Longest A/N in history: I'm just going to outright say it: this is so much filler. AND I'M SO SORRY IF IT'S BORING BUT I LOVE WRITING CHARACTER INTERACTION. I'm sorryyy.

Anywho, I've been way busy and really shouldn't have started a new story right now… but! That being said, I'm actually almost done with the next chapter so it should be up within the next week or so and story/ plot progression will actually take place. I don't want to make excuses, but here they go:

I didn't intend to continue this so there are a lot of missing plot points in the first chapter. Rather than rewrite it, I'm going to attempt to fill them as I go. Stick with me!

I have put a lot of thought into HalfElf!Kili and because of that, I felt like I needed to get you all familiar with him because if this runs away from me like it very well might, I want you to be comfortable with the slight changes I've made to his character (not his personality, just his physical makeup, I suppose). So this chapter is more getting you all familiar with how he views this all.

I know, I'm an awful author to already be throwing a filler chapter in. My writing gets away from me, which is what happened to this chapter! That being said, I enjoy writing this Kili so I hope you enjoy reading him! (forewarning, writing Elrond is a guilty habit and there will be more of him, as well as Thorin and Bilbo and all the others. This chapter is very Kili-centric. For that I apologize, there will be development coming soon)

And as a note to several of my reviewers (by the way thank you for all your support! It you kids that made me reconsider posting this as a one shot and decided to continue it so thanks!) I am not sure yet whether I'll be following book or movie verse, and likely it'll be both as I'm very familiar with the book and may accidentally find myself mentioning events or characters from it, though I'll try and stick with movie canon for now.

(Someone also asked if this was going to become slash at any point. Whether this is good news or not, I plan to keep this as platonic love.)

Long winded Author's Note is over!

Chapter 2

Kili had never really been far past the great walls of Imladris, the elven city being his home ever since he could remember. Elrond wasn't fond of his charges wandering too far away from Rivendell, and with his elven brothers coming and going and causing his uncle never ending stress Kili often found himself staying at his uncle's side or somewhere exploring the city. Only on rare occasion did he join the others in a hunt in the woods, choosing instead to hone his skills in the archery range. And even when he did go out, he often had to ride with another Elf for the elven horses of Imladris were too large for him to safely ride alone. Kili had never seen what lay past the forests surrounding the white city.

Because of this, Kili couldn't help but stare in wonder at the things around him, and gazed at the Misty Mountains that they were fast approaching. He had only seen them in the distance, though he had heard that beyond them is the kingdom of Mirkwood, a place he had met Elves hailing from on multiple occasions, and that he had traversed this mountain range as a young babe. Whenever he had brought this up to Elrond, however, the elder Elf had brushed him off, always promising later, Kili.

They had only been away from Rivendell for a few days and already Kili found himself homesick. He strayed constantly towards the back of the company, always wondering if he had made the right decision in leaving his home. He had these doubts, but there were things that banished them to the back of his mind. The other night he had shot fowl that the rest of the company wouldn't have been able to get to otherwise, his green and yellow feathered arrows sticking through the birds' throats.

Fili was a light in this situation, though they rarely had time to talk together as the older Dwarf was further to the front of the company, constantly discussing something or another with the Lord Thorin and at nights Kili found himself far too exhausted, his feet aching and muscles burning, to stay up later than the time it took to partake in a small conversation with his half brother.

Although, he knew, it wasn't his right to demand the Dwarves' attentions. Tugging his hood closer to his head, Kili subconsciously touched his fingertips to the ends of his ears, feeling the graceful points. Looking up, Kili saw that the Hobbit, Bilbo, was looking at him curiously and Kili's face burned in shame as he put his hands back to his sides. Bilbo merely tilted his head and offered a small smile before returning his attention elsewhere.

"Kili, is it?" A voice called from his side and Kili looked over, pulling his hood back slightly to examine the Dwarf that walked next to him. "Bofur." The other supplied and Kili nodded. Elrond had taught him well in methods of remembering information once it was learned, and he was already well acquainted with the Dwarves' names and faces.

