#durins live!au

[verkomy]

thorin would call bilbo and frodo his sun and star

#bagginshield #thilbo #bilbo baggins #thorin oakenshield #frodo baggins #parentshield #durins #everyone lives au #the hobbit #lotr #tolkien #fanart #my art #verkomy #verkomy 2023 #clip studio paint

[fili-urzudel]

Porridge - Kíli Durin x Reader

Just a cute little winter themed drabble for our favorite little brother.

Warnings: mentions of broken bones, mentions of near-death, light crying, homesickness

Word Count: 0.6k

"Come in," the voice was muffled.

"How's my favorite—what in Aule's name," Kíli interrupted himself. Most likely because while he was expecting to find you on your bed, in your place was a very high pile of blankets, covering from the foot to the headboard.

"Shove it," the blanket pile groaned.

"What, are you hiding your shame?" Kíli chuckled, drawing closer and probing a corner of the bed before sitting down.

"No!" You exclaimed, finally throwing off the layers of blankets. "I—help me up, please," you muttered, and he obliged before you continued. "I have nothing to be ashamed of, that cliff was steep and I blame you for thinking it was a good idea to climb it—"

"When you said you adored goats, I assumed that meant you had some degree of their skill," Kíli smirked.

"—and I happen to be hiding from the cold because your mountain is bloody freezing," you finished with a dramatic pout.

"It's a mountain. In winter. Honestly, khebabmudtu, what were you expecting?" He teased, having found his way to the head of the bed and leaning his head against his hand, his elbow propped on the headboard.

He felt himself freeze when he noticed tears welling in your eyes.

"Hey," he said, voice softer. "What's wrong?"

"It's never this cold back home," you whimpered. "And no one here makes porridge the way Ma made it, and I can't make it myself because of my daft ankle, and I—I just..." you sighed, breaking off. "I miss home but I want to stay here, too."

Kíli frowned. He had seen you upset, sure, and he had seen you heartbroken—sure as Mahal when you thought he was dead—and he had more than definitely seen you angry. But he had never seen you distressed over something that even you would consider trivial.

"You mind?" he asked, already lifting the stack of the blanket corners to slide into the generous bed with you. You shook your head quickly.

"I'm not sure that it counts for much, but I understand," he said slowly. "I spent most of my life in Ered Luin, and I still feel a little homesick for it sometimes. I can't imagine what a big difference it is from the Southlands. But I'm glad you chose to stay here."

"God only knows why," you sniffled.

"Well, I was hoping for me," Kíli smiled, and you rolled your eyes. "But seriously, khebabmudtu, we all love having you here. Anything that can help make you stay, I'll do it."

You gave a grin-grimace. "Thanks, Kí," you said, and leaned into his side, much to his surprise. He was all too happy to wrap an arm around your shoulders to keep you there. "What does that word mean?"

He hesitated for a moment. "What word?"

"Khebabmudtu," you said, stumbling a bit over the consonants.

"Heart forge," he whispered, and when you looked up at him, confused, he knew he had to say it louder. "It means heart-forge. The forge where my heart is made."

"Hmm," you hummed shortly, snuggling into his ribs. "I bet you say that to all your lady friends."

He wanted to laugh. He couldn't believe you still didn't believe that he was the ugly brother. "No," he replied simply instead. "Just you."

Just you.

You liked the sound of that.

#lotr fanfic #lotr #the hobbit #lotr fandom #lotr headcanons #the hobbit headcanons #the hobbit x reader #kili x reader #kíli x reader #kili durin x reader #kíli durin x reader #kili x reader oneshot #kíli x reader oneshot #kíli x reader drabble #kili x reader drabble #kili fanfic #kili durin #fili and kili #everyone lives au #the hobbit everyone lives au

[spotsupstuff]

Is notos' jaw practical aside for religious reasons?

that thang doesn't even allow it to cleanly expresses in that minimal way its siblings can </3 not that it Would express Much even if it could, but still. the impracticality is why it threw a bedsheet over that puppet and left it to just lie in the chamber the moment its citizens ascended (since the puppet is specifically there for interaction with Ancients and such, with them gone the Whole thing became useless according to Notos)

the only good thing about the jaws is the spooky factor. Notos likes the spooky factor

#Spot says stuff #rw #oc tag #Notos is scary in both a serious way and a silly way n i fuckin love it so much #durin the revolution it functions as a fuckin Enforcer. it uses nasty tactics to keep people who dont respect the Mission Self-preservation #-in line for the sake of everyone else. you get contacted by Biting Notos you know you did smth wrong. but ALSO its a kid in a bedsheet. #in a 'everyone lives together in an apartment' au Notos would do shit like stand in a long dark hallway with its head hung down just for- #-the sake of its enjoyment out of making other peoples hearts jump JGSDJLKSDJLK euros n fish get got most often

[ahobbitinerebor]

Pre Game Plot

As this game is technically an everyone lives AU, here is a simply story to help you understand what happened to get us here!

Warning: a small amount of fantasy war.

...

Thorin fell to the icy ground with a grunt, the pale orc bringing his blade down from above him aimed at his chest. His reaction was that of instinct and the clang of steel hitting steel filled the air as the dwarven king used the last of his strength to hold back the foul creatures attack with Orcrist. His arms shook and his body burned but the vision of a honey curled hobbit stood in the back of his mind, forcing him to keep going, to survive. Though as the snow began to fall around them and his dwarven strength weakened, his will was slowly crumbling down to the earth with it. He could hear Dwalin somewhere in the battle behind him and the sharp voice of his hobbit a few levels down the narrow cliffs, but alone he stood against his enemy. Or so he thought.

The arrow hit before its whistle met Thorin’s ears, the sharp steel imbedding itself into the orcs flesh. The beast stumbled, its focus lost and not gained quick enough to dodge the glittering steel that cut through its throat. Thorin’s vision was blinded with the splatter of black blood as the beast’s head come off only returning to the sight of a pair of two worried eyes watching him from above. One a deep hazel, the other bluer that the depth of the ocean.

“Fili? Kili?” he questioned with a quiver in his voice.

The young dwarrow only grinned in return, bringing their uncle towards them in a desperate embrace.

And just like that, the battle was won.

The orcs fled, the races of men and elf were met with honor and aid for their allyship, the dwarves retuned to the mountain, and soon things began to heal. Soldiers healed their wounds and minds. Food healed hungry bellies. The mountain healed her stone and hallways. All things seemed well in the world once again. All things but one. The charcoaled earth that surrounded the mighty dwarven mountain, scorched by the hatred and hunger of the fire drake refused to bear life once more. Thorin took note of the way his husband’s eyes would skim over the lifeless dirt with anguish (and how the distributions of food grew smaller with each delivery, Erebor’s and Dale’s dependency on the elves supplies slowly wearing thin) and an idea began to form in his mind. So when Bilbo returned to the shire to collect what belongings he deemed worthy of bringing back to the Lonely Mountain, the small hobbit returned with not only a crate of old toby he had lost in a bet with Nori, but with three other hobbits, all wide eyed and open to wondrous possibilities. Though he had asked for three dozen, only three were willing to leave the cozy life of the Shire to help regrow the life around Erebor. But three would be enough, for Thorin had long ago learnt you should never underestimate a hobbit.

#ahobbitinerebor #thehobbitau #everyone lives au #everyone lives/nobody dies #thorin oakenshield #thorin x bilbo #baggensheild #fili #fili durin #kili #kili durin #the hobbit botfa #botfa #fix it fic #fix it au

[lucky-peenut]

Recently been obsessed with Durin’s Garage, and that little photo they talk about on the cork board gives me such good feels I had to draw it! Thanks @laurfilijames for putting up with all my questions 💛

#fili #kili #thorin #the hobbit #modern au #Durins garage lives rent free in my mind #I hope all the writers who took part in it know how talented and amazing they are #lucky draws

[ruthoakenshield]

Thorin, Fili, Emma and the Unusual Arrangement - Part 20

[Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19]

The battle rages outside for a day and a half before Azog and Bolg are slain on the battlefield. Thorin’s and Fili’s armor having shattering both foe’s weapons, leaving them defenseless. They both stand on the battlefield seeing the Orcs and Trolls littering the field and they both sigh. Kili comes up and joins them as does Bilbo and Dwalin. “How is it you three survived some of those blows?” Dwalin and Bilbo ask.

Thorin grins and looks at his Nephews. They both grin mischievously and nod. They all open their tunics and reveal the Dragon’s Scale armor with their runes on them in gold and the two obsidian Ravens of Erebor each flanking the Dwarrow’s runes on the front of each breastplate. Dwalin’s eyes open wide as does Bilbo’s.

“That’s not what I think it is, is it?” Bilbo asks.

Thorin smirks. “And what do you think they are, Bilbo?” Thorin asks.

Bilbo comes up closer and pulls aside Thorin’s tunic more. Seeing the red tinge around the edges of the scales. “That’s Smaug’s Chest Scales!!!!!!” he shrieks, jumping back in fright.

Thorin just laughs and Fili and Kili chuckle.

“But how?!?! How did you get Dragon Scale armor!!!” Bilbo asks in shock.

“Em claimed eight scales of Smaug’s belly armor apparently, after Smaug was slain. Mahal collected them and made these for us. They are the actual scales she touched when she ‘tickled’ him with her hand before circling the missing scale that Girion DID loosen and it fell off, leaving a gap. This gap Em widened with the Ice Drake’s claw, allowing Bard to see it from the windlance quite clearly and it allowed him to take the shot with the LAST remaining Black arrow in existence before the windlance fell and burned.” Thorin tells them.

“By my beard!” Dwalin exclaims in awe coming over to examine it.

Thorin chuckles. “Now, have the survivors start to pile and burn the carcasses of the dead Orcs, Werebats, and Goblins, so the stench isn’t as bad come spring. Dump the ashes to the East of the mountain in the Wereworms’ tunnels, so they do not foul the drinking water and the runoff will wash it away from the lake.” Thorin orders.

“Fili and I have some matters to attend to and need to get cleaned up.” He says. “Kili, you’re in charge till we finish and come find you. Have Balin and Dwalin help you if you need it for anything.” Thorin tells his youngest Nephew.

Kili groans and rubs his face as Dwalin smirks and nods.

They head out and Kili helps Dwalin start to pile Orc, Goblin, Werebat, and Troll carcasses. The dead Dwarrow they lie along the path to the mountain, so the carts can collect the bodies and prepare them for burial in Erebor’s vaults. The bodies of the Elves they let Thranduril’s surviving Elves deal with, and the bodies of the Humans, they load into carts and bring back to Dale for their survivors to bury as they see fit.

For the next two days everyone works to clear the battlefield and Dale of dead Orc, Goblin, Werebats, and Troll filth and the inhabitants buried their dead.

Thorin and Fili spent some much-needed time just being intimate with you and being together joining as One. They are surprised to find that you now have the seven stars of Durin on your forehead in a mithril tattoo.

You explain how you got them, and they grin. They spend most of the two days making love to you sometimes together, other times taking you one at a time while you pleasure the other with your mouth or hand.

You moan in pleasure feeling them both fill you at the same time. You tell Fili he is going to be an Adad and he looks at you and then at Thorin with glassy eyes and a shocked expression, then he looks down at your belly and gently caresses it. “So soon?!?” he asks.

You chuckle and nod. “It’ll take me about two years, Love, to grow this one for you, Sweetheart. Do not worry. You have time. Erebor will be rebuilt, and everyone will be home by then.” You say as you caress his face.

Fili just looks at you in awe. Then wraps you in a tight hug. “Thank you, Em.” He says and peppers your face with kisses. Then peppers your belly with caresses and kisses and he greets his child for the first time, promising the pebble he will take good care of it.”

