An Even Fifteen (Fili x reader)

Epilogue

Fili's POV

I watched my family play in the sunshine. The day was bright and warm, and I had shed my coat and boots to enjoy the fresh, green grass beneath my feet. My wife, also barefoot, chased our son and daughter around the trees. The two teams of Rhosgobels sat with me beneath an oak that had flourished in the days since Erebor's reclaiming. Onyx, now fully grown and a bit more mellow, lay next to me, leaning against my leg. Y/N had enlisted my help in caring for the Rhosgobels as soon as our daughter was born, even going so far as to teach me how to drive their sled.

I watched her, laughing wildly in the sunlight, throwing her head back and spreading her arms wide. Eileifr latched on to one leg, and his little sister, following his example as always, latched onto Y/N's other leg. She clomped about with them for a while, then called my name, out of breath.

"Are you going to let these silly pebbles keep me from our picnic?"

I shook my head, laughing at her exasperated expression. "I may just eat all the food by myself!" I called back, waiting for the protests from the children. They were quick in coming.

"Adad, you wouldn't!" Cried Emili, her clear blue eyes going wide in horror.

"I would," I insisted, reaching for the food basked to show my seriousness and trying to hide my smile. "And I'll start with dessert!"

Eileifr let go of his mother and clenched his chubby fists. "Amad says never to eat dessert first, or the little gnomes will give you ugly dreams!" He is a rule follower, and he always has been, so his response is no surprise to me. I glance knowingly at Y/N, and she winces. I knew she had been telling them silly stories before bed. I had even taken part in them, when my princely duties allowed me. But his mention of ugly dreams... The nightmares from the Battle had never really left me. I didn't think they ever would. But I always slept better with my wife at my side. And, if I did have a nightmare, I would always wake to find her next to me, alive and well, smiling in her sleep as she always did.

"Then you'll have to let your amad go," I called back to Eileifr, "and help me eat lunch before I get to dessert!"

The two children raced toward me, letting go of their mother, and I let go of the mention of ugly dreams. I knew Y/N would apologize profusely for the mention later, and promise to stop telling serious Eileifr such silly stories, but it was all right. I would tell her so, several times, until I kissed her well enough that she forgot what she was apologizing for. She knew my tactics, but she never was able to resist them. She followed Eileifr and Emili up the hill to the shade, and helped them unpack the tasty picnic Bombur had prepared for my day off with my family.

It was much needed. Business was flourishing in Erebor, which meant I had many trade agreements to oversee, and many traders' unruly opinions to manage. The work was running me into the ground, and Y/N intervened. She demanded we take a day to enjoy the beautiful weather, and packed up me and the children for a trip to Ravenhill.

The place was entirely different than it had been all those years ago. Clean, green grass covered the land, even sprouted between the stones of the ruins. When we had finished our lunch, the children went off to play hide-and-seek, dashing between the great piles of rubble and giggling madly. Emili began climbing up the stones, going higher and higher until I called out for her to get down. She obeyed, albeit with a pout of her rosebud lips.

"She gets that from you, you know," Y/N said, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"What? The adorable look of long-suffering?"

She snorted. "No, you joker. That recklessness."

"It's only reckless if she doesn't fall," I pointed out, "which she did not."