Shattered (The Hobbit AU)

Chapter Five

'What was Fíli really doing in here while I was gone?' Kíli wondered to himself, pacing back and forth through his room, looking for anything out of place. So far, it was exactly like how he left it in the morning, with the exception of his bed. Clothes laying about, his bed neatly made, stacks of paper on his desk, along with his journal precisely how and where he left it. Perhaps the blonde Dwarf was telling the truth. Kíli didn't want to call his brother a liar but he felt the urge to question the situation. Needless to say, something did not feel right. But it didn't matter anymore, he didn't want to burden himself with more stress and worrying.

Due to his lack of sleep the night before, Kíli wanted to take a long nap. He didn't bother to change into his night clothes, the only items he took off were his boots and his royal blue tunic, to which he laid it on the chair next to his desk.
Slipping into bed, he pulled up the blankets over himself and closed his eyes.

Just as sleep was about to finally take him, a knock sounds at his door.
"Hmm?" He mumbled.

"It's your mother, I'm coming in." Dís answered from the other side.

She opened the door and stepped in, but then quickly regretted it as she saw her son on the bed.
"I came in to ask if you wanted to eat lunch?"

Kíli shook his head.

"Kíli, are you sick? You don't look all right." She furrowed her eyebrows as she laid a hand on her son's forehead.
"Well it's not a fever."

"Tired." Is all he said.

"You slept late, didn't you? I keep telling you to sleep early and you don't. Very well then, just rest. Food will be ready as soon as you wake up." Dís kissed Kíli's forehead before walking out the door.
Kíli didn't look as good as Dís thought, so to be on the safe side, she supposed she'd make him some chicken soup. If Kíli really was coming down with something, she hoped it would go away as fast as it came. Dís knew how busy her two boys were, she'd hate to see Kíli upset about not being able to help out.

In the middle of cooking her chicken soup, Fíli walked in the room. Dís furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as a result of seeing both her sons returning so early.
"I get why Kíli is here at this time, but why are you? It's barely lunchtime. What's next? Is Thorin going to arrive as well?"

"Lovely to see you too, mother. It sounds like you don't want me here." Fíli half joked, taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack next to the wall.
"That's not what I meant. You know I love having my three boys here. Oh, sorry, my three men."

Fíli grinned, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. "You said Kíli is here?"
'He was still here? Doing what?' Fíli thought.

"Yes, he's catching up on sleep. He said he stayed up late yesterday, and him having to get up at the crack of dawn doesn't help the situation."

"Makes sense." Fíli mumbled, sitting down at the table.
Fíli was hesitant about what he wanted to ask next. With his mother having her back turned and focused on making the food, Fíli would open his mouth to say something but then quickly close it. As much as he didn't want Dís to worry about Kíli, he needed to ask her about him. He really needed to.

"Mother, could I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course, about what?" She answered, her back still turned.

"It's more of a who, actually." Fíli uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck, feeling the air growing tense as the conversation furthered on.
"Fíli, is this about a woman?" Dís replied, a small smile playing at her lips.