"Hello." Kili said back, quietly, though he was glad for someone to take his mind off of his thoughts.

Bofur grinned from underneath his crooked hat that matched so well with his facial hair. Not for the first time Kili wondered what it was like to grow a beard, as his own had never sprouted a hair in his life.

"You seem troubled." Bofur jumped in and Kili shook his head, giving a soft huff of laughter.

"I am not troubled, Bofur." The company, mostly Bilbo and Fili, had quickly broken Kili of his habit of calling the others with 'Master' or 'Lord', save Thorin. He felt as though he was disrespectful whenever he did, though, and he wrote it off as Elvish habits dying hard. "I am merely enraptured with the forest. I rarely venture beyond Imla- Rivendell." He corrected from the Elvish name to that of the grey tongue. Kili often found himself muttering Elvish when he was wrapped up in examining something or tripping over a hidden hole in the ground or as he rolled around in his sleep. It was something that had the Dwarves constantly looking over their shoulders to check on him.

"You don't leave often? I was under the impression that all Elves loved being in the forest."

Shrugging, Kili said, "I am different." He offered nothing else up at the moment and Bofur seemed content to just walk beside him in companionable silence. Finally, Kili let out a sigh and began, "It seems as though I retain the lesser traits of both races." This was something he hadn't even discussed with Fili, and found himself surprised that he offered it up to Bofur, a Dwarf whom he had only known less than a week.

"You are handy with bow. And language, it seems. You have keen eyesight, what with the fowl you caught us the other night."

"Those are skills you gain." Kili said, "As for my eyesight, it is merely knowing where to look. I cannot feel the joy the other Elves speak of when they listen to nature. I do not feel pleasure or take delight in exploring dark caverns, though my curiosity compels me to do so. It is difficult growing up as a Dwarf amongst the Fair Folk."

Bofur snorted, "You see? You call yourself a Dwarf!"

"I feel more at home now than I have." Kili admitted. "It is difficult, when I do not have the skills my brothers and sister do."

"You have siblings in the Elven city?" Bofur asked, interested.

Kili nodded, "I suppose. They are Elrond's children, I suppose they are my cousins. The twins, Elrohir and Elladan. Arwen. And Estel." He whispered the last name, as though it was a wonder.

Bofur merely contemplated what Kili had said for a long moment, "I see how it would be difficult growing up around. There are not those who are closer to you in stature and strength?"

"Strength of what, Bofur?" Kili asked.

"Strength of heart." Bofur replied simply and Kili felt something in his chest ache, finding himself looking back to the Misty Mountains that loomed above them.

"Elrond is kind and noble. There are others who he has… taken under into his household under his care."

Bofur looked surprised at that, "Others like you?"

Shaking his head, Kili said, "No. Elrond himself is…" He paused, unsure if he was at liberty to discuss his Uncle's own mixed heritage. "Elrond is understanding." Kili then shook his head as if dispelling some bad thought and Bofur nodded.

"And this one is unlike you? What is of him? He is not an orc is he?" Bofur whispered conspiratorially.

"Why is it of any matter?" Kili snapped and Bofur raised an eyebrow.

"It is like an Elf to be wary of a Dwarf's questions!" Bofur exclaimed and when Kili froze up and began to stutter out a response Bofur merely laughed and slapped him on the back, "I am jesting with you, Kili. I have a large nose, it is true, but I am not one to go sticking it in other's business."

Kili sighed, relieved that Bofur had reached out in the first place, "I am worried that I am causing Lord Thorin undue trouble. I did not come along with the desire to harden his journey. Or anyone's."

"You are referring to your brother, Fili."

"Half brother." Kili corrected, almost reluctantly.

Bofur waved him off, "It is of no matter of Dwarves, half brothers or quarter sisters." At that he fell silent for a few long moments; both Dwarves pausing in conversation to heft themselves over some fallen trees in the woods, following after the rest of the company. "Thorin is distrustful, but for good reason. He has faced many difficulties in his life. You cannot hold his grudge against yourself personally. He is a good Dwarf. A good King." Bofur said resolutely, looking forward to the head of their group, where Thorin was lending an arm to help Bilbo over a tangle of roots. Fili followed closely after. "He is your uncle, you know."

