The Hobbit and LOTR oneshots, preferences and imagines

Kili x reader - Just a token

You wander the halls unhurriedly- your king, Thranduil, has sent you to check on the dwarves in the dungeons. You're a royal guard, so you have to do as he says- and not question his orders. But you can't help but wonder why he has ordered the imprisonment of thirteen dwarves.

Two tall golden columns mark the entrance to the dungeon. Inside, it's quiet- are the dwarves still there?
You shake your head. Ridiculous. No one could escape the prison of Mirkwood without the keys.

You enter, walking towards the cells containing the dwarves. You count quickly- still thirteen.

As you walk past the cells, the first one you see glares at you. His eyes show clearly he hates you, and probably all your kin too. You've never understood that hatred of dwarves and elves...

You move on, and see dwarves of all shapes and sizes in the cells, most of them glaring at you as well. As you pass another cell, you slow down.

The dwarf inside looks different from the others. He barely has any beard, and his dark hair spills over his shoulders.He's got to be the handsomest dwarf you ever met... But why are you thinking this?! You're just a guard, for Valar's sake. An elven guard.

He's tossing in the air and catching a stone of some sort, not paying you any attention. It's a dark, smooth oval with something carved on one of its faces.

As you turn your head towards the other cells, he drops his stone, who clatters to the ground right at your feet, making you jump.

"Oops." He says. He doesn't look very sorry.

You bend down slowly and pick up the stone, not looking at him. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see him leaning towards the bars.

"What's this?" You ask, turning it in your palm.

"It's... A talisman. Any other than a dwarf who reads its inscription are cursed!" He jumps towards you quickly, obviously trying to scare you. You don't move. He sits back down, disappointed.

You look at its inscription, smirking. It's written in dwarfish runes, which you can't read anyway.

"Where did you get it?" You turn to him.

"My mother gave it to me," he answers, pushing back the hair on his forehead. He smiles at you. "It's just a token, really."

"Huh." You hold it in your palm. It feels smooth, comfortable.

"Kili!" Shouts the first dwarf, the one who had glared at you. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, uncle," replies the dark-haired dwarf, who must be Kili.

Your eyes lock for a moment.

Then you turn away. You have other duties to attend to.

"Here." You toss Kili his stone, and he catches it, his eyes never leaving your face.

You turn to leave, but he grabs your hand through the bars. His hand is surprisingly warm.

"Wait!" He says. "What's your name?"

You turn your head and smile at him. "Y/N." With that, you let go of his hand, squeezing it one last time before walking away.

When you're gone, Kili sits back down in his cell. "Y/N," he whispers to himself, and smiles.