You chuckle and Thorin beams happily. You wish you could tell him you also carry his Daughter, but Mahal told you not to, plus you know he wants it to be a surprise and you can hardly wait, and look forward to seeing the look on Thorin’s face when Oin hands him his dark haired, blue eyed little girl that he always wanted.

~~~~~

After the battlefield, the mountain, and Dale are cleared of dead bodies, each community has their own funerals for their dead. Dain and his surviving Dwarrow join Thorin, you and the Company in burying the Dwarves in the mountain in two special, large chambers that were quickly hewn by Dain’s Dwarrow to house all the bodies. Commemorative tombstones were placed next to the openings saying:

*****************************************************************************************

Here lies the fallen Dwarrow of The Battle of the Five Armies – November 25-26, 2942TA. May they rest in peace having fought a brave battle to defend this mountain.

****************************************************************************************

Here lies the fallen Dwarrow from the Sacking of Erebor by Smaug the Fire Drake, the last Dragon of Middle Earth. - August 2770

*****************************************************************************************

Then it lists every Dwarf’s name in the order they were lain front to back, left to right. The exception being the Royal Family members who had perished in the mountain, Thorin’s Mother and Grandmother, and Fundin’s Wife, were laid to rest in the Royal Vault. The Dwarves mourned the loss with feasting and telling tales of the fallen.

Before the feast, Gandalf lifts the curse on the treasure of Erebor. Thorin gives Bilbo what he wanted of his 1/14 share of the treasure, and then Bilbo and Gandalf head out to make their way back to the Shire. The Company meets them at the Main Gates with you and you all bid them goodbye with hugs and well wishes.

Bilbo gives an open invitation for you all to come visit whenever you liked. He reminds you all that tea is at 4 p.m. and there’s plenty of it, and to not bother knocking, to just come in and make themselves at home.

You all chuckle, nod, and wave as he carries the small chest of gold and gems that Thorin had given him and he wore the mithril shirt Thorin had gifted him as well, prior to the battle.

“Thorin, give the rest of my share to the people of Dale/Laketown to help them rebuild. What you’ve given me is more than enough for me to live a good and comfortable long life on.” Bilbo tells him.

“As you wish, Bilbo. Safe travels. Let us know when you reach your home safely. I am sorry it has taken us so long to get you back to it. Do not forget to plant your acorn. If you pass where the troll’s hoard is, dig up the small chest of gold Gloin buried and take that and whatever treasures are still salvageable that you desire from the hoard with our blessing.” He reminds Bilbo with a grin.

Bilbo chuckles and nods, patting the two pockets where the acorn and the ring both sat securely, each in their own pocket. Gandalf helps Bilbo up onto his horse and then climbs up and they are off.

You sigh and rub your belly contentedly. Thorin and Fili hadn’t told the Company yet of your pregnancy, waiting till things settled down, but Oin saw what you were doing and suspected you had conceived. He quietly approached Thorin as the Company turns and begins to leave.

“Thorin, is Em pregnant?” he asks in almost a whisper.

Thorin grins and nods. “It is Fili’s, do not worry, Oin. She conceived when she and Fili were confined to Mahal’s cavern while we dealt with looking for the Arkenstone and the battle.” He explains in a low murmur.

“Once I had recovered from the Dragon’s Gold Sickness, I went to the cave to apologize to Mahal and ask for his guidance and wisdom and found Fili there with Em. Mahal explained things, and gave us the armor. He sent Fili to bring Kili his armor and granted me time to join with Em as well. But she was already pregnant with Fili’s heir by then.” He explains.

Oin nods. “Would you mind if I examine her and monitor the pregnancy. Especially since this is her first and SUCH an important treasure she carries.” He inquires.

Thorin nods. “Do not tell anyone though, we wish to wait to announce it.” He tells Oin.

Oin nods and they usher you to the Healing Halls and into a side room. Oin examines you and grins hearing the strong, fast little heartbeats. He looks up at Thorin and Fili. “Well, Mahal has certainly blessed you, Lass! You are carrying TWO pebbles!” he informs you.

You grin and look at Fili. His jaw drops at the news and his eyes get all glassy. “TWO?!?!” he asks staggering back a few steps in shock.

Oin chuckles and nods.

“Oh Em!!!” Fili grins and kisses you all over your face, making you giggle. He looks up at Thorin who is chuckling and smiling. “I am happy for you, Nephew. Congrats!” he says.’

Fili is just beaming and asks excitedly, “When can we announce it?!?” he is bouncing on his toes excited and eager to share the news. You giggle as it reminds you of Kili.

Suddenly his eyes open wide in horror, and he freezes. A look of worry suddenly appearing on his face. “Uncle, how are we going to explain this to Amad?!?!” he squeaks in fright of the thought of her learning he got Thorin’s Wife pregnant.

Thorin laughs heartily. “Do not worry, Fili. I will write to her and explain things. We can include a letter from you informing her that Em is expecting two pebbles, if you wish, and that she will be a GrandAmad in about 2 years.” Thorin says calmly.

Fili’s beaming grin returns, and he is all giddy. “Amad’s gonna be SO happy to be a Grandmum!” he giggles with glee.

That night after the feasting, Thorin and Fili stand on the Dais and Thorin explains what Mahal has done with the three of you, then happily lets Fili announce the pregnancy and there is a cheer so loud the walls rattle and the floor shakes.

You giggle and blush a deep red. Everyone rejoices that their soon to be Queen is already blessed with twin pebbles.

(More chapters to come)

lost my tag list, so sorry. message me if you want to be tagged for this tale. there’s 9 chapters left now. 

#thorin #thorin durin #fili #fili durin #emma #the hobbit au #everyone lives/nobody dies #unusual arrangement #fluff and smut #fluff and romance #pregnancy #18+ only

[middleearthpixie]

2022 Fic Year in Review

Thank you for tagging me, @laurfilijames! I know I've been kind of MIA the last few weeks, so it's nice to be remembered. :)

This year ended on an utterly low note for me personally, with the loss of someone I loved very much, which is actually how I began 2022 as well. Hopefully, 2023 will be a much brighter, happier year in time.

Okay, now on to the good stuff...

Rules

post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular)

your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year

and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year!

So, if you're ready... time to look back one last time at my 2022 in fic-dom.

**

Five Works I'm Most Proud Of

1. Where I Belong Thorin x ofc Noelle James (modern NYC/DoS/BOTFA AU. This fic took the greatest toll on me as a writer, it drained me beyond belief but at the same time, I loved writing it. It's the only one of my stories that follows movie canon (the second half) and the first half was fun to write, since it brought Thorin into our modern world.

2. Seven Days Modern!Frerin x ofc Syd Prescott - This was the first non-RA character I've written for and I've loved writing it. I find I really enjoy writing Tolkien's characters in modern settings and I'm developing a real soft spot for Frerin. Never mind it gives me an excuse to stare at pics of Gerard Butler for inspiration and who is going to complain about THAT????

3. Damaged Goods Ray Levine x ofc Theo Bailey (Stay Close AU) - This was my first non-Tolkien fic, and I fixed what Harlan Coben (in my humble opinion) got wrong. Theo was also the first heroine who wasn't a young, virginal type. She was nearly 50 and dealing with all of the issues and insecurities that come with being a middle aged woman.

4. After the Fire Thorin x ofc Jasna Stoneham (Post- BOTFA AU Where Everybody Lives) - In this story, my heroine has a speech impediment—she stutters—and it's been interesting to watch her overcome that hurdle, as well as a lot of other ones, as she and Thorin slowly fall in love with one another. She learns to believe in herself as she sees others believing in her. Oh, and she saves Thorin's ass as well, so there's that...

5. Miss Fortune - Modern!Thorin x ofc Alex Prescott - This one was the precursor to Seven Days, and it's the first Tolkien-AU fic that I wrote with supernatural themes woven into it as well. It deals with loss, and love, and the idea of an afterlife and what happens after we die. Also, Thorin is an alcoholic who manages to recover with Alex's help as well. It's darker than any of my other stories, and sad in spots, but is also (I think) hopeful as well.

Top 4 Current WIPS

I really only have 2 WIPs looming on the horizon. I'm in grad school now and the spring semester starts up in just a little over two weeks, so my time will be at a premium. But I have great hopes of being able to work on these to some extent... if not, they're coming Summer, 2023. :)

Tougher Than the Rest - This is the follow up to Playing with Fire and is also a Frerin-centric story. In Playing, Frerin has found out his wife was cheating on him, and this is his story about what happens after that. Like Playing, it will be a lot more erotic than most of my other work, as Frerin meets a single mother who just might be his soul mate, as they find their way to each other. Both Frerin and Elena will enjoy the steamy journey they find themselves on...

2. Brilliant Disguise - I'm going back to Middle Earth with this. It was inspired by a short I did Christmas 2021, where a speech therapist (Sophie) and her daughter (Heather) come to Erebor, where Sophie has been hired to work with Bifur in regaining his speech following the dislodgement of the axe in his head. Neither Sophie nor Thorin are looking for romance—both have past tragedies that they've yet to move beyond—but neither one can resist the pull of the other, though. Throw in an interested Dwalin, a smitten Bifur, and a little girl with the gift of wrapping dwarves about her little finger and who knows what could happen?

I will, of course, be continuing with Seven Days and After the Fire, so I guess they count, though. :)

3 Biggest Improvements

This is a tough one - i think I've gotten better with pacing, and keeping my characters from being too perfect. I hope I've given them enough flaws to make them real. And I think I've gotten better at pacing, but I need to work on keeping my hero and heroine apart for the slow burn... Is that three? Ah... close enough...

2 Resolutions

I'm going to try to update as regularly as possible. As I said, I'm in grad school and taking a full course load, so I'm going to be lucky if I see daylight much this semester.

I'm also going to make sure I don't repeat myself. I don't want to write the same story over and over with just a different title. I also hope to write more Frerin, because he's fun to write. :)

1 Favorite Line

This is from After the Fire

"No more words passed between them and the sounds of the river, of the party, of the ravens gathered at Ravenhill and the thrushes in the trees, tucked in for the night all faded into the darkness as she surrendered once more to the magic of her husband." 

I'm pretty sure anyone I'd tag has already been tagged, so I'm not adding to the pressure. Instead, anyone who wants to share should feel free.

Happy 2023!

#Richard Armitage #The Hobbit #Thorin Oakenshield #Hobbit Fic #Hobbit Fanfic #Fan fiction #The Hobbit fan fiction #Thorin x OC #AU #Thorin Fic #Is it hot in here? #Romance #Everybody Lives AU #The Hobbit BOTFA #2022 fic year in review #Gerard Butler #Frerin Durin #WIPs #coming soon #new fics

[witchyhobbitess]

*Cookies and Crowns* edited

Sage just laughed as she passed the few dwarves already leaving for their midday meal out of the forges. They always teased her, asking if she had brought them anything to eat as well as the king. “Until you lot start ruling and smithing you will be on your own!” Sage called over her shoulder as she made her way over to Thorin’s work space.

“Any of that for us today Sage?’ Fili asked with a grin, tidying up his own space to meet Calanthia for lunch himself.

“Do I ever bring you an entire meal? No.” Grinning, she moved over to his space and handed him a small bundle of cookies. “I do always bring you treats though. Don’t let those spoil your meal or Calanthia will have my head!”

Fili kissed her cheek. “You are a wonderful friend, I’ll be sure to share with Calanthia and let her know you made them.”

Sage smiled at the elder prince. “Thank you.” Looking around she tried to spot Kili. “Did-“

“He left with Tauriel about a half hour ago.” Fili, knowing who she was looking for, finished the sentence for her. “She had a picnic in the woods planned for the afternoon.”

“Good!” Sage grinned conspiratorially at Fili. “Think he will finally ask her?” Handing him the spare bundle of cookies, she smiled as Fili began to walk toward Thorin with her.

“By the gods I hope so. If I have to hear him stress about one more gift or what if she doesn’t take him, I think I will go mad.” They laughed together as they walked further into the forges. “I wanted to ask Uncle what his thoughts are on a spring wedding for Calanthia and I. Do you think he will accept the idea?” Fili stopped and looked knowingly at Sage.

“Fili, you know I have no hold on that.”

Fili snorted. “Sage, you and Uncle are blind. You both love each other, just do something about it already!”

Now it was Sage’s turn to snort. “Young prince, do not make me kick your ass, again. Now, I will mention it to him for you if you’d like, get an idea on his thoughts before you ask him. Does that make you feel a little better?”

Fili grinned and kissed her cheek, “thank you Flower.” He teased. “We will see you at the family dinner tonight?” He asked, she always attended and helped his mother with these big company meals.

“I never miss it! Now, go see your fair maiden!” Chucking, she watched her close friend trot off to go meet her hobbit ‘sister’. Still smiling, Sage turned to finish her walk to Thorin and his work space. It was all too easy to spot the king pounding away at something. Thick ropes of muscle from all his years at the forges gleamed with sweat and dirt. He hardly ever forged with a shirt on-and she couldn’t blame him, these forges were sweltering! Good thing they were too, they kept the entire mountain nice and toasty. His long black hair was pulled back with an intricate silver clasp, only his braids framing his face swung free.

She watched as his face became more stern with his intensified focus, and smiled gently. Aye, his nephew was right, she loved the dwarf with all her heart, but the daughter of a god, part human and of very little dwarf blood would never be accepted by the people or the king. No, she would have to harbour her love in secret, and only be accepted within the mountain as she was. Smiling at the mere thought of being Thorin’s bride, she finished her walk to his space. “You know, my King. If you glare any harder at that piece, I think you could shape it with your frown alone.”

Thorin looked up to find the love of his life grinning at him, their usual lunch in the basket over her arm. “If only working steels like this was so easy, little one!” Chuckling, he placed his work aside and grabbed his shirt. “I take it you saw Fili and Kili since the spare bundles of cookies you always bring them are not on your basket.” Grinning at each other, Thorin guided her over the drawing table, forgetting the simple necklace design he was working on for her courting gift was right out in the open.

Setting down the basket, Sage noticed the sketch. “This is absolutely lovely.” Smiling, she lifted the parchment with two fingers to inspect it more closely. “Incredibly fine details, Thorin. And is that a rose cut emerald you plan to have in the centre? My, my! The dwarrowdamn that is to receive this will be a lucky lass indeed.” Smiling softly when she noticed he didn’t respond as he usually would, she encouraged him. “truly, Thorin, I think that will be some of the finest craftsmanship even I have ever seen. She would be a fool to reject such a gift and such a dwarf.”

Thorin swallowed thickly, this was only one of two gifts he intended to make for her-he had been shaping the other when she walked over to him. “You truly think so? You come from a place where jewelry is much more fragile. Your own necklace for example.” He indicated the thin silver chain and diamond white gold pendant that had traveled with her from her own world. “I would never be able to craft something so delicate with the tools we have here, and I remember you telling us how you prefer small things such as that.”

Smiling, she unpacked the sandwiches, wine, cups and treats. “Yes, but things have to change-just as my life has since coming here. And I think it is endearing that you are taking an idea from another culture and incorporating it as best you can into your own heartfelt piece of work. We may have been able to make exceptionally thin chains, but dwarves can carve what we would have to use machines for. Your skill far outmatches our own. Now, if I’m right-and when it comes to your days I usually am, since Balin and I plan them, you have been here pounding metal for four hours. Eat something before you disappear from lack of nourishment.”

Chuckling, Thorin tucked into his lunch. “Aye, you always do know how to feed a dwarf lass.”

“I would hope so. I have been helping to feed you for two years now.” She teased. “thorin, I was wondering-and don’t you dare tell Fili I said this!” Thorin laughed at her, Sage was always asking him questions for his nephews. “What do you think of a Spring wedding this year?”

“Aye? He wants to set a date for him and Calanthia?” He watched her intently as she smiled down at her vegetables, wondering where her thoughts were taking her.

“That he does. He knows if I ask and get an idea on what you think, he has a better chance of not getting yelled at or talked out of what he wants.” Sipping her wine, she smiled with her eyes over the rim of the glass.

Thorin sighed and rolled his own eyes at her pleading look. “He doesn’t get yelled at. I just mentioned that having a wedding while erabor was still being rebuilt was a bit daft.”

“I agree, it most certainly was-but you were about as delicate as a warg in a glass shop thorin.” Snickering, she patted his hand. “He forgave you though, and here we are-I am now a messenger for your nephews.”

“That you are, and you see me every day at lunch fr them as well.” Suddenly a thought hit thorin. “Do you not have anyone you would want to spend your free time with?”

“I do already, I spend it with you.” She teased back. “If I didn’t want to bring you lunch and spend time with you, I wouldn’t Thorin. Unless there is someone you would rather be spending your lunches with?”

“No!” THorin barked out, shocked she would think such a thing. “Durins beard Sage, no. If I am to be so bold, midday with you happens to be one of my favourite parts of the day-next to sleeping.”

“Good to know, King under the mountain. I am honoured to have you take such interest in such a humble woman.”

“Enough of your sass, small one.” He laughed. “Don’t tell me you gave all the cookies to my nephews either.”

Laughing loudly, Sage lifted the basted and pulled out two well wrapped stacks of cookies. “Have I ever let you down? Hmm?” Placing them on the table, she watched him eagerly open the first bundle.

“Icing?” He asked shocked. Azure blue eyes looking at her with wonder. “How did you manage such a feat? Did you not tell me it was an almost impossible task to make this here?” He inspected the two cookies placed together with a buttery coloured confection in the middle.

“I did. And then I thought of something new, tried it, it worked and now you are the first to get to experience it. I wanted to make them for a little bit of a celebration for tonights family dinner.” Sheepishly, she averted her eyes.

“You and your secrets.” He rumbled before biting into the sweet treat and humming in sheer delight.

#the hobbit #fili durin #fili and kili #new wip #hobbit oc #everyone lives au #hobbit au #everybody lives au #thorin x ofc #thorin #thorin oakenshield

[sunnys-day]

Siren's Song