"I am not his nephew. I am Fili's brother, and nothing more." Kili said softly and Bofur looked at him with sad eyes. Kili felt that he couldn't look away from the back of his brother's head where he marched near Thorin.

The blonde Dwarf turned as if knowing Kili was looking and caught his eyes, smiling wide beneath his full beard. Kili took a stuttering step before regaining his footing.

"He is a good lad, a trusting one, and family is of high importance to him. He has an open heart and he is truly happy to have found you, Kili. Give him time to make you realize this." Feeling a strong grip on his shoulder, Kili looked over to Bofur, who grinned, "Sometimes being Fili's brother is more than any Dwarf could ask for."

At that the other Dwarf went to join his relatives once more, leaving Kili to his thoughts.

/ / /

"Is this entirely necessary? It is as if you are babysitting me. I have not needed this kind of supervision since I was a Dwarfling!" Fili said to Thorin as the two of them carved a path for the company behind them. The forest was not deep nor was it hard to traverse so Fili had been wary when Thorin had called him to the front to help him navigate. "You are being quite spiteful, uncle, to someone who has done you no wrong."

"This is not about the Elf."

"He is my brother. And he has a name." Fili snapped and Thorin gave him a dangerous look, though by the slump of his shoulders Fili could tell that the elder Dwarf was tired of rehashing this argument with his nephew. Clearly, neither were willing to budge on the subject. To Fili, he believed his uncle was running himself ragged with the heavy weight of the journey on his shoulders mixed with his concern for their Burglar, annoyance with Gandalf, and recent encounter with the Elves. Fili worried, though he would never speak of this so that Thorin could hear.

"This is not about Kili." Thorin said again and Fili made a disbelieving snort, "It is about having an Elf with us. It is not against him personally. Though why you find yourself needing to be in his constant presence is not pleasing to me."

Making an annoyed grunt, Fili flexed his hands into fists in frustration, "If you would let yourself just see, uncle, that he is of our blood then you would be as anxious to get to know him as I. You may not think so, but he is my kin and he is what I have been missing. It is as if the spark of the smith had not been fully lit inside of me until I saw my blood brother."

Thorin heaved a great sigh, "Just because he is of ours does not excuse the silver leadened blood of his father's race that flows through his veins."

Fili shook his head. His uncle was not as cold as he had been after they begun this leg of the journey, and he wondered if Thorin was merely trying to keep himself from feeling more emotion than distrust against Kili.

"Is that why you have me by your side rather than walking with him?" Fili hissed and Thorin shot him a look that confirmed his suspicions.

"If something does happen I do not want you to get hurt."

"And what would you propose happen?"

Thorin merely grunted and seemed as though he wished to respond but Bilbo was suddenly at their side, out of breath from clambering over the terrain and practically tripping over something and Thorin instinctively reached out to steady the Hobbit. "Thorin." He said in greeting. Fili shot his uncle a look before taking a step back to allow the Hobbit to speak to the Dwarf Lord.

As he stepped back slightly Fili felt a tingling at the back of his head and he turned quickly, suddenly finding himself locking gazes with Kili, who walked near the back. Next to him was Bofur and Fili looked over when he saw Bofur grip his brother's shoulder and speak to him. Kili held their gaze for a moment longer before breaking it and giving his attention back to Bofur.

Fili frowned, though it was merely in thought. Kili was clearly an asset to their group, with his archery skills and knowledge that they didn't have, and yet none of them seemed intent on getting to know him beyond his abilities. Fili found great pleasure in listening to his brother mumble in the Elvish tongue and found himself constantly looking at the feathered tufts that stood out of his quiver, and always looking for opportunities to invite Kili to share for of Rivendell.

