No matter how hard she had tried to close her eyes and relax, Pippa could not for the life of her fall asleep.

Maybe it was the fact that tomorrow was Christmas or that she really wasn't as tired as she thought she was. Either way, she kept tossing and turning and grumbling. Her body struggled to lie comfortably and instead, repeatedly switched from belly style to her back to her side and so on. Closing her eyes was another story – the moment they shut it felt like her eyeballs rolled to the back of her head, causing a painful stinging.

Finally, her arm flopped over to other side of the bed as she mumbled," Kili…Kili, are you awake?"

When it hit her that her arm flopped right on the mattress and not on a body part, she opened her eyes and perched her body up to see the left side of the bed was empty.

"Did he not...?" Pippa muttered under her breath. She turned her body over to her nightstand and looked at her phone for any sort of message from Kili. There were no messages.

The fuck is he? I thought he was only going to Jan's to help set up for tomorrow night and then coming back?

Before Pippa could press "dial" on her cell phone, her bedroom door opened and there stood her mischievous but charming former dwarf prince of a boyfriend. He greeted her with his devilish, "I-did-something-I-probably-shouldn't-have" smile.

Pippa let out a long sigh before her lips pursed and glared her green eyes at Kili. "You better have a damn good explanation or I swear to God I will pull that arrow out of the leather chest and shove it so far up your bum it will make your head spin."

Kili, not at all phased with Pippa's threat, moved closer to the bed and leaned over to take Pippa's hand. "Get dressed. I want to show you something."

"What did you do?"

"Come with me and see for yourself."

"Did you-." Pippa was cut off when Kili leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers. Once he let go, with his lips still close enough to hers, he mumbles, "Come with me."

Pippa rolled her eyes and propped herself up from the bed. She quickly changed from her sweatpants and pullover to a pair of skinny jeans and dark grey sweater with black boots. She grabbed her black peacoat and as Kili opened the door for her, she ruffled her hands in his short curly mane.

"You're a piece of work, Pretty Boy," she teased shaking her head.

Kili closed the door behind him and raised an eyebrow. "That never stopped you from wanting me, now isn't that right?" he cooed as he wrapped his arms from behind her waist. He leaned his head to the side and kissed her temple.

" 'I have orders from Mr. Gandalf himself that you will be sharing a horse with me'," Pippa reminded Kili in a low tone of voice. She rolled her eyes and playfully scoffed. "Like you weren't interested in me at all."

With that, Kili hands moved Pippa to face him. He pressed his nose to her and murmured," Do you want to come see what could very much be your Christmas gift from me or not?"

Pippa sighed. "Oh, alright, alright," she gave up as she put her hands up in the air. "You win, Pretty Boy."

"It has been almost two years and still you have not learned that you cannot win every battle you start with me."

"Friendly competition is a better way to put it."

"That's how you perceive it? Darling, what we do is a bit more vicious than just 'friendly competition'."

"Do you want me to go with you or not?"

Kili sighed and held out his hand. Pippa, smirking in her glory, took it and let Kili guide her outside. They got into the car, Kili in the driver's seat and Pippa in the passenger.

Yes, the dwarf prince learned how to drive. That, however, is another story for another time.

As the car drove farther and farther away from Pippa's father and soon-to-be step-mother's house, Pippa asked," So where is it we're going?"

"That," Kili began as he turned on the car audio player," is for you to wait and see. Until then, just relax, alright love?"

Suddenly, an all too familiar tune began.

Blunt the knives and bend the forks!

Smash the bottles and burn the corks!

Chip the glasses and crack the plates!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

"Do you remember this tune, love?' Kili asked with the biggest smile on his face. He nearly burst out in laughter at the sight of Pippa's reaction. Her jaw was opened almost as wide as her eyes had become when the song started and her eyebrows furrowed.

She turned to him. "I thought…but you…you…you hated the movie?"

"Aye, I still do but I must confess, this part was quite enjoyable considering the fact they sounded like how we sounded," Kili explained. He glanced at her. "Do you remember this song when we met?"

Pippa nodded her head as her eyes rolled. "You wouldn't stop calling me 'Pip' and I was completely terrified about the fact that I was in Middle Earth. It wasn't until you all started a burping contest that I felt ok."

"I believe that was when I realized I was attracted to you."

"Nothing turns on the dwarf male more than the belching of a woman."

As the song died down, the next one was one Pippa remembered fondly.

" 'We're like a branch and it's vine,'" Pippa sang.

" 'Like a drunk and his wine'," Kili added.

" 'Like the leaves in the breeze'."

" 'Fatty food and disease'."

" 'Like a sheep and a lamb'."

" 'Like a pig and a ham'."

"I taught this to you when we were at Erebor," Pippa laughed as she patted her hand on Kili's bicep. "Took you a while, but you got it eventually."

Kili felt his cheeks flush as he let one hand go off the wheel and he changed the song. "This one is even more special," he remarked.

Pippa's smile slowly faded as the strumming of a guitar in the intro made her recognize it immediately. She put her hand on her mouth, turning her head toward Kili.

"You...still remember this?" Her voice was hushed as a lump formed in her throat. There was a burning sensation in her eyes, eventually leading to the stroll of a tear down her cheek,

A small smile formed on Kili's lips as he reached one hand to hers, his fingers intertwining with hers. "When you ran away in the mountains, this song was playing when I found you." His tone was the heartfelt, perfectly gentle one no one else but Pippa knew of.

"This was playing the night you…." Pippa couldn't say it without choking up. Her lips trembled as she fixated on Kili. She watched as Kili slowly but surely unfolded into a vulnerable state with his eyes filling up and the tight squeeze of his hand on her.

