LOTR/Hobbit Imagines

Fíli - Slippery When Wet

Fíli & OC Tullaina

A/N: This is part of @midearthwritings writing challenge (this is also horribly late, I'm so sorry!!). I chose their work "" and rewrote it to fit Fíli and Tullaina's storyline and made it into one of their many 'almost' moments.

Warnings: two idiots in love, one innuendo, Fíli letting his mind wander for a moment (which makes it more of an M rated fic, so a little nsfw but nothing explicit) and Kíli's impeccable timing as always

*

The sound of the river made every member of the company excited. It had been days, maybe even weeks, since the last time they saw water deep enough to bathe.

Thorin felt the eyes burning in his back, waiting for him to give the order to make camp early so they would have the time for a bath before the sun set. He smiled to himself, debating whether or not to wait until one of them was desperate enough to say something out loud but he decided to have mercy on them and gave the order.

He didn't think he ever saw them set up camp so fast. Within half an hour they made a fire pit, gathered enough firewood, the bedrolls were all laid out, the ponies were taken care of and Bombur had made a headstart on dinner.

"Alright," Thorin spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "You have thirty minutes to bathe and wash your clothes if needed."

Everyone started to get up to grab a change of clothes and whatever they brought with them to bathe and one by one the dwarves made the descent to the river.

"Not you, Tullaina, it's your turn to keep watch over our belongings," Thorin stopped her and Tullaina looked up at him with a sigh. She didn't even bother to protest, she knew that as soon as most of the company were back it would be her turn to go and bathe. Sure, it would be dark and therefore a lot colder, but at least she could enjoy some peace and quiet on her own.

Her eye caught Fíli's when he took his bag with bathing supplies out of his pack - which wasn't much, a bar of soap he took with him from Bilbo's place and a rag - and he looked at her apologetically.

"Don't drown on me," she teased, giving him a small smile and a playful wink when she lowered herself to the ground.

Fíli blinked a few times, taken aback by her playful mood, before he realised she was waiting for a reply.

"Oh, n-no, I never go deep." The second the words left his mouth he regretted them. Tullaina's eyes widened and he heard Thorin bark out a laugh he tried to disguise as a cough.

"No! Not like that! You know I didn't... That's the last thing I want-" Fíli tried to explain, but hopelessly making it worse, suggesting he could never think about Tullaina like that, while in reality it couldn't be further from the truth.

She waved his words away, laughing but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's fine, I knew you didn't mean anything by it."

Kíli had watched their interaction with mirth, and it gave him an idea. Maybe it was time for him to get involved. Mahal knew his brother needed more than a little shove in the right direction.

"Uncle, it's not safe to leave her here by herself. Someone should stay with her," he spoke up.

"Excuse me, I'm perfectly capable of keeping an eye on your things," Tullaina yelled from her place at the other side of camp, having heard what Kíli said.

"I was simply thinking of your safety," Kíli yelled back. "What if the camp is raided by a pack of orcs while we're away? You'll be on your own!"

"You don't think I can handle them?" Tullaina scoffed while she got to her feet and drew her twin swords. When she stood like that, there was no doubt who taught her how to use them. It had his brother's signature all over it.