I literally have no idea what this is. I was listening to Sea Shanties and instead of finishing one of the MANY WIPs I have, this popped into my head. I did google if middle earth has mermaids and found a blurb about an older story that mentioned 'foam maidens' and ran with it. I don't post a ton of my stories and this has not been betad but I'm oddly proud of it. It shows that I'm slowly coming out of my funk and that gives me hope. So enjoy this... whatever it is about a mermaid trying to figure out what is wrong with the land dwellers.

Word Count: 6697

Characters: Sereia (sir-rye-ah), Bard, Bard's kids, The dwarves

Setting: Erebor/Dale after BOFTA, AU where everyone lived.

Song at the end: Drunken Sailor (specifically the one by the Irish Rovers)

TW: Mention of the battle and bloodshed, mention of mermaids luring men to their death, mention of smaug's rotting corpse

**

The singing had begun two years after the Battle of the Five Armies and destruction of Smaug. At first Thorin thought the dragon sickness had taken him over and he’d gone mad but after Fili and Bard started mentioning it, he knew it wasn’t just his imagination. The voice was female and hauntingly beautiful, the words both unfamiliar and yet giving off the feeling of an old friend. A few braver souls had tried finding the source of the voice but it led to the lake and many feared the place to be occupied by evil spirits. Many argued that Smaug’s evil had leaked into the bay and poisoned the nymphs that once called the waters home, so the voice was left alone… for a season. * Durin’s Day, 3 years to the day that the secret passage was found, the voice woke the king of Erebor from a deep sleep and Thorin decided he had enough of superstitions and made his way to the edge of the lake, listening to the song and allowing the melody to wash over him. The words told a tale of a young woman falling in love with a sailor and it caused his soul to begin to desire to leave the mountain and travel the sea, in search of the lass that pierced his heart with her siren song.

“Uncle?”

Thorin hadn’t realized he was waist deep in the water until Fili’s voice cut through the mist in his mind, the vocalization still sounding from the depths, calling him to the arms of the body the voice surely belonged to.

“Uncle, for your life you must come out of the lake.”

For his life he would go further but before he could take another step, Fili had grasped his arms and was pulling him back onto shore. The two of them stood in silence for a moment once Fili knew Thorin was out of the siren’s grasp, the song still sounding but the magic lessened on dry land.

“Do you know what it is?”

“Legolas called it a water spirit but Gandalf claims it to be a mermaid. A creature that lives in the waters of middle earth and lures people to their death by its song.”

“Then it is evil?”

“I cannot say for sure. Ori found some old books on them and there are many stories on them, suggesting that there are different types. Some can come on dry land and are merely curious about us, some solely seem to exist to bring death, some are omens warning about great calamities, some come after such a time and sing to bring peace and heal the wounds caused by”

“War?”

“Aye. War.”

“And which, nephew, do you believe this one to be?”

“I would hope it be the last one but until we know for sure… maybe we should keep out of the lake.”

“Very well.” he agreed, following his nephew back to the mountain, one last look cast over his shoulder at the water and the music still coming from it.

The same song was heard over the next few nights but Thorin kept to his room, listening to the voice from his window and allowing the melody to lure him to sleep. The moment he knew this wasn’t from a ghostly specter but a being with a mind that could learn and adapt was the night Bard’s children were found sitting by the water and listening to a song clearly meant for them.

“Come little children I'll take thee away into a land of enchantment. Come little children the time's come to play here in my garden of shadows…”

When questioned, Tilda explained that their new friend had told them to sit on the shore but NOT to enter the water. She told her father that the friend didn’t say why they had to stay out of the lake but that they were incredibly insistent so they thought it best to obey. While the creature hadn’t drowned his children, it still made the king’s uneasy, knowing that the singing was luring people to it and Gandalf’s warning to Fili was brought forward as evidence to why they should find a way to rid the kingdoms of it. * Below the water lay the rotting corpse of Smaug, a reminder that nothing is truly indestructible and that all things must come to an end when their season is finished. Though the land dwellers feared the waters, a school of fish played hide and seek between his ribs while the owner of the voice picked up some of the jewels that had been stuck to him when his body came to rest on the bottom of the lake-bed. She had heard tales of the mortals markets and what was needed to attain their wares, the gold seemed to hold great meaning for them and as this would be her first time on land she was hoping to get the best experience the gold could give her.

She was what the sailors called a ‘water nymph’ or ‘foam maiden’ and while she had similarities to her cousins, her singing being one of them, she sang to heal not to hurt. The war had seen many good people lost and the bloodstained water had called to her people, begging them to send someone to help heal it’s wounds. The tale it told made her heart ache for the water and the land beyond and she’d volunteered, determined to right so many wrongs.

The men she’d seen were, she was sure, what the mortals would call handsome but there was so much hurt hiding in their hearts. Wrongs done to them that they had tried to bury in hopes of moving their kingdoms forward, faster. She’d tried to help the one but those on land were always superstitious of things in the water and he’d been pulled away before she could work her magic. The children were dear things but she feared they would get out too far and hurt themselves so she ordered them to stay ashore, her intentions pure but misinterpreted by the men. Now she had a chance to visit the kingdoms and it was her deepest hope that it would give her a better insight into how to help the lands and the people that lived within it. * The day the two worlds would collide was a sunny, winter day in December. The markets were bustling with shoppers trying to get gifts for Yule and the lake had a thin sheet of ice over it, small ice caps floating over the water like spirits of ships past and singing lullabies that only those willing to listen would be treated to. If any of the inhabitants of either Dale or Erebor had taken a second to glance towards the charred remains of lake-town or stolen a look at the once battlefield, they would have seen the woman that came out of the crystal blue water. Her skin was pale with an almost blue tint to it that was not easily seen by mortal eyes, her hair was nearly to her thighs and was an inky black that had been twisted into a mess of braids that sat on her head like a crown, her eyes were a deep blue that appeared to sparkle like the sapphires and diamonds kept in Erebor’s treasury, and in her entirety did she embody what the mortals would describe as perfect.

The magic that flowed through her veins allowed her to easily change from that of a mermaid with a tail and gills to… well… not quite human but close enough in appearance to an elf that the mortals tended not to notice the subtle differences. She had never used her legs on land but all of her kind were taught at a young age how to use them, the sea floor acting as their walkway, and while the land didn’t have the flow her home had she was managing all the same. Conjuring up appropriate dress for the season and the clothing of those in this part of the world was the final step before spending her first day outside the water.

All heads turned when she walked by, looking at all the odd things the people were selling and wondering at their use. She felt very like a child among all this newness but reminded herself that they would be just as out of sorts if they set foot within her cities. She could hear the murmurs from the dwarves, who thought themselves very quiet when to her it was as though they were shouting, all wondering who she was and if she was from Thranduil’s court. Even a few of the humans stopped and stared at the woman, so much so that she felt it necessary to move away from them all. She’d heard stories of what could go wrong among the humans, stories that explained why some of their people turned murderous, and she did not wish to join the ranks of the sirens.

A child’s laughter caught her ear and she was delighted to see the young girl from before. Her brother and sister was with her and the person she could only assume was her father. He had a kindness in his eyes but she knew his hurt and sadness went deep… this one and the dwarf king had such wounds on their hearts that it made her want to reach out and hold them until all was right in their world. So enmeshed was she in their hurt that it took her a minute to realize she’d been staring and that the little girl had noticed and while she probably should have pointed it out to her father, she simply skipped over and put her hand in this strangers as though it belonged there.

“I know you.” She smiled up at her. “You’re my water friend.”

“Tilda!” her father ran over, gently pulling her away in case the woman took offense. “Tilda, you cannot run up to people you do not know.” His reprimand was gentle and when he finally looked at the woman his apology seemed stuck in his throat at the sight of her. “I…” his children had never seen their father tongue tied and yet here he was. “I… I’m sorry miss” he finally managed to get out.

“Sorry? For what?” she never understood the overuse of apology the land dwellers used. They were forever saying they’re sorry but hardly ever meaning it. “Is she venomous?” It was a genuine question, some water folk were venomous, so in her mind it made sense that perhaps some humans were as well. His laughter at the perceived joke confused her a little but figured she could worry about it if she got bit, not that she thought this little one was a biter.

“I don’t think so.” He finally answered, his gentle manner appealing to her greatly. “My name’s Bard. These are my children, Bain, Sigrid, and Tilda. What’s your name?”

“Sereia”

“Beautiful” Sigrid snickered at how smitten her father seemed to already be with this woman and while there was something familiar about her, only Tilda immediately knew who she was. “Are you new to town?”

“Yes. I only arrived today”

“Visiting family?”

“No. Just visiting.”

“Well, would you care to join us? We can show you all our kingdom has to offer.”

“Oh I wouldn’t want to intrude. You are spending the day with your family and I am sure your wife would not appreciate…” her voice trailed off when an odd expression crossed Bard’s face at the mention his wife.

“Were my wife still alive, I am sure she would have been happy to have you join us.”

That’s why that look was so familiar. It was the same one her brother got whenever someone spoke of his lost love. “I am so sorry. I didn’t…”

Not even on land 2 hours and she was already making a fool of herself. She was sure it would have been less embarrassing if she tripped and knocked over a table than the way she was currently stumbling over her words. A part of her thought that maybe she just wasn’t cut out for land and seriously considered going back home when he offered her his arm.

“Please Sereia, it would be an honor to have you join us.” Between Tilda’s hopeful expression and Bard’s sincere tone she knew it would be unkind to refuse. Once their arms were linked it was though a current of electricity was flowing through them and a glance up told her that he was feeling it too. * The day had started off like any ordinary day, his hopes of sleeping in dashed into a thousand pieces by his sister throwing open his curtains and letting the sun in. Comments about him sleeping the day away made no less than four times and it finally ending when he agreed to go with her and her sons to the market. It wasn’t his favorite way to pass the day but his opinion changed when his eyes landed on the most breathtakingly beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life. She was walking with Bard and his children and he cursed the luck of the dragon slayer. He wanted to meet her, hear her name and discover if it was as beautiful as the woman it belonged to, his feet obeying his thoughts before he knew what he was doing.

“Thorin, where are you going?”

“Bard is here, I’m just going to say hello. I’ll be right back Dis.”

“Oh, alright. Invite him and the children to dinner, his daughters are just darling.”

“I will.”

The small family was at a booth that was selling candy apples and both the men were entranced by the sight of her ruby lips biting into the treat. The feeling of eyes on her made her look about, her lip curving a bit when she discovered the reason behind the feeling and causing the dwarf king to blush scarlet and make his presence known before he made a bigger fool of himself.

“Bard, good to see you my friend.”

“Thorin, good to see you as well.”

The greetings were kind but she sensed a falseness about them. These two had a past and from what she could feel, it wasn’t all that great. The niceties seemed forced and though the kingdoms were thriving, she couldn’t help but wonder how much greater they could be if their kings truly liked one another.

“How are you this fine day?”

“Very well. As you can see, I am graced with a beautiful companion.”

“Aye and what is your friend’s name?”

“Sereia” she smiled kindly.

“Serena, beautiful.”

“Sereia.”

“Serena.”

She was trying not to laugh, her name wasn’t one used on land but Bard had gotten it the first try and she couldn’t help but wonder if the dwarf king was a little hard of hearing. “No” she corrected gently. “Sereia. Sir-rye-ah.”

“Sereia.”

“There you’ve got it.”

“As magical and as beautiful as the one it belongs to.”

If she thought Thorin was just being kind she would be more comfortable but in this moment his intentions were rolling off of him like the waves in the sea. All mermaids were beautiful and because of that they had a tendency to attract attention but Sereia knew where that could lead, especially when it was two men vying for the attention of the same person. He’d taken her hand and pressed a kiss to the top, keeping her hand in his until Tilda came bounding over and pulling on her arm.

“Sereia! You have to see this!”

“Excuse me” she bowed slightly to both men, thankful for the small girl’s interruption.

Sereia managed to remain with the children for most of the day, leaving Bard and Thorin to their conversations. The men were talking about her, both wondering where she came from and deciding to ask Thranduil if she was from his court, while the woman in question was currently helping Bain pick out a small present for his father.

“You sure he’ll like this one?”

“I’m not sure of anything Bain.” She smiled softly “I only met your father today but I am sure that anything from you or your sisters will be the very best gift and that he will treasure it for as long as he lives.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because, all parents are the same.”

“Do you have children?” Sigrid inquired, asking a few more pointed questions, more for her father’s benefit than her own.

“No. I’ve never loved anyone enough to want children.”

“You mean you’ve never been married.” Bain corrected.

“No. I would have a child with someone I wasn’t married to if I loved them enough.” Sigrid and Bain looked to one another and she couldn’t understand the disapproval she was feeling in them.

“Don’t worry Sereia” Tilda assured her, hugging her around the middle. “I’m sure the rules are different for people that live in the water than for us.”

“I’m sure you are right.”

“Wait…” Sigrid had heard Tilda call her ‘her water friend’ but assumed it was just her sister playing pretend. Sereia agreeing with her on this made her think that maybe Tilda knew more than she thought. “Sereia, are you… were you… you’re the voice?”

“Aye. I’m the voice.” She whispered, not knowing how the adults would react if they heard. “But lets keep that to ourselves shall we?”

“Of course but we’ve been wondering.” Sigrid looked to Bain but her brother seemed stunned at this newest puzzle piece “Why did you tell us to stay ashore while luring Thorin into the water?”

“I was not sure you could swim.” It was a statement with very little follow up “Thorin can.” The face Sigrid made confused her to no end and she was going to find out why she made it. “That’s how it goes, isn’t it? Children and smaller beings may not be able to swim but adults and large beings can?”

“No Sereia, not always. The three of us can swim very well but we know that some of the dwarves stay in the shallows because they’re not strong swimmers.”

“Are you saying I…” her face paled even more, showing the blue tint of her skin more clearly, and her voice was so quiet that Sigrid strained to hear her. “I almost drowned Thorin?!”

“I think Thorin can swim but rumors were swirling that he was bewitched.”

“Nonsense. I do not bewitch people.”

“Are you sure?”

She wanted to say she was but truthfully she had no idea what affect her music had on mortals. She knew they were drawn to it, especially if they had hurts that needed tended to, but to claim she placed them under a spell… if she had, it was unintentional. “Perhaps my coming today was a mistake.”

“No! Please don’t go!”

“Tilda” Sereia knelt down so she could look into the little girl’s eyes, the blue reminding her of waters she called home. “I didnae say I was leaving, I was merely wondering aloud.” Her words soothed the young girl but her next ones caused Tilda’s lip to jut out into a pout “I will stay until the sunsets and then I will be on my way.”

“Stay longer?”

“I cannot”

“Please?”

“Tilda, she said she can’t.” Bain stepped in before she could make a scene. “Instead of worrying about her leaving, why don’t we enjoy the time we do have with her.”

“Alright.”

“That’s a good girl.” when the smile was back on Tilda's face, Sereia stood up and gave her a quick hug before turning to a table with small mirrors and other things that the mermaid found fascinating. Her attention never seemed to be in one place for too long, so many booths to see and all a first for her. Though she was trying, at least until something caught her eye. “What is this called?” she whispered to Bain who held back a snicker.

“A fork.”

“What is its use?”

“For eating.”

“Oh… you don’t just use your hands?” he shook his head ‘no’ and she simply shrugged and picked up one of the mirrors. “How much for this?” she asked the shop keep, who’d been all out staring at her for the past several minutes.

“2 coins miss.”

“Um… Bain, can you?” she handed him the coin purse off her belt and he took out the correct amount for her and handed it to the owner. “Thank you.”

“Would you like me ta wrap that for ye miss?”

“Do I want that?” she whispered to Sigrid who nodded and took the mirror from her and handed it to the woman. Sereia watched as she placed it in beautiful, well beautiful to her, paper and placed it inside a pouch. “Thank you.”

“Have a nice day miss. Ye ‘ave beautiful children.”

“They are beautiful, aren’t they.” She smiled warmly at them before correcting the lady’s misconception “They are not mine though.”

“She’s a family friend.” Sigrid added after the woman made an odd face. “Sereia, I think father is looking for us.”

“Right. Thank you again” She gave a nod to the woman and left with the kids, smiling brightly at Bard when she caught his eye. He was still speaking to Thorin but there were a few extra and the way the younger dwarves eyes about bugged out of their heads at the sight of her was quite comical.

“Have my children worn you out yet Sereia?”

“Not at all. They’ve been most helpful.” She smiled down at Tilda who had been pretty well glued to her hip since she saw her. Someone cleared their throat, successfully catching her attention and not entirely sure what to do with it now that they had it. “Hello. I’m Sereia, nice to meet you.”

“Fili”

“And Kili.”

“At your service.” Them saying it in unison completely caught her off guard and she looked up at Bard so bewildered he didn’t quite hide his laughter well enough.

“Do people not greet one another like that where you’re from Sereia?” he asked, still thoroughly amused by her reaction.

“No. Not at all but I am curious as to what services you two speak.” She was so genuine that neither of the brothers had it in them to be cross, they were sure she wasn’t making fun and they were curious about where she was from if the greetings were so different. “Is it something like the people selling wares or do your talents lie elsewhere?”