"I came back to you," Kili finished for her with the smile falling right back onto his face.

And I'd give up forever to touch you

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't wanna go home right now.

And all I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

When sooner or later it's over

I just don't wanna miss you tonight

Her back pressed into the passenger seat as she looked out the window. "Two years, hasn't it?"

"Tomorrow night will make it officially two, but it feels longer than that."

Both of them remained silent for the rest of the song. Kili continued to stroke Pippa's hand and there were moments of exchanged looks, yet neither knew what to say.

Within a couple of minutes, "Iris" ended and Kili put the car in park. Pippa unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, stepping out into the snowy night. She looked up to see the entrance to a walking trail and closed the car door behind her. "I don't get it."

Kili closed the door and walked over to her side. "Take my hand and you will see."

Pippa wrapped her hand in his and he led her into the woods. The ten o'clock night sky made it hard to see, but she knew Kili had it figured out.

At least she hoped so.

Their feet crunched into the snow as the breeze ran through Pippa's hair. Her face felt as though it was in the early stages of being frozen and she mentally cursed herself for not bringing gloves. She moved closer to Kili, who happily let go of her and wrap his arm around her. Between the stillness of the woods and the intimacy of the couple, it was as if for just a few moments, they were back in Middle Earth.

Kili stopped and covered Pippa's eyes with his hand. "Relax and stand still. Keep your eyes closed. Do you trust me?"

"Unfortunately."

"Everything will be fine, I promise."

She felt his hand let go and heard the pattering of his until a sudden breath of warmth hit her skin.

"Open your eyes."

Pippa opened and a gasp escaped from her lips as before her eyes, was a little fire in front of a log for them to sit on. There was a blanket on top of the log.

"Just like at Beorn's," Pippa remembered.

Kili nodded his head and took a seat on the log. Pippa made no hesitation to sit next to him as he placed the blanket on their laps. He pulled Pippa close to him once again as her head rested into the crook of neck.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She felt him kiss her temple before resting his chin on the top of her head. "There is more, actually," she heard him chuckle.

When Pippa pulled back, Kili let go of her before pulling the blanket off of him.

"Kili, what the -."

"Pippa…".

"…holy shit."

He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. "Every single risk I took in my life I took because I believed it was worth taking. I left my mother at home to join my uncle in the journey to the misty mountains because I believed in the great king he was to be. I promised my brother that I would have his trust and support because I trusted his with mine and he never failed me. Other risks I took may have not worked out the way I would have wanted them to and many a time I have failed in what others wanted me to do. But the biggest risk I have ever taken in all my years of living…and after death living, was falling in love with you. The first time I met you, I was terrified to even give any part of myself to you because never before had I known what it was like to love someone who wasn't a mother, a brother, an uncle, or even myself. Yes, I have said and done things that have caused you to throw a fit or break down, but even when I never showed it I still loved you. I thought I lost you in Mirkwood. When you became angry and would not tell me what was hurting you, I thought I had caused it by not reminding you just how much I was and still am in love with you. You can annoy me to pieces but you also remind me that I am worth something. I swore, that night in Laketown, I was never going to lose you and you were never going to lose me. I can not live without you because you have every single part of me. The first journey I ever took brought me to you and I will not go on any other one without you by my side. Will you, Pippa, marry the reckless, screw up, mischief that I am?"

Pippa's green eyes shone brightly as the early signs of tears were beginning. Her hand shook, the lump in her throat expanding, the blood running through her body now paused. Her lips trembled and not even the quick squeeze from Kili's hand could make her stop.

Unsure and nervous after a few seconds of nothing, Kili swallowed hard and tried to maintain hope. "Pippa?"

"Y-you're not a screw up!"

She flung her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. Kili stood still, confused on whether or not she was giving him an answer. His hand snaked to her back and with his palm, he pat her gently.

"Does this mean yes?"

Pippa pulled back and cupped her hands on his face. "Yes," she finally answered with a laugh.

In that moment, Kili grinned and pulled her back close to him before placing his lips tightly onto hers. They latched on to one another so closely that not even the winter breeze could break through them. When Kili pulled back for a moment, he opened the box to reveal the ring Pippa's father had given her mother. It was the same ring her mother was buried with.

Pippa's mouth opened slightly and the tears came back. "How did you-."

"She gave it to me when we made the agreement. She figured one day I would ask."

He slid it on Pippa's finger, the ring fitting perfectly. Not too tight, not too loose. He then sat back on the log and let Pippa sit on his lap. As he wrapped the blanket around them, he pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you Pippa of Ellingale," he said with a large grin swept across his face.

Pippa nudged him and kissed his nose. "I love you too, Pretty Boy."

As they sat in the middle of the woods, taking in what had just happened within the past few minutes, their brief moment of silence was interrupted when the fire went out.

"What happened?" Pippa asked as she hopped off Kili's lap.

Kili got up and looked around the fire and shrugged. "There's no way-."

"Kili, look at this."

He turned to see Pippa's ring was glowing. The couple exchanged a look when they heard the rustling of tree branches. Kili pulled Pippa toward him and looked around when Pippa pointed toward one trunk of one the trees with an inscription that said," Until next time."

So I saw the final Hobbit movie and I knew I had to write about Pippa and Kili again. With that, I leave you guys with an ultimatum.

I will write one more full-length story about these two back in Middle Earth ONLY if YOU want me to. Let me know :)

I disclaim all lyrics as they belong to their rightful owners.

Can't wait to hear from you all!