You’re leaving soon, your parents preparing to head back to Rivendell after their stay in Erebor to settle matters with Thorin. It’s been months since they arrived, and in that time, Fili and you have become inseparable.

Fili shifts slightly, looking at you with an intensity that’s new. “I’ve been thinking,” he starts, his voice quieter than usual. “We’ve had so much time together… and I didn’t—well, I didn’t realize until now...If only I knew you felt the same way about me...” His words are hesitant, but there’s a warmth in his gaze, a soft vulnerability that you haven’t seen before.

He pauses, then lets out a small sigh. “I guess I just didn’t think… maybe I was afraid of what could’ve been, but now that you’re leaving… I wish I’d known sooner...”

The moment hangs between you two, filled with everything left unsaid, both of you realizing the truth at the same time. The connection you share is undeniable, but it might be too late. Still, the quiet ache in Fili’s voice suggests that he would’ve wanted things to be different, that he would’ve taken the chance if he’d known how you felt sooner.