Both the princes minds ran wild with her question but didn’t dare speak on it. They were sure Thorin would be outraged if they spoke crudely to this lovely visitor and they really did want to make a good impression.

“Elsewhere milady” Fili answered easily

“Fili and Kili are my nephews.” Thorin thought he was explaining something but she wasn’t sure what that had to do with talents. Her people had royalty as well and most of them were rather useless. Still, she didn’t come on to the land to be rude so she decided that nodding was probably the right choice.

“Oh… so your talents are being… royal?” No, that didn’t sound correct. They were speaking the same language but Sereia felt as though nothing made sense. Back home she was considered highly intelligent, one of the most skilled in her craft, but here everyone was looking at her as though she was a child and it was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

“Kili is an incredibly talented archer” Fili answered, refusing to laugh at the woman. “He is also very kind and funny.”

“And Fili is a great warrior” Kili added, always happy to brag about his brother. “He is caring, loyal, and you will be hard pressed to find a better man than my brother.”

That was more what she’d been hoping to hear. Being good with weapons and in battle was all well and good but she was more interested in the heart of a person. These brothers clearly loved one another and she had hope for the future of this kingdom when they would one day rule. Sure, Fili was the eldest but she had no doubt that Kili would be right there with suggestions to help their people.

“Then I am very glad to know you.” she curtsied to the pair and her smile was so warm that Kili thought it could melt the ice off the coldest of hearts. “The world needs more kind and loyal people in it.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Bard placed his arm around her waist and though outwardly she didn’t seem to mind, inwardly she had no idea what was going on. This felt very much like being claimed but Bard did not come off as the type of man to take what was not his. Truthfully, she didn’t belong to anyone but she had just met these men and she could hear her mother’s voice in her head warning her about the mortals. ‘They may come off as charming my darling but you will never know what their true intentions are until it is too late. Even with your gift, you may still be in danger. You never know who is imbued with magic and able to hide behind it.’

“Well, it is getting quite late and I must be off. It was nice meeting all of you.”

“Oh no, stay!” Kili wasn’t one to beg but it felt unfair to not get at least a little bit of time with her. “Have dinner with us. Bard and the children are all coming and there is always room for one more.”

Most mermaids only came out of the water one time a year but the actual law was you could come and go as you pleased as long as you returned on the second day. However if you got stuck and were unable to return by then, you could not return to the water until they next year, which was fine if the person wished to remain on land but so far she’d found the experience not entirely to her liking. Still, she did like these people and the thought of tasting their food definitely appealed to her…

“Very well but then I really must be off.”

“Come then.”

Thorin offered his arm and while Bard loosened his grip on her, she could still feel that he was reluctant to do so. However being rude to the man that was about to feed her didn’t sit well with her so she stepped forward and linked her arm in his, which was a little awkward as she was quite a bit taller than him. ‘One foot in front of the other.’ She told herself as they made their way into the great halls of Erebor. * Sereia, try as she might, couldn’t go anywhere without causing a commotion. Even walking to the dining hall had created a stir among the people, many dwarves wondering loudly if she was the King’s new consort, a thought that made her blush to the tips of her ears. It wasn’t that she thought him repulsive or anything, Thorin was quite charming, but some of the comments were… colorful. Inquiries on topics involving the bedroom that she thought they ought to be ashamed for speaking about. It was a relief when they were finally sat at the table. Thorin was to her right at the head, Bard was directly across from her, Tilda was on her right, and the other two children were by their father. Fili and Kili were sat by their mother across the way and soon the table was filled with 12 other dwarves that were all VERY intrigued by the newcomer.

“Friends, Family… tonight we have the honor of hosting Sereia. She is a visitor in our lands and this is the first time she’s been to this part of Middle Earth. Please make her feel welcome.”

His announcement did nothing for her nerves and Tilda felt the second she started to shake. Sereia was trying to maintain her composure but this was overwhelming for her. Most of her people were gentlefolk, the vibrations from loud noises hurt their ears and while it was a different sensation on land, it still made her anxious… until she felt a small hand slip into hers and squeeze.

“I’ve got you” Tilda promised and in that second Sereia didn’t feel quite so afraid.

Bard watched the interaction and the way Sereia’s gaze softened whenever she looked at his daughter made his heart sit heavy in his chest. This was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a very long time and he hoped he would have a chance to get to know her better. As it stood tonight, the others were quick to claim her attention and spent most of the dinner asking her many questions. Some she had to pretend she didn’t hear as she couldn’t answer honestly.

“So lass, where ye be from?”

“I’m sorry sir, what is your name?”

“Bofur.”

“Right, well Bofur I am from a coastal town.”

“Really?” a much older dwarf smiled, always enjoying the sea and wishing he could spend more time there. “Ya be mighty far from home then.”

“Aye…”

“Balin.”

“Balin… yes I uh… I must admit this is my first time away from home. It feels strange being so far inland as this.”

“Water calls ta ye lass?”

“Yes Bofur, it does.”

“Have you ever met a pirate?!” Kili hadn't meant to just blurt it out but he'd never met someone from the seaside and he had about a thousand questions for her, most having to do with pirates.

“Kili!” his mother’s fake outrage was comical, mainly because it was the same tone Sereia’s mother used on her. “Forgive my son. He doesn’t realize what an inappropriate question that is.”

“I asked if she’s met one mum, not if she was one.”

For as hard as she tried, that did make her laugh and she made a small apology for it. “Forgive me, I’m not making fun.”

“That never even occurred to me love.” Dis said warmly.

“To answer both questions.”

“Both?”

“Yes, both. You may not have asked it but I can see that you still want to know whether or not I’m a pirate.”

“She knows you better than you know yourself brother” Fili teased, not mentioning how Kili’s cheeks flushed. “Go ahead Sereia, if he won’t admit it, I will.”

“I hate to disappoint Fili but no, I am not a pirate BUT I have met a few.” That had all ears perked up and listening to her intently. “Some are as ill-mannered as you’d expect but the truly infamous ones are surprisingly genteel. Their crew is usually a different story but from my experience, the captains are generally not so bad. I’m not saying you should make it your mission to befriend one or anything, in fact that would be a very bad idea, but those times they go into port most of the stories you hear are blown out of proportion.”

“What is your favorite experience you’ve had with a pirate?”

“Oh, um…” she couldn’t exactly say, seeing as how it would give away what she was, but she figured she could make something up well enough. “I suppose the time I was taught a song by one.” In truth she'd overheard it so many times that she'd naturally picked it up but it was still what she'd consider an 'experience' with a pirate.

“Can we hear it lass?”

“Oh, I don’t know. It’s more appropriate for places with nightly brawls than a dinner with kings.” She blushed, taken a bit by surprise when Bofur let out a barking laugh.

“I bet I know what one!” Bofur grinned, getting up from his seat and grabbing his flute, surprising her when he started playing the exact tune.

“How do you…”

“Taverns lass, songs travel as fast as stories. Come now, a bit o’ fun is always welcome among dwarves.”

“Alright but you have to sing with me.”

“Deal. Bombur! Nori! Follow along lads.”

Sereia had assumed she’d sing from her seat but was soon hauled on top of the table with the others, manners seemingly forgotten, and while this didn’t feel at all correct Thorin wasn’t telling them to get down so she just went with it. In fact as soon as Bofur began playing, servants started removing the food and plates and placing them on a separate table almost as though this happened more often than not. The happy tune began and by the way several more dwarves, Thorin included, sang along with them she relaxed and allowed herself to enjoy this rather strange dining experience. [all] “What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor? Early in the morning! Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Early in the morning!” [Sereia] “Shave his belly with a rusty razor. Shave his belly with a rusty razor. Shave his belly with a rusty razor. Early in the morning!” [all] “Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Early in the morning!” [her] “Put him in a long boat till his sober. Put him in a long boat till his sober. Put him in a long boat till his sober. Early in the morning!” [all] “Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Early in the morning!” The interlude was a merry tune and Sereia pulled up her skirt just enough to show her boots, the jig her father taught her not coming quite as easily as it did under the water but still well enough to earn a cheer from those enjoying the show. [her] “Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom. Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom. Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom. Early in the morning! [all] “Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Early in the morning!” [her] “Put him in the bed with the captains daughter. Put him in the bed with the captains daughter. Put him in the bed with the captains daughter. Early in the morning!” [all] “That's what we do with a drunken sailor. That's what we do with a drunken sailor. That's what we do with a drunken sailor. Early in the morning! Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Early in the morning! Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Early in the morning!”

The final part of the song was more of the merry tune, the dwarves extending it so they could dance with the lass. Sereia had been a little taken off guard when she was grabbed around the waist by Kili, lifted off the table, and spun onto the floor to truly dance with the young prince. Soon they were joined by the others, all of whom took their turn spinning her around the floor. Bain was dancing with Sigrid and Tilda was being spun around by Dis who was the height as the young girl. The dwarves were all shorter than her but that didn’t stop them from literally throwing her in the air and catching her with ease, showing off their strength along with their love for having a good time.

“Da, the song’s almost over. If you’re going to dance with her, now’s your chance.” Sigrid whispered, her eyes dancing along with the music as her father did just that.

Fili had just tossed the mermaid into the air with a spin and Bard caught her before she touched the ground, her eyes looked like they had stars in them and her cheeks were flushed from the dancing.

“May I have this dance?”

“I thought you’d never ask” she smiled, placing her hand in his, her smile growing when he pulled her closer to him and the two of them danced around the great hall.

The dwarves had restarted the song from the beginning, giving the two of them plenty of time to enjoy their evening and it was only towards the end that Tilda’s patience ran out and she cut in, to the great amusement to everyone in attendance. Sereia thought she could dance forever with Bard but telling Tilda no just didn’t sit well so she lifted the young girl into her arms and danced with her until the song stopped at last.

“Well done lass!”

“Ye be a good sport Sereia”

“One more dance?” The last one was Kili and while she thought them all very kind, it was now quite late and she thought it time for her to take her leave. However this dinner had her thinking that perhaps visiting the land wouldn’t be all that bad.

“I thank you all for your hospitality. Tonight has been more fun than I’ve had in a very long time and I do hope we get to do it again soon.”

“Why does it sound like you’re leaving?”

“Because Fili, I am. I’ve got to get some sleep or I will be about as useful as a leaky boat.”

Disappointed groans went around but the company all bid her farewell, Bard taking this moment to head off as well. The small group was lead back outside by Thorin who invited her to join them for their Yule celebrations the next week, an invitation she happily accepted.

“And Bard, you and your children are of course invited too.”

“Thank you Thorin, I do believe we’ll be able to attend.”

“See you then my friend.”

“See you then.” * The family walked with Sereia up to the fork in the road that led one way to Dale and the other to the lake. There was no inn or any other amenities the way she needed to go but she hoped Bard wouldn’t pry too much when she didn’t go the way he expected.

“I should let you get your family home.”

“We can walk you to the inn.”

“That’s quite alright Bard. I was thinking of staying out a bit longer, take in the night air.”

“Sereia, a lady should not walk alone at night. It may not be safe.”

“Da, Thorin’s guards patrol this way every hour.”

“Sigrid’s right. Pretty sure we live in the safest part of all middle earth.”

“Yeah and besides, Sereia knows pirates!” she knew that would be Tilda’s favorite part and figured her imagination must be running absolutely wild right now.

“If you’re sure?”

“I will be fine. Thank you for today Bard and for the dance.”

There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, a thousand declarations he wanted to make, but for now he simply took her hand and pressed a kiss to the top of it. His lips lingering for just a moment and making her skin feel as though it was burning.

“Good night milady.”

“Good night.” She smiled up at the handsome king before turning to his children and hugging each of them “Good night my darlings.”

“When will we see you again?”

“Anytime you wish” she whispered in Tilda’s ear before answering out loud “You’ll see me at the Yule celebration in four days’ time.”

“Will you come with us?”

“Of course. I’ll meet you right here.”

“Good night Sereia!”

“Good night lovely.”

Sereia watched until the family was out of sight before returning to the lake and that night the inhabitants of the valley and the mountain were treated to beautiful vocalizations, no words sang this evening but if you listened closely you could make out the tune as ‘Drunken Sailor’.

#the hobbit #the hobbit fanfiction #mermaid fanfiction #au hobbit #bard the bowman #thorin and company #everyone lives au #mermaids in middle earth #be kind #i don't even know #i tried #i actually finished a story #fanfiction writer #drunken sailor #sea shanties #sea shanties made me do it #thorin oakenshield #fili #kili durin #dis durin #erebor #canon divergent au #mermaid #siren song #siren oc

[lapislazuli-012]

Something really personal but here’s the way I ship them.

*after BOTFA, everyone survived AU*

Sorry I’m just, really bad at writing conversations🤦‍♀️. Some of the scripts I borrowed directly from BOTFA. Everything is good up until this point and yes they’re still BFFs and giving me old-married-couple vibe already.

PERSONALLY, I think even as a couple, neither Thorin or Bilbo is the type that is willing to give up their own way of living to live with the other (at least not right now).

Thorin had been forced out of Erebor at a young age and just recovered his long-lost home. There’s a LONG way ahead restoring Erebor and bringing back his people. He will stumble, he will have doubts, he will question himself things like Am I really ready and Will I be a good king… But he won’t turn away, because he is Thorin son of Durin.

For Bilbo, the journey did change him, still he remains a hobbit at heart and values home above gold and glory. He misses the peaceful life and comfort he used to have though he knows it’ll never be the same, because HE is not the same hobbit anymore. He helped the dwarves taking back Erebor, now he longs for his own home.

(All of these are mere personal interpretations😇)

So since Thorin will not live in Shire and Bilbo won’t live in Erebor for their entire life, the most-likely situations I’d imagine are these…

There will be a point where Fili can somewhat take on the responsibilities of ruling Erebor. Thorin might have some kingly vacation (specifically, working on legislations, approving orders and proclamations at night and travel among the day) and visit Shire sometime.

I realized not a lot of ppl talk about the aging problem, so I tried to talk about it🧌. Hobbits have lifespans similar to Men but Dwarves’ are usually 3 times longer if I recall correctly.

Thank you for reading!

#thilbo #bagginshield #the hobbit #tolkien #thorin oakenshield #bilbo baggins #lotr #fanart #my art #the hobbit fanart #art #drawing #digital art #lotr fanart

[sesamenom]

Ringlord High King of Everything Elrond, inspired here

(@the-writing-goblin)

I imagine in this situation elrond would have been partially tempted by boromir's declaration, but instead of trying to fight sauron with it (because even in the weirdest crack au i can think of elrond is still too genre-aware to try that) he tried to use it to supercharge his use of vilya and protect everyone.

basically Ringlord!Elrond turned the entirety of Eriador into a mega-gondolin situation: massive walls (courtesy of numenorean/eregion tech) around the regions bordering the north or Mordor, fortresses along the mountain range and several layers of gates along every road in or out. Everybody goes in; nobody goes out; everyone is safe.

and he ended up claiming the kingship to give him more authority in the process - he's High King of the Noldor and Sindar and King of the Edain (given that there are like three half-vanyar in middle-earth, he's more or less king of all children of iluvatar) and so he can have command over the entirety of the West.

and with the help of the Ring, this actually works! but the corruption starts to show eventually

he uses his kinship to Gondor to forcefully drag them into his neo-gondolin-empire-creation so he can ensure none of his great-nephews will ever have to face sauron. he extends the walls to encompass Mirkwood, because he's the high king of the sindar and has a duty to protect thranduil's realm, and unleashes the full might of his melian-lite powers to purge Sauron's Shadow and the spawn of Ungoliant from the now-Greenwood.

Galadriel and Glorfindel very much see where this is going and are very very worried. galadriel won't let him build walls around lothlorien (because she lives next door to a balrog and knows exactly what happened to gondolin) but celeborn thinks it's a good idea, since after all Doriath wouldn't have fallen if Melian's girdle had still been up. glorfindel tries to talk him out of it but the ring has taken hold

the Ring's power also enhances all his natural weirdness and powers - he has his wings and maia markings permanently activated now, with or without finwean anger. he can fully shapeshift, and he goes from raising waves in the bruinen to raising tsunamis in the great sea.

except the finwean anger seems to be permanently activated now, too, and anyone who harms someone he's deemed under his protection finds themselves the target of a rather ironic vengeance quest. the shapeshifting is looking weird now - his teeth are always sharp now, and his eyes have gone fully inhuman. sometimes he has claws and his wings look more like bats than eagles. and his water powers are more like osse's- he can't calm the waters now (goldberry is the first to notice something's up) and can only stir them into massive ship-sinking storms and tsunamis.

