Pairing: Fili/Kili

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Romance, Phobias

Lay Me Down - Prologue

When he woke in the night it was gasping for air, with a suffocating feeling in his lungs. His chest constricted and he choked on dust that wasn't there, feeling a pain long gone. It happened during the day as well, whenever the great mines kicked to life. Each and every time he heard that low thrumming sound that resonated from deep within the caverns below it vibrated through his entire being. The loud clangs that reverberated along with it struck down through his bones with the force of Mahal's hammer, and each and every sound served as a reminder of what he feared most.

There were many things of course, which he feared. Not the least of all was the idea of being forgotten by his kin. He feared disappointing those he loved, and failing to do as he was bid. He feared darkness to some extent, and light to another. For darkness meant mystery, and unforeseen possibilities. While light, light was exposure. And it presented all of his flaws, of which there were many, to anyone who gazed in his direction.

But the thing that ate at his very soul, the thing that haunted his dreams, and that itched at his mind when he heard the familiar distant sounds, was the fear of being left alone. Left to wait as his heart slowed to a terrifying halt without another beating along beside it.