Guarding Your Heart

Chapter 1

Fíli switched the keys of his motorbike and turned off the engine. He took off his helmet with a sigh and stared at the concrete building in front of him.

He didn't think he would be back so soon.

It hadn't even been thirty minutes since he'd stepped off the plane from his latest assignment, when his Uncle Thorin called and demanded his presence at the office. Fíli had asked for some time to unpack or at least change his clothes for Christ's sake, but Thorin had been very adamant. He was needed at headquarters as soon as possible.

When he crossed the street towards the entrance he noticed Thorin looming in the window on the first floor, obviously awaiting his arrival.

Fíli frowned. What on earth could be so bloody important?

His younger brother Kíli was too busy chatting up the new receptionist to notice him as he strode through the entrance. Fíli shook his head, some things really didn't change.

The receptionist was batting her eyelashes at Kíli, and Fíli immediately recognized the dreamy look in her eyes. Why Thorin kept hiring these pretty girls with empty heads who didn't know which side of the earth the sun came up on, he would never understand. They never stayed for long and paid more attention to the state of their nails than whoever came through the sliding doors. And they always, without fail, became infatuated with either him or his brother.

To give the girl credit for falling over her words anytime she was graced by their presence, both Durin brothers were a sight for sore eyes.

Their time in the military had served them well, leaving them with toned, muscular bodies. The first thing they did when they left the forces was grow out their hair and beards, but nothing more than a couple of days worth of stubble.
Besides that, Fíli and Kíli couldn't look more different. They were day and night, light and dark, contrasting each other in a complimentary way.

While Kíli took pride in his appearance by paying a lot of attention to his dark curls and clothes, and enjoying taking full advantage of his good looks, Fíli couldn't care less. He did his daily workouts to stay in shape and combed some gel in his dirty blond hair every morning to keep it out of his eyes, but that was about it. Everything else about him still screamed 'army'.

When Fíli walked towards the front desk, he heard his brother deliver a few of the cheesiest lines in the book. He definitely had to put a stop to this, after all, it was his duty as his older brother to stop him from embarrassing himself too much. Fíli watched as Kíli ran his hand through his perfect curls, and knowing how much time he took in the morning to make his hair look just right, Fíli couldn't resist the opportunity of messing it up.

"Don't fall for it, love, this one here has serious commitment issues," he said, ruffling his brother's hair. Kíli yelped and tried to smack his chest, but Fíli was quicker and easily dodged his arm. Kíli's face fell in alarm, surprised that his brother officially cock-blocked him.

"Fíli!" the receptionist gasped when she spotted him. "Mister Thorin is waiting for you in his office."

He nodded at her in confirmation and grabbed Kíli by the arm.

"I'm going to steal him too for a moment, if you don't mind?" Fíli gave her his crooked smile. He knew how to play them too, and it worked like a charm every time.

"Oh! N-no, not at all."

Fíli dragged his brother towards the elevator and pressed the button.

When the elevator doors started closing, Kíli waved at the girl but as soon as the doors were closed, he turned to his brother and gave him a shove.