this progresses until he's basically Evil Luthien ruling over a continent-wide Mega-Gondolin, slaughtering orc-hordes before they even reach the white walls and sinking any naval fleet Sauron tries to send around the coast. Everybody is brought in; nobody leaves; everyone is safe...?

he figures out that the dwarven legend of "Durin's Bane" has to be one of the few first age balrogs thats still unaccounted for. and well, it's living right on his border, and he can't risk another fall of gondolin, right? so he leads a small force in there to clear moria, and they shove the balrog off the edge, but it takes one of his captains (except glorfindel) with it (maybe erestor?) and he uses the ring and saves erestor, (and maybe floods the balrog for good measure), and glorfindel is sure he saw elrond's eyes go yellow for a moment.

and even fully corrupted, he knows he can't take the ring directly into mordor. but he can wipe out sauron's armies outside the walls, to protect his kingdom - because turgon's mistake was thinking he was safe even when there were balrogs and dragons and orcs outside, right?

somewhere along the way, arwen realizes what's happening and goes to live with galadriel. one of the twins goes with her; the other stays out of loyalty but eventually follows.

elrond's kingdom has become a cross between doriath and gondolin now, with all the surrounding lands warped by ring-magic to hide it, and layers of stone walls and iron gates preventing anyone from leaving. because everyone is here; nobody leaves; everyone is... safe?

#silm #silmarillion #lotr #elrond #lord of the rings #i hc goldberry is uinen and osses daughter #i feel like the ring works differently for everyone #hobbits are naturally sneaky and long-lived so hobbits get ring-invisibility and ring-immortality #while dwarves would be basically physically invincible and elves would get feanor-style super-fea #and peredhel get maiarin powers #honestly ringlord elrond is kind of terrifying #like ringlord galadriel or ringlord maglor would be pretty straightforward about conquering the world #like galadriels whole 'all shall love me and despair' #or maglor would be like 'yep conquering the world for the oath now hand over your land' #but elrond is more of the manipulative dark lord type #like the 'im doing this for you/i just want to protect you' villain #and hes already most of middle earths collective dad #they all trust him

[verkomy]

frodo and uncle thorin

you can get a print here: inprnt!  

#frodo baggins #thorin oakenshield #bagginshield #parentshield #everyone lives au #the hobbit #lotr #tolkien #durins #fanart #my art #verkomy #verkomy 2023 #clip studio paint #prints

[fili-urzudel]

Hello!! Could you do 14, 15 and 31 with Fili? Romantic or platonic, up to you. Thank you 💜

13. Sitting together

14. Handholding

15. Sharing a blanket (potentially violent)

31. Stargazing

This combination is classic and oh-so-fluffy, and with my favorite Dwarf to boot! I went ahead and added another prompt as well.

Everyone lives AU, because there is no other ending in my mind.

BTW I'm sick :( but I'm going to try to get at least one other prompt request out this week

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.8k

Moonrise - Fíli Durin x Reader

The Durin's Day festival was always fun, but it was all the more spectacular in the newly reclaimed Erebor.

"The first autumn equinox since the mountain was reclaimed, can you believe it?" Fíli said with a bright smile, looking with pride at the crisscrossing bridges and vaulted ceilings of the entrance to the mountain. There was still plenty of work to be done, to be sure, but its improvement was impressive regardless.

"And in a couple days, the anniversary of when it was reclaimed," you nodded in agreement. "A few months after that, the anniversary of the first time you walked around by yourself."

"Hush, I'm trying to enjoy this," Fíli gave you a fake scowl, unconsciously probing the scar hidden beneath his tunic.

You changed directions. "Of course, my Prince," you teased. "You look very nice today."

You meant it. His hair was freshly washed, the slightly damp strands frizzing out in the cool morning air. Each bead was carefully placed, a few decorative gold ones added in place of a crown. His tunic was a smooth yet understated silk underneath his leather vest and wool coat. Every detail was precisely placed, the burnt oranges and browns blending seamlessly. He had clearly been seen to with the utmost care. He looked like royalty, even without the royal garb. Most importantly, he was healthy.

His smile softened, his cheeks turning a bit pink under his mustache. "Thank you," he glanced to the ground before looking back up at you. "And you're beautiful as ever."

You blushed deeper than him, unused to compliments. You plucked at the placket of your own wool coat, dyed a deep woad blue. It was your favorite. "Thank you," you said, choosing for once to believe him. "What duties do you have today?"

"None, surprisingly," Fíli breathed. "Thorin's let me have a break, so I can enjoy the first festival in our new home right alongside you." Something about that little word, our, set your heart ablaze. "You want to stick with me?"

"If you'll have me," he smiled again. That smile was impossible to resist.

"Of course I will."

Erebor had been steadily growing over the past year, but that day, it seemed more alive than ever. The market squares were full, overflowing into the wide side streets. Jewelry, blades, shields, ceramics, sculptures--anything made out of earth or in forges were certainly found somewhere in the expansive space. The Ereborian dwarves' tentative friendship with the Men of Dale caused new, less traditional stands to pop up as well: flower stalls, street food vendors featuring fish dishes, and clothing and homeware shops full of bolts of linen. The mountain had only dwarves—and Bilbo—in its halls, a presently rare occurrence, and so you were all free to speak Khuzdul, the sharp sounds ringing pleasantly in your ears.

The two of you strolled as quickly as possible through all the markets had to offer, determined not to miss the afternoon's performances. You exercised exemplary self-restraint, only stopping at one of every five stalls that caught your eye.

"No," became a very popular word as well, what with resisting Fíli's unceasing offers to purchase anything you liked.

"Well, if you will not spend any of your share of the treasure, I must spend some of mine and relieve what must be the terrible, stifling boredom of your living quarters, my friend," he teased, mustache beads swinging from side to side.

"I will have no prince wasting his money on me."

"Oh, it's never a waste if it's you," Fíli told you surely.

There he went again, saying things that made your palms sweat and your cheeks flush. "You're too kind."

Fíli smirked at the way you diverted your gaze. "Well, if I cannot buy you a rug, at least allow me to buy you lunch," he gestured to a permanent restaurant on the corner that was swarmed with dwarrow.

You couldn't help a smile at that. "Hot stew?" You asked, referring to the almost overpoweringly spicy meat-and-potato stew that was a dwarven classic. Benron's was your favorite.

"As hot as you like, of course," He agreed, guiding you forward with a gentle hand on your back.

The stew made your eyes stream in the best way, and you pulled Fíli out of the restaurant scarcely once he was finished eating. "We have to find good seats!" You reasoned as he raised an eyebrow, still wiping his mouth.

"You do realize that Thorin has the best seats, and by extension, we do as well?"

"Right," you said. You had forgotten. Somehow, none of the Durins were royalty in your mind. They were still your traveling companions, dirt poor and looked at as crazy.

"Still, it is sort of nice to take a seat before everyone starts filtering in and it gets too loud," Fíli reassured you. "After you."

The grand presentation began with a song to the mountain. In the ancient tradition, singing was a way to ask the mountain to reveal its secrets, a careful gathering of tones that would uncover its nature.

This song, however, was made more to please the ears of the listener. It was a song of thanks, of hardly believing that this mountain was once again the shelter for her people. You tried your best to control the tears that rose to your eyes.

Fíli leaned over, bumping your shoulder with his. You gave a small smile that he returned, and you could see in his eyes that he was thinking of all that it took to get there.

"We did it," you whispered.

"Yeah, we did."

The opening songs were followed by traditional dances, a speed-forging competition, and a few spars. You cheered on the brothers as they fought each other, with a healthy dose of brotherly teasing. Fíli let his little brother win, or so he told you. The look on Kíli's face was more than worth it. You congratulated him and let them both clean up as you headed to the gates.

The gates were still open, cool air pouring into the mountain as the sun dropped in the sky.

Dale was dimmer than usual—the city was empty. The men were lining the edge of the water with candles. This equinox now also marked the anniversary of the fall of Laketown and many of their loved ones. The dwarves tried their best to be respectful of their vigil.

You leaned against the wall and watched. You hoped they found peace and remembered to enjoy their new lives. Bard, standing at the back of the group, turned around. He caught your eye and nodded.

"Come with me, I think we should see something," Fíli's low whisper startled you from your reverie, and his hand wrapping around yours even more so.

"Where are we going?" You asked, not that it mattered. With his hand in yours, you'd probably follow him anywhere.

He led you on a trek around the front of the mountain, the setting sun turning everything orange and making his hair appear as flames as you went.

Caught in the daze of bliss, it took you a while to notice what was draped over his other arm. "Wait, is that—I told you not to buy that!"

It was the woven blanket you had noticed earlier, the tapestry depicting sunrays falling through a thick forest of firs. "And what if I bought this for myself? I have uses for it."

"Then it's alright, I suppose."

"You can keep it once I'm done with it, though."

"Sly fox."

"Coin pincher."

"Seriously, though, where are we going?" You asked.

Fíli smiled at you. "A certain very large staircase."

You gasped. "Leading to a secret doorway?"

"The very same. I figured, since we were both trying to help Kili, erm, not die, we missed the excitement, and now we can see it for ourselves."

"That's extraordinarily thoughtful of you."

"Eh, I'd say averagely thoughtful at best," Fíli shrugged.

"Perfectly suitable for me," you told him.

"Good."

The achingly long trip up the staircase was rewarded with a very nice sight: another, less decorative blanket spread across the stone, a couple flat pillows, and three lanterns, already lit and ready to face the darkness.

"When did you find time to do this?" You asked Fíli, grinning from ear to ear.

"I have my ways," he said mysteriously. "And help."

"That's where Bofur, Bilbo, and Dori disappeared to," you observed. "I see. Well, it's very sweet of all of you."

"I'm glad you think so," Fíli said, still holding your hand as he guided you to sit on the blanket with him.

The stairs had taken longer than anticipated, so the sun was already almost gone. You quieted as you realized how close the time was. The two of you watched in quiet admiration as the moon rose, bright and perfect, into the sky, before you turned, hoping to catch a glimpse of the door.

You gasped. "There it is!" The moonrise revealed the shape of a perfectly hidden keyhole. "That is very neat, indeed."

"Mmhm," Fíli agreed. "Beautiful." The keyhole was not what he thought was beautiful. He wasn't actually looking at the door at all, but rather you, and the way the moonlight reflected off every spectacular detail of your face.

He had never known quite when he started to feel this way, only that he didn't in the Blue Mountains, when he barely knew you, and he did now.

You turned your gaze from the keyhole once the wonder had made a comfortable space in your heart, and looked to the stars, all too aware of how close Fíli was.

You read out the constellations to yourself in the comfortable silence, assuming the prince was doing the same. You then heard him shift.

"Lay with me," Fíli offered, and you turned around in record time, cheeks blazing and eyes wide.

"What?"

He was already lying down with his head on one of the pillows. "To watch the stars more comfortably."

"Alright," you said, voice quiet. You scooted down until you could lay your head on the other pillow, before changing your mind. You decided to take a risk and settle your head on his chest instead.

"Is this alright?" You asked immediately. The last thing you wanted was for him to be uncomfortable in this situation.

"Of course it is," he said softly, his arm raising to hold your waist. "I enjoy being close to you."

It wasn't quite a grand confession, but it was good enough for your heart to begin hammering in your chest. "I enjoy being close to you, too."

#lotr fanfic #lotr #the hobbit #lotr fandom #the hobbit headcanons #the hobbit x reader #fili x reader #fili durin x reader #fili and kili #fili fanfic #fili #fili durin #fili durinson #fíli x reader #fíli durin #fíli durin x reader

[dael1n]

I decided to make a modern au! According to the Hobbit! (events BEFORE the quest in the canon) Thorin Durin, 39 years old, (6.2 ft) is trying to get his family's business back. Dis Durin, 32 years old, (6,4 ft) businesswoman with two children Fili Durin, 7 years old, is a fan of Iron Man Kili Durin, 5 years old, doesn't know what Marvel is, but he likes the star on Captain America's shield

Balin Durin, 31 years old, (5.8 ft) history teacher at the university Bilbo Baggins, 31, (5,5 ft) a biology teacher at the university, has his own greenhouse and a small flower shop that he inherited from his mother (the Gamgee family works for him there)

Dwalin Durin, 26 years old (6.6 ft) As a child, he was in an accident with many of the Durin family, left a scar on his eye, which is why he sees poorly. It did not hurt to serve in the army, I have been to places of increased military danger. (before that, he was severely depressed due to the loss of his parents and best friend, now he is trying to re-learn how to live in order to be a a worthy guardian to two little assholes

#hobbit #the hobbit #modern au #thorin oakenshield #thorin x bilbo #lady dis #fili durin #kili durin #fili and kili #Balin #bilbo baggins #dwalin #tolkien dwarves

[abyssruler]

5 SUNDAYS OF KINKTOBER

liturgy — zhongli, raiden ei, childe, kazuha, albedo, imposter albedo/subject two, scaramouche x fem!afab!reader

creed — i am so going to hell for this

communion — comment or send an ask to be added to the taglist!

1ST MASS ♱ zhongli & ei

homily — you’ve been the most devoted servant of the anemo archon since the end of the war, not noticing the heated looks by two gods that have followed you for millennia. in your moment of loss at the sudden slumber of barbatos after the battle with durin, they don’t hesitate to take the opportunity to convert you to their religion.

dubcon, power imbalance, sub reader, praise, subtle manipulation, fingering, oral f-receiving, dom ei and zhongli, implied venti x reader

2ND MASS ♱ childe

homily — he often wonders how you managed to end up as a harbinger. you’re so sweet and naive, letting your guard down around him and always inquiring about his health and wellbeing whenever he goes on lengthy missions, greeting him with a smile when he returns to zapolyarny palace. archons, you’re practically begging to be taken advantage of. he hopes the tsaritsa won’t mind if he temporarily takes her 12th harbinger out of commission for, say, nine months?

dubcon, breeding, mentions of pregnancy, humiliation, manipulation, oral f-receiving

3RD MASS ♱ kazuha

homily — he tells himself it’s fine that you left him. except, that’s not true in the slightest sense. he wants you back, needs you back like dying man in the desert looking for an oasis. now, if you had just stopped seeing that man who lives down by the road, he wouldn’t have ended up taking such drastic measures. you don’t want him anymore, but it’s fine, he’ll just have to make you see things his way. you’re so kind, he’s sure you’ll forgive him for it.

yandere kazuha, dubcon, hate sex, stalking, oral f-receiving

4TH MASS ♱ albedo & subject two

homily — your creator has told you countless times how dangerous the outside world is. blizzards and monsters and every bad thing you could imagine all lay outside the little cabin you call a home. however, albedo failed to include in his calculations just how curious you truly are. it’s fine, you tell yourself, he’s not even the slightest bit mad to see you out and about, except… there’s something strange about your master’s behavior today.

homunculus reader, dubcon, coercion, manipulation, voyeurism

5TH MASS ♱ scaramouche

homily — you look good when you cry in the middle of the hall after he deliberately humiliates you in front of everyone. but he thinks you look best when you look up at him through teary eyes as you choked on his fingers in the school’s public restroom.

modern au, college au, bully scara, possessive scara, noncon, manipulation, blackmail, degradation, humiliation, dacryphilia, oral m-receiving, semi-public sex, nonconsensual filming, spit kink

#not sfw #5 sundays #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #zhongli x reader #ei x reader #raiden ei x reader #raiden shogun x reader #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #albedo x reader #albedo kreideprinz x reader #imposter albedo x reader #subject two x reader #dorian x reader #scaramouche x reader #kunikuzushi x reader #genshin smut #kinktober #genshin kinktober #fem reader

[mikathemonster]

“under my skin”

author’s note: okay, SO. y’all seem to be eating these fics up ravenously, so here I am to supply food to the starving wolves. eat up, baby! I'm so nervous since this is my longest fic yet, but here’s some fun and sexy (slight) enemies to lovers smut to spice up the fluff I've been writing lately. don’t say I never did anything for you guys. happy holidays, happy new year, and happy reading :)

Pairing: Kíli / Gender-neutral Human Reader

Word Count: 14,873

summary: forced to be allies for the sake of preventing war, kíli could do nothing but find his way under your skin...

content warnings: Post BOTFA, Everyone Lives! AU, Enemies to lovers, minor injuries (but ouch man they hurt), a poorly written fight scene (im so sorry in advance), possible OOC Dwalin (let me know what y’all think), blood, mentions of violence (it’s LOTR, y’all), smut, fingering, handjob, unprotected sex, oral (male receiving), praise, cursing

DO NOT REPOST OR COPY. MINORS/AGLESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT.

No matter the obstacle in your harrowing journey, the reward was all you needed to quickly motivate yourself again. What journey, you ask? Why, it was an adventure of great status and power. Commissioned by the King Under the Mountain himself, you (along with a hand-picked team of established dwarves and men) were tasked with hunting down and tracking a rather grisly enemy: Aevar Godfred. Once a man known for his high position among the ranks of Gondor, he was now an exiled thief on the run. His latest snatching had been of three precious jewels of Erebor. Now, these jewels weren’t nearly as precious as the Arkenstone, but they were still regal enough, crafted by Thorin himself to symbolize the current royal line of Durin. One for the king: an emerald that glowed with a radiant green shimmer. One for the crown prince: a ruby that flickered like the flames of the forges. And the last one for the youngest prince: a sapphire that reflected light just like the vast seas.

Aevar, under the cover of night and the kingdom’s banquet of Durin’s Day, had snuck into Erebor and stolen the Royal Jewels, his slippery self escaping into the night only to finally be noticed the next morning by guards when it was found that the jewels had left the treasury. An issued warning had been sent to Gondor, but after being informed that Aevar himself had been exiled, Thorin had decided to settle matters by his own means. A simple capture mission, one that Thorin was hoping would end with a blade to the thief’s slimy neck once he was returned to Gondor.

You remembered Thorin’s words the day this journey had been pushed onto you as clear as ever. It was night, and the torches had cast a glowing aura about the king as he sat upon his stone-carved throne. You, along with two other dwarves known as Dwalin and Kíli and another man named Sigfred, kneeled before the throne as Thorin’s gruff and commanding voice filled the bedrock walls.

