He hadn’t specified where they’d fallen asleep. It could have been in the bedroom before the bath for all their mother knew, but she didn’t inquire further, and Fili felt himself relax minutely, though her skeptical expression, the way she looked them over, and then her motherly smile made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He was fairly certain she could see straight through his clothes to the bruises littering his skin, but he kept his expression carefully contrite. When she squeezed his shoulder, right where Kili had bit bruises into him and his skin was rubbed raw, he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from twitching and smiled gratefully.
The smile vanished as she turned away. There had been absolutely no need to add on that it was rude to stand unless she expected him to refuse to sit. She knew. He stared at her back in dumbfounded horror. It had taken her less than three minutes.
Fili tore his gaze away from her to look at Kili with an expression that was not at all reassuring, but he followed the tug of his hand to the table, reluctantly easing himself down on the seat beside him. He grimaced, shifting a bit to find a more comfortable position. “I don’t know. Maybe. But… if she does, she doesn’t seem that angry.” Or maybe she did. It seemed the more time that passed the more uncomfortable he got. Fili suspected that he would wake up tomorrow in misery. ….But it had still been worth it.
He folded his arms on the table and leaned forward slightly, slouching over the table as he watched their mother move about. There, that wasn’t so bad. When his weight wasn’t resting on his tailbone it barely hurt at all. Damn, he was hungry.
Indeed, their mother didn’t seem angry at all, or at least she didn’t show. She returned only a moment later, with two platters equipped with meat and bread, and by that time Kili had already gathered two mugs of ale for himself and his brother. The scent of food made his mouth water anyway; he gave a smile (maybe looking a little too relieved as she did not question their absence any further), handing one of the plates over to Fili before starting to eat with little regard for whether Fili did the same.
Dís watched them eat, leaning back a little from where she sat across the table, still smiling a little at Kili’s appetite. “Well” she said, “I take it you had a rather exciting day.” Kili choked on a piece of meat, coughing and hastily clearing his throat, forcing down a mouthful of ale to avoid any questioning… which proved unsuccessful of course. “Um, yeah” he answered, “Never shot a stag that size. ‘twas more luck than skill, really, I mean, it stepped on me and all that…” Dís frowned a little. “Did it, now? And did you see Oin about it?” Kili grimaced a bit. “It’s jus’ a bruise, amad. I’ll manage. Though Fee said – uh, I mean, he said it might be helpful to put some ice on it.” Dís’ eyebrow twitched only so much. “Oh, yeah? I don’t doubt that for a second. Speaking of it, my sweet, do you require new oil for your knives?”
Kili stared at her for a second, feeling flushing heat rising in his face before hastily focusing on his food again, suddenly a good deal less hungry. Damn, maybe he’d rather leave it to Fili to speak for tonight.
keep careful watch of my brother's s o u l;; 