwarves rowed away across the lake before looking down at the rune stone in her palm.

Return to me.

The thought came out of nowhere. She did not know the extent of her feelings toward this dwarf's unusual love he confessed to her in his delirium, but Tauriel hoped with all her heart that they would meet again.

Clenching it near her heart, hardening her resolve, she turned around to face Legolas.

I'm just about to finally finish reading The Silmarillion, which is such a magnificent book, if you read it carefully. It's one thing to research stuff about a story, but another thing to actually read and know the details. There's a lot of important information and intriguing characters I've fallen in love with that I plan to weave more soundly with my stories (hint: TLD and LITS).

Also, for those reading my Middle-earth stories (and Naruto), thank you for the reviews/follows/favorites, know that I haven't abandoned any of them, and that I'm so sorry for taking forever. They involve much planning and research that I only have a few hours to lose sleep over before life and work take over the rest, and then there's barely time to write or even think. I'm a drained mess, but I'm crazy about this stuff!

Anyway, thank you for reading!:) Keep an eye out for updates!