“It is upon you that I delegate this mission,” he said. “Two weeks past, a sniveling thief fell under our noses and stole precious jewels of the kingdom. Jewels that belong to royalty.” His expression was proud and bright, but his voice held a dark tone that conveyed his authority with a scary countenance. “Word spread to Gondor, but it now comes to our own hands to deal with this sniveling coward. Under the guidance of Balin, I have assembled you four to carry out this mission. Word has come to us that the thief has been spotted south of Mirkwood. I suspect he may be running to Rohan or the Wilderland for shelter. You are to find him, hunt him if you must, but return him alive and restore the jewels. I promise you will all be handsomely rewarded upon your successful return.”

You all raised your heads to look upon the king, who now stood proudly above you all with a daunting presence. “To aid us in our mission, Gondor has sent Y/N.” With a raised hand in your direction, the king introduced you to your group, and you stood tall. “They are our insurance, and are in charge of keeping you all to our word that no harm comes to Aevar Godfred.”

You nodded in agreement, bowing. “While he is your enemy, I can assure you that we plan to deal with him swiftly. We exiled him in the hopes that he would rot away. Now, we plan to imprison him for the rest of his days so he can torment no longer.”

“That should’ve been your first decision,” one of the dwarves piped up, and you turned to meet his glare. Two fierce brown eyes met yours, their deep color matching the fiery attitude as the younger dwarf of your troop.

“Kíli, hold your tongue.” Dwalin warned, his own steely eyes now turned to the young prince.

“I’m sorry Uncle, but I cannot. I will not,” the young dwarf said, who you now knew to be Erebor’s Prince Kíli. And what an ignorant prince he seemed to be. “Why does Gondor wish to keep their thief after banishing him to be our problem? Why now do they intend to dispose of him?” The young dwarf stood now, palms open to Thorin in a silent plea of an explanation.

“To avoid battle.” You interrupted, growing impatient with him so soon after meeting him. He looked to you confused, before returning his quizzical glance to his uncle, who merely nodded.

“It was agreed that Aevar Godfred would be returned to Gondor as an insurance of no ill will between our kingdoms.” His voice was softer now as he approached his nephew, offering an apologetic hand on his shoulder. Carefully, he leaned into his shoulder, his voice dropping to a whisper. “We cannot afford to wage any kind of disagreement with Gondor over this man, nor can we afford his burglary to go unpunished. This is the only way to assure both.”

Though you couldn’t hear the words Thorin had whispered to Kíli, you figured you already knew based on Kíli’s reaction, his eyes widening and his jaw setting tightly. His tongue had left him, only responding with a small nod of acknowledgement before Thorin pulled away, casting a glance to you before returning to his throne.

“As I said before, Y/N will be your aid and your warden. I trust you all to behave.” Now back to his regular gruff self, he cleared his throat. “Offering his services to us freely, Sigfred here will serve as your guide. His knowledge of the Wilderland is vast, and I pray it will serve you well on this journey.”

Sigfred too now rose, a silent nod from the ginormous auburn-haired man, whose mustache twitched as his gaze pierced through you. You had heard tales of a wandering ranger from the Wilderland, their rumors passing off as myth as it was hard to survive without aid in those lands. After all, nothing came from the Wilderlands save for wild beasts of enormous strength. But here he stood, six feet and four inches tall, with hair covering his chest and arms as shown through his tunic.

“As for warriors, Erebor supplies the journey with Dwalin and Kíli.” Thorin finished his introductions, his hands offering the two dwarves, of which only Dwalin was left kneeling. But that didn’t last long as he finally stood, arms crossed.

“For the journey, I offer my axes,” he grumbled. His voice was deep and gruff, and scars littered his arms, reminiscent of battles long ago.

“And I my sword and bow,” spoke Kíli, who now seemed to know how to bite his tongue.

“It is done, then.” Thorin said with a nod. “By first light, you all shall begin your journey. Rest now, and be swift.” And with a single hand he dismissed you all, leaving you to return to your lodgings within the mountain halls. But as you left, you felt Kíli’s gaze bore stubborn holes into the back of your skull.

That was three weeks ago. It was the money that kept you here, you had to remind yourself. Nothing else but the bounty of gold promised to you by the King Under the Mountain himself, Thorin Oakenshield. Nothing else, despite the fact that you were already beginning to feel your patience wearing thin. In just three short weeks, the young prince of Erebor had been nothing but insufferable and unprofessional. Constantly up to pranks at the expense of you and your sanity (he had attempted to jest with Sigfred, but it seemed the poor dwarf prince was intimidated by the silent man who stood almost two feet taller than he), he was driving you up a wall. The few times Dwalin had put him in check were the only moments that brought you relief these days. That, and the quiet nights you all slept in the shadows. It seemed the only good thing Kíli provided was his skill with a bow and scouting. Though, a part of you was also entertained by his stories, which he told often to Sigfred whenever he could. Though intimidated, it seemed the young dwarf was also awestruck by the tall ranger. It was only when he told such stories of dragons and elves that you found yourself fully listening to him.

But as more days passed, he seemed to be getting bolder. To begin the next week, he had decided to swipe your clothes while you were caught unawares, hiding them while you were bathing nearby! You were lucky it was Sigfred and not Dwalin who found you panicking naked about the springs, pushing your embarrassment down knowing for a fact that the quiet man wouldn’t tell a soul. You were lucky he had helped by finding and bringing you your clothes (lest you be caught meandering naked just outside of Mirkwood) but still, a part of your dignity had evaporated that day. You could feel yourself being pushed to the brink by his antics, and weren’t sure just how much you could take it.

A few more days passed, and finally you had a lead on Aevar Godfred. You had caught wind of a strange man shirking about past the Brown Lands, headed west towards Fangorn. You thought that he was possibly trying to run to Rohan in hopes of sanctuary, as Thorin had theorized all those weeks ago. Mind set on tracking him, you followed Sigfred as he led the way, his fast legs leaving you and the other two dwarves quite winded by the time you set up camp the next night. Quickly, you all settled under the shelter of wooden ruins that must have been a stable at one point. Dwalin was quick to get the fire going, sending out Kíli to go hunting for tonight’s dinner. Sigfred, who was a vegetarian, was put on watch.

With a tired demeanor, you sunk to the ground, sitting near Dwalin at the fire. For now, while Kíli was away, you could relax. A sigh escaped your lips, and you tried to stretch your back, thoughts eating away at the back of your mind. “I worry about our journey ahead,” you said. Dwalin responded with nothing, but the glint in his eyes told you he was listening. “I’ve heard rumors about Fangorn Forest, and it’s not one to lose yourself in.” You straightened your back, leaning closer to Dwalin, your voice now a whisper. “They say the trees there are different, they’re not normal. They… they can speak to each other. Whisper, mumble, and moan. And sometimes, they say they can even walk.”

“And does someone of your status believe these tales?” Dwalin mused, and you could hear a slight mocking lilt to his voice, though you took care not to address it. He didn’t seem spooked by your words, not in the slightest. “Why lead us there then?”

“I hope to go around,” you replied. “But if Sigfred finds more tracks, we may have no choice but to venture into those woods.” You leaned back, laying on your back now among the grass and twigs. “I’m beginning to worry about how long this is taking. Surely Erebor wouldn’t claim war over something small like this.” You had muttered the last part to yourself, but Dwalin’s keen ears had caught it.

“Thorin would not choose war so easily, not since the days of the dragon,” he said. “But I say murder lies on his mind often with the likes of thieves.”

You nodded, listening. It made more sense to think of it like that, and it started to make you wonder if the council of Gondor had sent you here as “aid” merely to appease the stubborn dwarves. A milk run of sorts. A small errand to busy the minds of children. You groaned at the thought, not too pleased with the idea of possibly being a scapegoat for something as small as this.

The sound of returning footsteps stirred your thoughts, and you were quick to stand back onto your feet. You knew it was Kíli, and if Kíli was returning so soon, you had no doubt that his antics would as well. You weren’t in the mood to deal with him, especially now with all these doubts swimming in your head. You needed to clear your mind, and so you walked away from the fire and into the night. Not too far, mind you, but far enough to feel alone with the crickets and the stars. They were shining brightly tonight, and you wondered what it would be like to touch one as you sat back in the grass. You wondered what it would be like to fly up, up, up into the sky and sit on a cloud, far away from dwarven princes and thieves and political feuds.

You weren’t quite sure how much time had passed before you had finally decided you should return, standing up and dusting yourself off before a soft voice cut through your thoughts.

“Are you not going to eat?” The voice startled you, coming from right behind you and causing you to trip and fall backwards on top of the poor person. Well, maybe they didn’t deserve that much pity, as you quickly realized it was Kíli who had startled you.

“Gods, make yourself known next time!” You grumbled, annoyed, and you brought your fist to his chest in spite. But after a quick wince of pain, all he did was smile, and suddenly you realized how close you two were, with you still on top of him.

“My, my. Falling for me already?” He beamed, coughing out a pained chuckle with his cheeky grin catching you off guard as you hurriedly sat up and away from him, trying your best to regain your composure.

“Don’t get it twisted,” you said. “If I spend one more minute this close to you, I think I’ll go insane.”

He too started to rise, propping himself up on his elbows. “I think we finally agree, but don’t go making empty promises.” He chuckled, and you could have sworn he even winked. The gall! The nerve! Gods! Your cheeks heated up in anger and embarrassment at his words.

“The only promise I’ll give is my hands around your throat if you don’t stop.” You warned, finally finding the courage to stand.

He sighed wistfully, getting himself back up. “I’ll warn you; don’t go making promises you can’t keep, now. You’d be surprised to find I might like that.”

Your eyes widened, and your ears and cheeks flushed again. You were so unbelievably caught off guard by his flirtatious comments that you couldn't even remember why he had come to retrieve you in the first place. Now he was beginning to push his luck. “Will you stop these jokes, already?”

“Jokes? I can assure you that I’m definitely into-”

“No, stop! Stop it! I’m done!” You said, frustrated. “For two months now we’ve been at this, and for two months now you’ve made a complete fool of me! I can’t take these pranks of yours anymore, I refuse! Hiding my weapons was mildly annoying, painting my face in my sleep was immature, and don’t even get me started on hiding my clothes while I’m bathing! Is nothing sacred to you?”

His eyes widened, surprised by your outburst. A heavy silence fell as he studied your face carefully. He took a step closer, his eyes holding some sort of apologetic worry that seemed so foreign to you now compared to his usual grins. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop.” His words were honest, and his voice had softened. “It was all in good fun, I meant no ill will.”

“Good fun?” You scoffed, crossing your arms. “I was left to wander around naked because of you!”

“A sight I wish I could’ve seen,” he coughed to himself. “But really, I meant nothing by it. Despite how lovely it is to see you flustered, I don’t wish to make an enemy of you.” He spoke truthfully, though hidden was another truth you couldn’t fully discern. Offering a hand, he looked into your eyes with his own deep brown ones that shone in the starlight. “A truce. I promise to leave you alone for the rest of the journey, I swear.”

You were suddenly finding yourself taken aback by how quickly his mood had shifted from playful to serious. Before the journey had even started, he had been glaring daggers into your backside. What could have possibly made him change his mind in these last two months? Even his pranks had gone from tormenting the group as a whole to being more targeted towards you as of late. What was in his mind to focus so much attention on driving you insane? But his expression was earnest, and it suddenly made you second-guess yourself, now embarrassed that you had made such a big deal of it all. “No, you… You don’t have to do all that.” You sighed, swallowing your pride for the first time with him. “I just… If we are to continue being allies, then I can’t keep being some little game for you to entertain yourself with. I deserve some respect.”

He nodded, understanding now that his attempts of flirting with you had come off as harassment, and was feeling deeply ashamed. “You deserve so much more than that,” he said, retracting his hand. His voice had said those words so softly, like a feather caught in a breeze. And just as quickly as silence fell again, he was quick to do a silly little bow to you.

“From now on, I’m at your service,” he smiled. “Allow me to extend my services for your forgiveness, if you’ll allow it.”

You swallowed, not sure of what to make of his gesture. Perhaps he was simply joking again, but perhaps he wasn’t. And perhaps you were willing to risk those odds, for some reason. You stood for half a second before sighing. Your mind was made up. “Alright,” you spoke. “But one more chance. That’s all you’re getting, so you better not disappoint me.”

Relieved you accepted him for now, he beamed, and in the same breath realized just how much he was beginning to fall for you.

Finally, you were hot on Aevar’s trail. Two and a half months into your journey, with which Kíli had thus been true to his word, and you had found it. Hidden just in front of the forest’s entrance, in a now-abandoned shack along the main road, you had spotted a campfire. And not just any campfire, but the likes of which belonged to Aevar Godfred. You knew him well based on his face, for he had been born with a scar along his cheek that was hard to miss through the windows of the shack, and even harder to forget. Behind trees, you kept hidden, retreating back to tell the others of your good fortune. Finally, this would all be over soon. Or at least half of the journey would be.

It seemed the only one who had been excited by the news was Kíli, his eyes shining brightly and eager to get to work when you had told the group of your findings. Dwalin himself had also shown relief, though from all his years he knew better than to celebrate early. Sigfred, for once, showcased a small smile, though concern still laced his brow. Now, all that needed to happen was the forming of a plan. After quick deliberation, it was settled; you’d all wait him out and sack him in his sleep.

Hours passed by until the fire’s light was seen dying, and further scouting from Kíli proved useful as ever. Aevar Godfred, the scourge of both Gondor and Erebor, was finally asleep.

With careful steps and baited breath, you all surrounded him, wary of waking him. It had been decided that the “sacking” would go along in this fashion: Kíli, with a drawn bow and keen eye, would keep his sights drawn on Aevar in the event that he tried something nasty upon waking. Dwalin, armed with his sheer muscle, would guard the door of the building. Sigfred stood guard outside, for he was the last resort if Aevar tried to make a break for it. And as for you, you carefully made your way to Aevar’s sleeping figure, maneuvering his weapons away from his sleeping body until you were ready for the next step.

Quickly, you gave a glance to Dwalin, who nodded to let you know that he was ready any time. Turning your glance, you now looked at Kíli, who looked quite intimidating now that his weapon was drawn. He gave you a knowing look, slowly nodding, and you knew it was time. You drew a breath, unsheathed your dagger, and pounced.

You awoke the thief with a start, your blade drawn to his neck as you straddled his body, digging your knees into his wrists to prevent him from moving. His head whipped wildly about, assessing the situation, before his head made contact with yours, and hard. Your grip faltered for a moment, and Aevar took his chance. Springing up, he swung his legs at Kíli, missing the dwarf’s fired arrow just barely, though it cut his cheek. Down Kíli tumbled, and down Aevar flew to swipe at his weapons, but not before you threw your dagger as a quick-ditch method. It managed to pierce him in his backside, and the traitor let out a great howl of pain, dropping to his knees but still desperately scurrying to try and retrieve some sort of weapon.

“Dwalin, now!” You commanded, holding your head in your right hand. You wondered if it would bruise, but found yourself more annoyed that Godfred had gotten you with such child’s play. Kíli himself was also finding himself annoyed, not having missed a target in a long while. He would later blame it on the cramped space, but that was no matter for now.

Dwalin was swift as he was scary, kicking Aevar down onto his stomach and holding him there with his foot before binding his hands behind his back, all the while with the cowardly man howling and moaning. With one swift hit, Dwalin knocked the man out, and his body thumped on the broken wooden floors.

“Dwalin! We need him alive!” You said, worried.

“Alive,” he repeated. “And I’d rather think quietly, too.”

You groaned, not wanting to bicker. The important part was that you got him. You had ensnared your prey, and despite the annoyance you were thanking the stars that it had been so easy. Stumbling onto your hands and knees, you issued another order.

“Kíli, find the jewels. Quick.” You said, and Kíli wasted no time in searching, tearing apart Aevar’s things one by one. But he was starting to get frustrated, with each bag and nook and cranny turning up empty.

“They’re not here.. They’re not here!” He looked at you with exasperation, and you finally stood up, dumbfounded.

“Look again, Kíli,” Dwalin commanded. “Find them now.”

Both of you now searched, hands tearing the place apart together until just under the floorboards, you saw something shine from the moonlight trickling in the window. Quickly, you got on all fours, prying the floor open only to cut yourself on a sharp nail. You winced, a few curses expelling themselves from your lips as you stumbled back, catching yourself with your elbow. Kíli was quick to notice, casting a worried look to your current state before finishing what you had started. He pried open the floor, and there they were. Tucked and wrapped in a loose scarf sat the jewels, the sapphire peeking out in the moonlight. It was the sapphire that you had seen.

“We found them!” He called out, a laugh of relief escaping him as he raised them in his hand to show Dwalin and Sigfred, who had finally come in after realizing all had went well so far.

You smiled in relief, but quickly found yourself focusing back on your hand, which now felt as though it were burning and going numb at the same time. Though it was bleeding a lot, as being a long cut that ran from your middle finger to the base of your thumb, you were lucky it seemed to have only cut skin and not tissue. But still, it was deep, creating a thin gash on your hand. This plus your combined headache was making it harder for you to stay present in the moment. Your head pounded still from the impact, and you partially wondered if you were having a concussion. You ripped off some fabric from your tunic, quickly wrapping your hand for now, though you knew it would have to be treated sooner than later. But now, there was still work to do.

