Prompt: Let's just say Fili is getting abused by someone and Kili goes into protective mode and saves his brother

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To the rescue

It is late and Kili is exhausted.

It has been a long day and he is really looking forward to dinner, a pint of ale and maybe a bath, considering that he is soaking with sweat. He has been working at the forge and since it is Fili's day off he had had to do twice as much work as usual. Well, not that he complains – when he does not work the blond dwarf usually spends most of the day planning what he will do with his brother as soon as he comes home, thus Kili does not mind having to work harder at all.

Humming to himself he enters the rooms he and his brother are sharing, surprised when the older one is not already waiting for him like usually. They had agreed on meeting after work, planning to have dinner at a pub and retire to their rooms afterwards.

Well, Kili thinks to himself, since there is no hurry (when Fili is hungry he tends to be terribly impatient) he might just as well take his bath in the meantime.

He does not begin to worry until after he has put on fresh clothes, his stomach having started to rumble loudly by now. He has taken his time to clean himself and he is not sure what to do for it is very much out of character for his brother to be late. He is torn between staying and waiting, and leaving to look for Fili. Half an hour later he decides to do the latter.

He knows that the blond dwarf often spends days like this one with their uncle, discussing political matters that Kili does not even want to think about. Since he has no idea where his brother could be he sets out to look for Thorin first. Kili finds his uncle in the library, hunched over old maps. "Uncle", he greets, "I'm sorry to disturb you. Have you seen Fili?"

The king looks up, frowning. "He left me a few hours ago. Why are you looking for him?"

"We agreed on meeting for dinner after I was done working and he did not show up", Kili explains and Thorin's frown deepens.

"I think he was planning to talk to your mother when he left."

Kili nods thankfully and, after stopping by their rooms – Fili has not arrived in the meantime – he goes to their mother's, who greets him delightedly. "Mother, have you seen Fili?"

"He left no too long ago." She knits her brows. "What's the matter?"

"We agreed on meeting and he didn't come."

Dis bites her bottom lip. "I'm not supposed to tell you this", she confesses "but I have to admit I am worried. He got into trouble with another dwarf, one of the miners. He did not tell me more about it, only that he was planning to settle the matter when he left. I think he went for the lower mines."

Kili's eyes are dark. "Why did he not tell me?"

"Oh darling, I think he didn't want to worry you." She smiles fondly. "But do me a favour, will you? If it's nothing serious don't tell your uncle, he's got enough trouble as it is already."

The young dwarf nods and leaves, setting out for the lower mines. His face is dark, due to both worry and hurt. What in Durin's name did Fili get up to that he thought he could not tell his brother? They have already been in so much trouble together and Kili knows, there is nothing he cannot talk about to the blond dwarf.

It takes him quite long to reach the lower mines and even longer to find his brother, but when he does he is shocked.

Fili is pressed against the wall of a dark tunnel face first, his trousers at his knees. A tall, broad dwarf his thrusting into him, drowning his moans with biting into the younger one's shoulder. Kili sees the tears running down his brother's cheeks and he loses control. Suddenly the dagger is in his hand, pointing at the red-haired dwarf's throat. "Leave now", he growls, every inch of his body trembling with an immense rage and the wish to kill this bastard.

The older dwarf hurriedly closes his trousers, and runs for his life, his arms behind his head.

Kili catches his brother who crumples, no strength left. The younger one is not sure whether Fili will flee from his touch, but the blond dwarf clings to his shirt for dear life, eyes closed and still crying. Kili puts his trousers back on and carries him to their rooms. He is still trembling with rage, but Fili is here, in his arms, so he tries his best to control his temper.

They finally reach the safety and privacy of their rooms and Kili sits his brother down on the bed and turns to lock the door, before sitting down next to him. His brother's fists are clenched and he does not look at him.

"Fili", Kili murmurs "why didn't you tell me?"

And Fili tenses, his expression clearly desperate. "I… I couldn't… I didn't want you to know, that I'm… weak. And dirty." His shaking voice is barely audible.

The look on Kili's face is murderous. "You are neither weak, nor dirty!" he whispers, wrapping his arms around his brother's shaking body. "Tell me – for how long has this been going on?"

Fili bites his lower lip, turns his head away. "One month… maybe two?"

And Kili finally understands – the nightmares, the unidentifiable countenance, the emptiness in his eyes, the injuries he had tried to hide.

"He threatened to tell you", the blond dwarf admits. "He is a client of ours, but he only comes when knows you're not working. At first I tried to fight him, but he is so much stronger than me and he… he…"

"He broke you", Kili finishes. "But I will put you back together. And I will kill him. Or better – I will tell uncle Thorin." His eyes are dark and dangerous.

Fili starts up. "No!" He looks at his brother with tears in his eyes. "Please. He cannot know that I'm weak! I did not want you to find out, but you did and… please don't tell him, too."

"Fili", Kili says, his voice firm "you are not weak and I will assure you of that every day until you believe me. And we do have to tell uncle. He raped you, he needs to be… punished." There is a malice in his words Fili has not heard very often yet.

He hangs his head.

"Fili", his brother suddenly asks "how could you… lie with me despite of what he did to you?"

The blond dwarf looks at him and suddenly there are so many emotions – so many positive emotions – in his eyes that Kili forgets to breathe. "Because I trust you with my life", he answers. "Because I know you would never harm me. And because when we are together there is nothing left in my world but you. You can make me forget."

Kili smiles weakly. "You will have to tell me this very often before I dare touch you again", he warns, and Fili flinches. "And no, not because I think you are dirty, but because I couldn't stand to hurt you." The blond dwarf sighs in relief.

"You will go nowhere on your own", the younger brother orders "until that bastard gets what he deserves." Fili only nods and huddles up against his brother, who wraps his arms around him protectively and vows: "I will never let anyone touch you ever again!"

Kili does not get a wink of sleep this night, not able to forget the image of his broken brother, but he watches over Fili's, who does not dream for the first time since two months.