Fili felt as though there was something in the half-Dwarf that kept his true heart from shining in his eyes, the fire that burned within each Dwarf. Though he had no idea how, Fili wondered at what it would take to ignite the flame he so desperately knew resided within a son of Dis.

/ / /

"What did you speak of with Bofur while traveling today?" Fili sat himself down next to the right of Kili's bedroll. It had become his spot in the past few nights and Kili found himself wondering how he had managed to sleep without the presence of the other Dwarf at his side for so many years.

"It is nothing." Kili said, though not coldly. He wasn't sure he was willing to talk about his failings as both an Elf and a Dwarf with someone he wanted so badly to accept him.

Rolling blue eyes, Fili groaned as he shook out his bedroll, "You are not keeping secrets from me so early in our relationship, brother?"

Kili felt his heart flutter with familial warmth at the word and he fought to keep the feeling from showing on his face, "Would it not be the other way around? That I should be keeping secrets from you? Maybe I do not know you at all." Kili said seriously, though Fili saw the way his lips twitched upward.

"Oh?' Fili asked, raising an eyebrow, "What else do you hide from me, then, Kili? Perhaps you hide that you are actually part Halfling? Or! Are you maybe a woman? With that naked face I cannot be too sure!" He laughed and Kili blushed bright red.

"And if I were, this would give me good reason to not tell you!" Kili shoved at Fili's shoulder and the older Dwarf let himself be pushed over, laying back on his bedroll. Kili followed suit and looked up at the roof of tree branches above them. Much of their journey had been on the outskirts of the forest but they had to cut in to get to the path that ran through the Misty Mountains. While Kili missed the stars above him he also knew that he would miss the dark earthy smell of the woods as soon as they stepped into the range of the Misty Mountains.

"I am glad you've come." Fili said suddenly and Kili jumped, snapping his head sideways to look at the other.

"Really?" He winced when he couldn't keep the genuine surprise from his voice.

Turning back to his brother, Fili examined him, "What, you did not think so? It is a great gift of Durin that you are here, as my brother."

"You spend much of your time up at the front of the company with Thorin, do you not? What impression am I supposed to get?" Kili resisted the serious urge to pout like a child as he sat up.

Fili looked at him and broke into a grin as he also pulled himself into a sitting position, reaching out and pinching one of Kili's cheeks and laughing when Kili went to retaliate by making a grab at Fili's beard. Holding Kili's arms at bay with an iron grip around his wrists, Fili shook his head, "You misunderstand, brother." That feeling bloomed in Kili's chest again. "I am merely trying to calm the storm that is my uncle when he is displeased. He is much like a Dwarfling in that sense."

Kili felt his blood run cold. "I am the cause of this anger?" He whispered, voice barely audible over the sounds of the forest at night and the deep snoring of the company.

Fili seemed to catch the mistake of what he said and quickly shook his head, "Of course not." he released Kili's arms and Kili slowly drew them back to rest in his lap, fiddling with the tie to one of his boots, "Thorin is always angry, you should know. He is contemplating our future path. It is troubling to him."

"You lie." Kili said, turning his nose up in the air.

"Do I?"

"Yes. You lie. How do you expect me to lay my greatest secrets with you if you lie this easily to me?" Kili asked, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

Fili seemed delighted at this instead of defensive like Kili would have expected him to be, "Ah, then Kili. I will tell you that he is cautious of your presence. But quickly warming up, those wild birds you shot yesterday sat well in his stomach and a Dwarf is hard pressed to be irritable on a full stomach. Though your Elvish muttering do give him endless concern."

"My Elvish mutterings?" Kili asked, sounding affronted, "The tongue of Elves is not a muttering!"

Chuckling, Fili shrugged, "I know not of the language. I will take your word for it."

"It is a beautiful language." Kili pressed.

Fili looked thoughtful before asking, "Then you will have to show me."

"Show you?" Kili asked, "As in teach you the language? There is not enough time for that."

"Then just a few words." Fili urged and his eyes lit up when Kili grinned back after a moment of contemplation.