Just one hour later, you had all set up inside the abandoned shack. Quickly, everyone had gotten to work. Sigfred had been put on watch after tying and binding Aevar up to one of the shack’s foundational beams tight enough that you almost pitied him. Keyword: almost. Dwalin had rekindled the dying fire just in time for rain to begin falling, with droplets peppering in through the broken patches of the thatch roofing. Kíli had raided the rest of Aevar’s belongings to supply everyone with decent enough rations, and you… You hadn’t been much help, not that you could help it. You leaned against the wall of the ruined building, wincing at any slight movement in your right hand due to the placement of the cut. A part of you silently wished it had been your non dominant hand; at least then, you’d still be some sort of useful.

Taking a seat by your side, Kíli put both of your rations on the ground before leaning closer, his brows furrowed and laced with concern. “Let me see,” he said, awfully close. And reluctantly, you offered him your hand. You had half the mind not to just because of how much he seemed to get on your nerves, or how much you wanted to seem strong despite the burning feeling, but you were worried too much about it being infected to be in any position above him right now.

His thicker fingers delicately unwrapped the tunic scraps off of the cut, soaked in blood that now looked dark from the amount you had bled. His jaw set tightly after getting a good look at it, and he drew a skin from his bag. “We need to clean it,” he said. He opened the skin with his teeth, pouring a liquid on your wound that you quickly realized from the smell and awful sting alone was liquor, quite possibly ale. You hissed, tensing everywhere as your head fell back against the wall in pain. It ebbed in your hand, a burning and stinging sensation that made you want to chop the whole hand off and be done with it. You bit your lip hard, groaning in pain. You had tried jerking your hand back to you, but Kíli’s once delicate hold now gripped your wrist tightly to make sure he didn’t miss any spots.

“It has to be cleaned,” he explained, though you already knew that quite well. “You’re doing well, it’s alright.” His reassuring words startling you as you quickly met his gaze, a sense of uncertainty in your eyes. Perhaps he pitied you right now, you thought to yourself. He was being too nice, and you didn’t know how to respond to it. It seemed like another prank, another ruse. You broke the eye contact held between you, your pride getting the best of you as you only nodded. Eventually, the pain dulled down, and Kíli’s grip loosened, setting your hand down to retrieve some fresh gauze to wrap your wound.

“It’s not too deep,” he said. “But you won’t be able to make much use out of your hand for now.” You turned back to him, refusing to take your eyes away from him now as he wrapped you up. No, it wasn’t refusal, now that you thought about it. You simply couldn’t look away. You had become all too interested in the concentrated gaze he held, his hair falling in the front of his face. Without a thought behind it, you raised your other hand to his face, tucking away the loose hair behind his ear. He tensed at the contact, quick to look at you all wide-eyed like a deer caught at night. You couldn’t read his face, and soon realized just what you had done. Coming back to your senses, you cleared your throat, sitting up straighter.

“It is… Um, is it finished?” You asked. Kíli took a second longer to bring himself back, before he too cleared his throat.

“Yes, yes,” he said. “But be careful. Here.” His hands left your own, and you found yourself being disappointed by it, though you didn’t understand why. He handed you your food for the night, and you softly thanked him, being careful with your injury as you ate.

“He’ll be waking up soon,” Dwalin grunted, and you were reminded that you had an audience this whole time. “What’s the plan from here?”

“Gondor isn’t too far from here,” you spoke carefully, envisioning the route home in your mind. “But the jewels and prisoner must be returned to Erebor.”

“And so they shall,” Kíli nodded, now seated next to Dwalin, leaving his spot beside you. Again, disappointment crept into your mind from the gesture, but you still didn’t understand why you felt such a way.

“Aye, they will.” Dwalin agreed. “But traveling with a sniveling thief won’t be easy. I doubt he’ll be more than willing to come along, and I don’t want more dead weight for the journey back home.” He grunted disapprovingly, not liking the idea of traveling with Aevar. Not that you blamed him, though.

“As much as it doesn’t sound appealing, it’s what your king wanted us to do.” You said. “Gondor, if they even still want him, will want him from your kingdom more than my own hands.”

Kíli quirked an eyebrow in confusion, looking at Dwalin and then you. “What do you mean by ‘if’ they still want him?”

You sighed, finishing your meal quickly. “My orders were more vague than I told you; I’m not entirely sure what will happen to him once he’s brought to Minas Tirith. But regardless, we should follow along as we have. We should leave early tomorrow and make use of the light. I’ll take first watch.”

Kíli was still curious of your orders, but decided against discussing further. It was late, and everyone was tired from the journey. Sigfred let out a small sigh of relief after being relieved from his duty, and soon everyone was preparing for the night to sleep.

Night crept on, much like the thunderstorm that raged overhead, and you had been at watch for a few hours now, with everyone sleeping at the other end of the shack. You too had begun to start feeling tired, but the thunder clapping flooded your ears and kept you awake. It seems it managed to stir others at times too, for soon Aevar awoke, tied down and gagged. You rolled your eyes at the sight as he began groaning and sputtering muffled curses at you through the fabric stuffed in his mouth, quite enraged to be in his current state.

“Silence,” you ordered, keeping your voice low. “You have no one but yourself to blame. We’re taking you back to Erebor, where your punishment awaits.”

But Aevar was a fool, and a stubborn one at that. Managing to spit out the gag to your surprise, he then spat venom at you. “Do what you will, but as soon as you fall asleep I’ll unbind myself, slit your disgusting throats and be off with what’s mine. I stole them once and I’ll do it again.”

“Oh, don’t make me laugh,” you scoffed, glaring at him. “Give it up; you have no power here, nor anywhere else for that matter.” Your words were fueled by your distaste for his pitiful arrogance. “Did you really think you were so smart? So clever? You stole something when nobody was watching, and now act as if you’ve hung the stars themselves. Get a hold of yourself, Aevar. You’re nothing but a worthless cheat.”

“So says you, who bends every which way for the sake of a man you call King.” He said. “And I’m the one without worth? If I’m but dirt, then what does that make you?”

You didn’t answer at first, but your expression became stony as your free hand held the hilt of your dagger tightly. “It’ll make you nothing but a distant memory by the time we arrive in Erebor. Now be quiet if you know what’s good for you. It would be wise for you to keep your tongue once you’re there, unless you’d like for me to cut it out?”

“You don’t scare me,” he hissed. “You’re just a slave to your government. A pawn to your politics. And a whore to your-”

Quickly, you decided you had had enough of his mad ramblings, grasping the blade of your dagger to strike him in the head with its hilt, knocking him unconscious once more and right in tandem with an awful clapping of powerful thunder. He made another slimy grunt before going out cold, and upon seeing the slight cut on your hand from your grip, you dropped the blade, watching it clatter to the floor. You were lucky this cut was lighter than the one on your dominant hand, and even luckier that your dagger was dull. Only a few drops of blood escaped before you wrapped your other hand as best as you could, relieved that you could still use it despite your rashness leading you to now have two cut hands.

But you hadn’t been quiet enough, it seemed. From hearing the clatter, Kíli awoke, his eyes squinting in the dark to find you standing over Aevar’s body, which had sunk back into his original position. He stood up, making his way behind you as he peered over at the thief, who now lay unconscious. His gaze shifted between the dagger on the floor and the thief tied up. “What happened?”

“He woke up, just like Dwalin said,” you spoke plainly. “So I put him back to sleep.” Now starting to ebb away from your dark thoughts, you turned to look at the dwarf. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” he lied, his voice soft. “The thunder. It’s just loud tonight.”

You nodded, sitting back down against the wall like you had done earlier. “I see. It’ll probably continue on until the morning, too.”

Concern laced his brow as he studied your face, kneeling now in front of you. “Y/N…” Your name sounded so delicate on his tongue. “Is… Is everything alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” you said. “He just… He got under my skin, that's all.”

Now Kíli nodded, and repositioned himself to sit next to you. “I see.” A small pause as he attempted to cheer you up. “And here I was, thinking that was my job.”

You gave a weak chuckle, smiling softly as your head leaned back, hitting the wall. A comfortable silence fell over you two, or as silent as you could get with the commotion going on outside. “Listen, Kíli,” you whispered.

“Yes?” He looked at you, his eyes shining like stars in the dark sky. You didn’t understand why you thought of them like that, but you did.

“About earlier. I wanted to thank you for patching me up. I should’ve said it earlier but I let my pride get in the way. I’m sorry.” You spoke earnestly, wanting to wipe the guilt out of your memory by setting the record straight. “You’ve been true to your word since our last conversation, and here I am still finding myself not trusting you. It’s unfair. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he smiled, letting out a breathy laugh. “I’m nothing but trouble in your eyes, you have every right to keep looking over your shoulder. I’m just glad you didn’t suffer anything worse.”

You sighed, nodding with a hum of acknowledgment, but his words seemed to bite you on the inside. Another pause came, followed by your voice. “You’re not.. You’re not trouble.” You spoke carefully, not even entirely sure where you were going with this yourself. “I’m just not used to such antics, least of all from a prince.” He chuckled at this.

“Sometimes,” you looked away, not being able to look at him while you admitted the next bit. “I suppose sometimes, they could even be considered funny.”

You kept your gaze away, but saw in your peripheral that Kíli seemed shocked by your words. “Funny? Oh Mahal, how hard did he hit your head?”

You whipped your head back around at the accusation, finding it already annoying that it had taken so much pride to give the dwarf a compliment. “Oh please! If he had hit me any harder I may have said I was in love with you,” you said sarcastically, but it seemed that Kíli didn’t find it as funny. Or not at first, at least, as a gruff chuckle left him a bit delayed.

“Ah, I see.” He said. “Well, it’s good to see you’re not hurt in the head, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to insult me nearly as easily.” He gave a cheeky grin and you rolled your eyes, shrugging off his teasing. “I like seeing this side of you, Y/N.”

“What, injured?” You raised your wrapped hands, confused by his statement.

“Open,” he said, and continued to elaborate at the sight of your raised eyebrow. “When we first met, you were so cold and kept mostly to yourself. I’m glad the journey has brought us closer.”

“And when we first met, I could say the same of you,” you retorted. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your glares and sneers when I left each room.” Kíli shrunk a little at this, finding himself embarrassed.

“I was…” He explained. “I was rather rash in my thoughts, I’d say. But I know better now. I think I know you a little better now, too.” You scoffed at this, rolling your eyes.

“Oh really? And what have you found out, you little spy?” You taunted, raising a brow.

“That you’re just as strong as you are stubborn.” He began. “That no matter what happens, you always seem to be able to motivate yourself and get back up again. And that you take your job seriously. So seriously that you never seem to have time for a joke or a laugh. But when you do laugh, your eyes crinkle up like paper. It makes me wish to see your laugh more often.” He looked over at you, meeting your eyes now. Your face was flushed from hearing such words, but you couldn’t bring yourself to escape his stare. No, you found yourself lost in it. Two swirling pools of a deep brown that seemed to drown you. So deep, in fact, that you feared if you dove in, you might never come up for air. You found yourself speechless, not sure of what to say or how to continue such a conversation. Kíli continued it for you.

“You also have quite a temper,” he laughed. “You get wrinkles on your forehead, especially when you’re cross with me. And your fist stings just as hard as your glares. It reminds me sometimes of my mother; it seems you both think I’m reckless.”

Finally, your words returned to you as you cleared your throat to find them. “Well she’s right, you know,” you said. “You are reckless. A complete idiot driven by impulse. But you’re smart, nonetheless.” You sighed, pushing your pride aside for just a moment, long enough to admit your favorite things about him. “You’re incredibly skilled with a bow, I’d say you even rival elvish warriors.”

“You think so?” He asked, smiling. You nodded.

“But your strategies need more work. You’re smart with a blade, and you’re incredibly determined, but you’re still impulsive. You don’t look out for yourself enough.” You tried your best not to scold him, but still found yourself frustrated at the facts. “You try your best to look out for everyone else in the group, but do nothing for yourself. It’s exhausting. If you continue to do so, you’re only going to get yourself hurt.” You wanted to say more, but bit your tongue, lest you admit a tiny part of yourself cared about him.

“So the immovable Y/N truly does worry about me,” he teased, but his face dulled at the thought. “But you’re right. At least, that’s what I’ve been told many times by many people. I let my emotions get the best of me, it seems.”

You felt bad for chiding him, shifting yourself to face him more as you sighed. “It’s not entirely a bad thing, you know.” He looked back up at you, curious for you to say more. “Emotions are good, it means you have a heart, and that’s very rare to find these days in times of war. You have the heart of a warrior, Kíli.” His smile returned at your words, and he found himself falling deeper into your eyes this time.

“You know,” he spoke, his voice soft. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have a soft spot for me.” You flushed again, your eyes going wide. “Either that, or you’ve gone delirious with infection. I think it’s poisoning your mind!” Your breath of relief (that you weren’t even aware you had let out) left him laughing at your disposition.

“Well if that were the case,” you grumbled. “It would be from your own lack of medical expertise.” Kíli smiled, rolling his own eyes, and you were beginning to find yourself very tired from the night, your eyelids growing heavy and your yawns coming in more frequently. The thunder outside now seemed so distant in your sleepy mind. How long had it been? Four, five hours? You stretched your exhausted body, trying to find comfort against the wall.

“I can take over,” he spoke, stirring you from your thoughts. “I don’t mind. You need the rest, anyways.” You shook your head no, stubborn as you were.

“I’m fine,” you said.

“You’re tired,” he said. “Just rest. I’m quite awake now, don’t worry. I can stand watch.”

You sighed, not wanting to bicker. “Fine, but only for an hour. Not a moment longer, wake me up once it’s over.” You groaned, resting your head against the wall to sleep, not bothering to move from your spot, still intent on watching later as you shut your eyes.

Kíli huffed at your stubbornness. “Y/N, here.” You felt his hand come across your face, guiding your head into his lap. Your eyes shot open for a second, startled at the gesture.

“What… What are you-” you tried to speak, but were interrupted.

“Shh, rest now,” he said. “I don’t want you to have a stiff neck for the journey back. Unless you’d rather take the floor?”

You said nothing in response, not having the energy to fight or the courage to taunt him back. A small sigh left your lips and you closed your eyes again, drifting off to sleep.

The next few weeks seemed to fly by. You all wasted no time in hurrying back to Erebor, though the journey itself would take another month and a half. Your days were filled with hiking the forests, hills, and mountains as the sun rose and set around you all constantly. But despite the fast progress you had been making, the journey was far from quiet. Aevar made sure of that, constantly whining and groveling only to spit insults whenever someone wasn’t giving him the attention he so desperately sought. You had all realized early on that rendering him unconscious never solved the problem like you had hoped it would. So instead, you had chained him up, tying his hands together with a long rope you could pull on to ensure he followed. It was mostly Dwalin’s job to do this, being one of the more physically strong ones. Sigfred had been in charge a few times in the past, but quickly found he didn’t have half the stubborn determination that Dwalin did.

Kíli had been put on as the leader of the pack lately, often scouting ahead and helping ensure the road you all traveled was safe and swift. He seemed to have a new energy about him lately too, but you chalked up his eagerness as just wanting to be home soon. You too were ready to return to Erebor already, the journey having set a new ache in your bones that you wished a decent bed would soothe. But you’d be lying if you said you also didn’t share a newfound energy. And it wasn’t because your hands were healing up quickly, either.

Ever since that first night with Aevar, you had found Kíli invading your mind much more than you deemed necessary. You now watched him closely, catching yourself studying him like a prey does of a hunter, though you knew in your heart that he was no such thing. But still, you found yourself strangely timid around him now. His smiles slowly became contagious, his laughs leaving you flustered now. You had no clue what to make of it, and silently cursed yourself all the while. You didn’t want to address the fact that you were finding yourself more and more drawn to him, and had silently chosen not to address any of these feelings until you reached Erebor’s mountain gates.

But it was on days like this that you were finding it harder and harder to do such a thing, as Kíli seemed to always want to be at your side whenever there was a break to do so. Not that you had any courage to deny him, though. A secret part of you enjoyed the way his face seemed to light up during your conversations, a stark contrast to how you two had originally gotten off upon meeting each other.

The night was young, and you had all just reached the dense and dark forest of Mirkwood, setting up camp quickly. It was better to go through Mirkwood during the day, for it was so dark at night that you couldn’t even see your hand if you waved it in front of your own face. Sigfred had gotten the fire started, with Dwalin taking first watch, tying Aevar to a tree, much to the thief’s dismay. It was your turn to hunt tonight’s dinner, as your rations were all running low, and so you set out just a little ways away from your campsite.

Determined, you snuck around the fields surrounding the forest until you found a small river. With eager eyes, you stepped into the shallow end of the waters, drawing your daggers as you let the moonlight glimmer off the stream, waiting eagerly to see the shimmer of fish scales. Though it was a lot of waiting, you were eager and patient for the reward of fresh fish. One by one, you managed to stab each fish with great accuracy, only gathering enough to eat for tonight; any leftovers would probably spoil during the remainder of the journey. Waiting just a little longer to catch one last fish, your focus was stirred by footsteps approaching you. You looked up, keeping your dagger taught in your hand, until you realized it was just Kíli who stood at the top of the riverbank, peering down at you. You sighed, relieved it was just him.