"Lá," he said at last, "I will. What is it you wish to know?"

"Anything. A word. A word you would teach… that you would teach a child."

Kili thought for a second before chuckling to himself, "In your situation, I would ask pedil edhellen? And you respond with Ú-bedin edhellen."

"What does it mean?" Fili asked.

"Say it first. That is how you learn, Fili."

Fili looked frustrated but then managed to say, "Ú-bedin edhellen" with what seemed like great difficulty, the words sounding like they were being spoken around rocks in Fili's mouth. Kili snorted in amusement. "What did you have me say?" Fili demanded, though in jest.

Between bursts of laughter, Kili said, "I asked if you spoke Elvish, and you responded that you did not."

Fili gave him a very unimpressed glare, "That is not funny, it is merely fact."

"It amuses me, as does your pronunciation. You should see your face when you speak the Elvish tongue, it is as if you ate something bitter!" Kili snickered and winced when Fili batted him on the side of the head, fingers brushing Kili's pointed ears. Kili inhaled sharply and jerked his head back, not wanting Fili to acknowledge the appendages. Fili, confused and having quickly growing concern reached forward again.

"Daro." Kili held a hand up and Fili paused, unsure. "Stop." Kili said and Fili nodded, "I apologize. I'm just…"

"Are your ears sensitive?" Fili asked suddenly, "If so I did not mean to hit them. You don't need to apologize for my folly."

Kili shook his head, "They are… well, they are sensitive, yes. But I do not feel as though they belong in a company of Dwarves." Kili found it strange to talk as if his ears were a separate entity from his body and he smiled ruefully at that.

"They are a part of you, Kili." Fili insisted, "Do not be ashamed of them. I am hard pressed not to ask more of your Elvish heritage, as I want to tell you more of the Dwarves. We just have not had the time. There is much I want to know."

"And much I wish to tell you and hear." Kili said and looked up at his brother. "It's fine. Goheno nin."

"Goheno nin." Fili tried and Kili nodded. "I am sorry?" Fili guessed and Kili nodded again. "I will not further press the issue, then."

"Agoreg vae." Kili said quietly, using the term for a familiar spoken conversation rather than the reverential he had used earlier. "You did well," he translated himself, "It is late… I will teach you more tomorrow if you want. I suppose you should not speak aloud those words amongst the others?"

"That is all you wish to teach tonight? I hardly learned a thing!" Fili laughed again, and Kili found himself quickly becoming accustomed to the sound. "But I will take you up on your offer. As a matter of fact, when Thorin calls me to the front of the company again perhaps I will respond to him in Elvish and have him send me to the back! Then at least I will be able to converse with you." He said, still laughing, and Kili found himself joining in. "How is it you say good morning so that I may greet him?"

Kili's face felt like it would crack with the strength of his smile, "Mara tuilë."

"Mara tuilë." Fili mimicked and the two collapsed into a laughing fit.

"Aye! Will you two stop giggling like a couple of Dwarf maidens?" One of the Dwarves called, Kili not yet recognized with the voice to distinguish who. Fili offered no name but merely promised that they would.

"Thank you." Fili said and Kili grinned.

"Hantalë'." Kili taught. "And mae nathlam."

"Thank you and good night?" Fili guessed.

"Thank you and you're welcome." Kili corrected and grinned, getting a soft cuff from Fili, this time on the shoulder.

"It is dû vaer." Kili said quietly as he rubbed the spot Fili had punched.

"Dû vaer." Fili tested it and Kili shrugged and smiled. "Good night." He said in grey tongue and Kili nodded, turning over in his bed roll and listening as Fili fell asleep beside him.

The Elvish I had Kili speaking was Quenya, rather than Sindarin. Quenya was spoken by the Noldor, an older group of Elves. Quenya is much less changeable than Sindarin and for that reason it is easier to translate just one phrase and I am much more comfortable with it (for example, I had Kili use the Quenya 'hantalë' rather and 'le hannon/ hannon le' as many are more familiar with). Hope this doesn't upset anybody!