“You know, for a dwarf,” you chuckled. “You’re quite the master of stealth. It’s starting to scare me how quiet you can walk.” He smiled, running a hand through his hair.

“Apologies, I meant not to startle you. I actually came to offer aid; there’s not much to do at camp.” His hands drifted to his bow, holding it up for you to see. You nodded in acknowledgement.

“I appreciate it, but I’m almost done. You can help me carry these back though, if you’d like,” you gestured to the fish, and he nodded with a delighted hum, climbing down to the edge of the river’s shores to get a closer look after putting his bow away.

“A fine dinner, I’m sure,” he grinned. “Caught by an even finer hunter, no doubt.” You flushed at his words, fiddling with your dagger to avoid looking nervous. His words were like honey, and if you weren’t careful, you’d find yourself stuck in their sweetness. A part of you wanted to talk about your newfound feelings, though this was all foreign territory to you. You didn’t even know where to start.

“You’re too kind,” was all you could mutter out before hunching back down into the waters to search for the glimmer of fish again. You needed a distraction, something to pull you out of the enchanting reverie of Kíli Durin, and he could sense this, growing a little concerned.

“Is everything alright?” He asked, seating himself next to your pile of caught fish, all of good size for tonight’s dinner. You dare not look back at him, feigning ignorance.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” You spoke absentmindedly, trying harder to focus on your hunting. And soon, you saw another shimmer of scales heading right your way.

“It feels like you’ve grown a little distant, ever since that night we caught Aevar,” he said, causing you to slip up and narrowly miss the fish. You huffed quietly as you watched it dart away with frantic speed. It seems there was no avoiding this, no matter how hard you wanted to. You stood straight again, looking at him nervously.

“What do you mean?” You asked, hoping it was enough to make up an excuse for. What you hadn’t expected was to see Kíli’s expression so worried, almost afraid. But not the fear one has in danger, no. It seemed like an emotional fear, an anxiety over the anticipation of your conversation. And it seemed you shared it, too.

He chose his next words carefully. “You talk less, at least when you’re around me. You no longer seem to enjoy being near me once we make camp. I just… Is it something I did? Did I make you uncomfortable in some way?” His eyes seemed to hold a slight hurt in them, and it broke you in two to see him in such a way.

You mentally cursed yourself, not realizing in your own emotional troubles that you had also brought Kíli some pain. You quickly shook your head, denying his questions. “No! No, I promise that isn’t it,” you said. But you didn’t know where to go from there, your words catching in your throat. Kíli stepped forward, his boots almost submerging in the river’s waters.

“Then what is it, Y/N?” His voice always spoke your name so beautifully, so delicately, and you wanted to tell him that, but now wasn’t the time. You weren’t even sure if you could bring yourself to tell him. You yourself didn’t even fully understand how you felt towards him, and it seemed to only bring frustration to you, especially right now when all you wanted to do was shout about how you couldn’t erase his smile from your mind.

“I…” you tripped over your own thoughts, finding yourself frustrated to tears that you couldn’t even say such a simple thing. But then again, it wasn’t simple. Not to you, at least. “You don’t bring me discomfort,” you reassured. “I just… There’s so much in my mind right now, and I have no idea how to tell you about any of it.”

Kíli took a step further, now in the waters with you as he approached, his hands reaching out for your own. Gingerly, you took them, drawing a breath. His gaze was so gentle, so patient. “Is there anything I can do to help ease your mind?” he offered, and you frowned, unsure of what would even help at this moment.

“I don’t know,” you said. “I’m not even sure I know what to make of these thoughts for myself, Kíli.”

“Then tell me what ails you,” he said. “And I will do my best to help.”

You exhaled, nodding as you collected your thoughts. “It…” you started nervously. “It’s so strange, the way I feel about you. At first, I thought you must have hated me. Why else were you always out to get me with your pranks and your jests? Or your mocking, flirting comments? But as soon as I addressed it, you were so quick to stop…” You looked back at him, and he nodded, begging you to continue. Encouraged, you took a breath.

“And then that night, the night we captured Aevar Godfred, and you patched up my hand… You looked so beautiful then. Your kindness made me feel so many different things, so many things that I haven’t felt in quite some time, if at all. And your words, oh your words!” You chuckled, both frustrated and amused at your current plight. “Every time you speak such beautiful words to me, it’s like reading poetry. But even ink on paper cannot compare to the things you speak of sometimes. And your smile is like starlight; it makes the sun hide away, knowing it cannot shine half as bright. You make me feel so many different things that I cannot begin to explain or understand, Kíli. And it hurts me to see you hurt because of my struggling mind. But I don’t know what to call these things I feel towards you, I really don’t.”

You had gone from smiling to now sad again, realizing that despite getting all of these feelings off of your chest, you still didn’t understand what they meant. Kíli opened his mouth to speak, his eyes glittering again as the stars above reflected in them, but you cut him off short. “But I can’t keep avoiding you anymore, not if it hurts you like this. But I also can’t bear to part from you. My heart, it aches for your smile, for your voice, it aches for you.” You were starting to realize just what your words and feelings met, but you couldn’t bring yourself to admit you might be in love with him until you heard him answer you.

“Oh, amrâlimê,” he smiled, tucking some wisps of your hair back behind your ear. His voice was so delicate as he spoke, and your eyes widened at the use of his native tongue. You had no idea what he had said, and wanted to ask, but knew it wasn’t the time. Not now, at least, when you awaited his answer. Your eyes searched his, anxious and confused at his smile as you awaited his answer. “Only you can be the one to say what this feeling is, but I can finally admit in confidence that I too feel the same.” He brought your hands to his lips, kissing them gently, despite them smelling of fish.

“You’ve set my heart on fire,” he said. “And no matter how you try to put it out, there will always still be at least one ember burning brightly, smoking only for you. My heart burns for you, amrâlimê. I burn for you.”

“You know your heart so well,” you smiled, feeling immensely happy at his words. “But how can you know for sure that it is I who it belongs to?”

He stepped forward, closing the gap between you two even moreso, his left hand coming to rest on your cheek, and you leaned into his touch as he wiped a runaway tear away. “You might not like this, but I’ve known it ever since I hid your clothes that day in the river.” You laughed, finding yourself amused by this.

“Really?” You chuckled, poking fun. “Making me miserable made you fall for me?”

He grinned, laughing. “I was never doing it to make fun. Well, maybe a little. But every comment, every joke, every prank, that was my way of telling you I liked you, though I’m a little embarrassed that they were interpreted so wrongly.”

“Every comment?” You mused. “Even the ones about wanting to see me-”

“Yes, but that’s not the point right now,” he cut you off, embarrassed. “Those words are for a different mood entirely, not right now. But yes… They were all true.” He muttered the last sentence, avoiding your eyes as you laughed. It was all falling into place in your mind. How could you have been so stupid, so blind by your determination towards the mission?

“Kíli…” you breathed, and his eyes met yours once more as you looked at him nervously. “Can I kiss you?”

He smiled, all too happy at the question. “Of course, amrâlimê. Always, now and forever.”

And slowly, as your eyes darted between his own and his lips, you leaned in, meeting his lips in a soft and light kiss. The act itself was quite foreign to you, but it felt right. Gingerly, your hand went up to his face, and his other hand moved up to gently place itself over your hair as your lips danced together in a beautiful song sung by the words you two had just exchanged. His lips were slightly worn and rough from the journey, but you didn’t care as you wrapped your injured hand around the back of his neck for support as you leaned in. It was such a lovely thing between you, a token of your mutual feelings for one another, that you thought you could kiss him like this forever. But all too soon, you pulled away at the sound of much heavier footsteps, your senses going on alert. Kíli did too, taking a step back to look behind him.

“What’s going on down there?” It was Dwalin, and he sounded quite annoyed. “You two have taken so long we thought you drowned.”

Kíli laughed and you breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn’t been some stranger. “I can assure you, we didn’t drown!” He called back, causing you to look away in embarrassment, eagerly grabbing the fish.

“Well if you don’t hurry back, then I’ll make sure it happens myself!” Dwalin warned, casting a disappointed glare before finally leaving the riverbank. You sighed again, this time out of anxiety. But the grin of a madman that lied on Kíli’s face was more than enough to raise your spirits again.

“Amrâlimê,” he said, walking up to you as he grabbed the remainder of the fish from your hunt. “I love you. And I understand if you need more time to think upon it, but I want you to know how I feel. I’ve never been more sure of anything. When we’re back home, I want to show you just what you mean to me, if that’s alright with you.”

You drew a breath, finding yourself speechless at his declaration of love. Thinking for a moment and silently thankful he would give you time to think, you nodded with an eager smile. “Then I’ll be waiting for that day, when it comes.”

Finally, after two months since capturing Aevar, your group had completed the long journey back to the mountain halls of Erebor. It all seemed so long ago from when you had all first set off on this trek, parts of it fading off into distant memory.

You all had been welcomed warmly by Balin and Thorin, and upon the sight both Kíli and Dwalin seemed overjoyed to be back home to their lives and their friends and their families. You and Sigfred were both glad that the journey was now over, but it seemed as though the both of you felt out of place within the stone caverns. After all, you had only come as aid; this wasn’t your home. Though home, for the both of you, seemed so far away. A selfish part of you would’ve preferred to stay here and not worry about the troubles of Gondor, but you could tell Sigfred was itching to return to his homelands in the Wilderland.

Hours later, you were all summoned to a meeting with Thorin, most likely to discuss your success, your rewards, and the new objectives surrounding Aevar Godfred. You weren’t too excited about having to travel back home with him; it was safe to say you had barely tolerated the journey thus far with the cowardly thief. But for tonight, you could relax. After all, there was to be a banquet held in your group’s honor, a celebration of the return of the royal jewels (with tighter security, of course).

Slowly, you came into a side room of one of Erebor’s many halls, finding yourself in a sort of gathering area, a war room of sorts. A strong stone table lined the middle of the room, and you could see Kíli already seated at the end of it. Everyone else had yet to arrive, and you found yourself growing nervous at being alone in the room with the prince. Butterflies tickled inside you as you made your way closer to him, and his eyes lit up upon seeing you. Gods, those deep brown eyes that had you hooked since you first saw them. Only now instead of rivalry and arrogance, love lay behind them.

“Amrâlimê, there you are.” He smiled, standing out of his seat to pull your own chair out for you. Taking your place next to him, you returned the smile as you sat down. “Will you be joining me at the banquet tonight?”

“The banquet?” You said. “I’d like to, yes. But I’m not sure I have anything to wear for such an occasion.”

“Nonsense, you’re perfect the way you are,” he smiled, taking your hand in his as he placed a gentle kiss on it. You couldn’t bite back the smile that crept onto your face again.

“Listen, I’ve been meaning to tell you that-” And just before you could tell the prince how you truly felt, in walked the rest of your party.

“My apologies for my lateness,” Thorin said, followed closely behind by Dwalin and Balin as he sat at the head of the table. Balin, carrying four large pouches, stood beside him. Dwalin sat down just as Sigfred entered, and soon the entire party was seated. “Now, onto business.”

The meeting droned on for about an hour or two, as it began with you all recounting your journey to the King Under the Mountain. You told him all about the journey of capturing Aevar, who you were told was locked away in the dungeons. The whole time, Thorin was silent, his stare unreadable. Finally, after finishing your recollection, he nodded to Balin, who gave each of you one of the heavy pouches. Peeking inside, your eyes widened at the glittering jewels which lay inside. Thorin was no cheat when it came to rewards; this was more than you had ever expected!

“And now to our next ordeal,” he said, and you returned your gaze to the king. “We sent word to Gondor shortly after you left, asking what we were to do with the prisoner. They still request he return with Y/N to Gondor, but not before they send a caravan to aid in the journey back. We expect them to arrive within the next few days.”

You exhaled a breath you didn’t know you were holding, both relieved and upset about the opportunity to return home. Though you missed the White City, you knew that it also meant parting from Kíli, something you weren’t ready to do just yet.

“Y/N, we’ve arranged a room for you to stay here for the time being until the caravan arrives.” Thorin said. You nodded in respect.

“Thank you,” you said. It was all you could let out.

“As for you, Sigfred,” the king turned to the tall man, who seemed much uncomfortable in the stone chair, though he tried his best not to show it. “It seems this is where your service ends. On behalf of Erebor, we thank you. You are welcome anytime within our gates.”

The two men shared a nod of respect, and soon the king stood tall. Or as tall as one could when he was 5’2”.

“I shan’t keep you all any longer. This group is now dismissed, but leave not before treating yourselves to tonight’s banquet, as a token of our thanks to you.” And with a strong nod, he dismissed himself, leaving the room with Balin trailing behind. Sigfred was the next to leave, followed by Dwalin shortly after. You rose from your seat, about to leave when a hand took yours.

It was Kíli. “Y/N, you had something to say earlier, before everyone came in?” He stepped closer towards you, and you had to push away the sad thoughts as best as you could. You didn’t want to risk crying in front of him again.

“Ah, right,” you said, chewing your cheek to keep your voice from breaking. “I’ll be leaving soon, it seems.”

He nodded, sensing your sadness. He shared it. “Yes, it seems so.”

“But I…” you swallowed. “I don’t think I’m ready to go, Kíli.”

He stepped forward again, his hand cupping your cheek. “What is it, my love? What troubles you?” His voice was so soft, and you couldn’t help the tears that slipped past your eye.

“I love you, Kíli,” you breathed. “And I feel so selfish because it’s taken me so long to figure it out and yet I still have to leave.” Tears fell from your eyes as you looked down at the man who had stolen your heart. But he only smiled at you. A small smile, one that hid sadness with hope.

“Amrâlimê,” he spoke. “There is no one else who could occupy my heart the way that you have, and even distance couldn’t change that.” Both of his hands now clasped themselves around yours as he brought them to his heart. “I am yours, Y/N.”

Desperately, you leaned in with the need to feel his lips on yours, and he was much obliged to provide such a thing for you. “Can we just…” you breathed. “For tonight, can we pretend that I’ll stay? Please? Just for tonight.”

He gently placed a kiss on your lips, a smile gracing his features. “As you wish. Tonight, I won’t leave your side. I am yours for as long as you want me.”

The banquet raged on all throughout the night as the flames of the torches and lanterns burned brightly within Erebor. The kingdom was joyous and generous in their celebrations, it seemed, as you witnessed several arrays of meats, meads, and cheeses served on long tables full of drunken dwarves. You relished each bite that came your way, knowing you hadn’t been treated to a feast like this for a while since your journey. Cheers and laughter rang loudly in tandem with the music, of which Kíli was helping to supply. For as long as you had gotten to know him, you found yourself still surprised by him as he wielded a fiddle before you, his smile so wide his eyes squinted tightly when he did. Even the ever-grumpy Dwalin found himself strumming the viol in the throng of musicians that bordered the ballroom!

Which of course, leads us to discuss the ballroom. A huge space in the middle of the banquet’s hall, dwarves and dwarrowdams alike danced like fire lay at their feet, their movements and jumps in accordance with the strong beat of the music that echoed off of the bedrock walls of Erebor. Even Sigfred, who hadn’t shown any hint of a smile on your journey, was cheering wildly as he dragged you onto the dancefloor with him, his tall stature helping to make space for the two of you to dance in the crowd. It was a wonderful night, and you had quite forgotten your troubles of hours earlier.

Soon, you felt arms wrap around your waist, and you turned just in time for Kíli to give you a cheeky wink and whisk you off away from Sigfred in a dance of your own, your bodies syncing up with the rhythm as laughter kept your bodies moving to the beat. Your hands never left his as he jumped about, his hair creating a mess all over his face as his smile grew a slight sheen of sweat from his abundance of movements. Though you were one to talk, as you were sure you were quite sweaty yourself from all the movements you had been putting your body through on the dance floor.

Soon, the previous song ended, and you dragged Kíli off of the floor and back towards the end of the hall where the food and drink lay, your body desperately needing water. Quickly, you found a pitcher, bringing it to your lips.

“My, you’re so quick on your feet! I didn’t take you for a dancer, my love,” he grinned, taking the pitcher from you as he stole a gulp for himself. Gods, you still found yourself getting giddy every time he called you his love.

“And I didn’t take you for a musician,” you said. “You surprised me!”

He smirked, winking at you. “Well, I can guarantee there’s plenty more where that came from.”

You took back the pitcher, raising a brow in curiosity. “Oh? Like what?”

He offered his hand, leaning in closer, a newfound mischievous glint in his eye. “I can show you, but first, why don’t we find somewhere a little more private?” Your heart skipped a beat at his words, knowing their hidden meaning as you set the pitcher down and took his hand, eager to follow with a grin.

He led you through the twists and turns of the stone-carved halls until he eventually brought you through a pair of deep oaken doors to what looked like a beautifully carved bedroom. The stone bed that lay in the center of the room was wide and exquisite, draped with fabric that formed a canopy above the soft mattress below. Shields decorated the walls, along with Kíli’s sword and bow hung on a wall to the left. A fire lay glowing in the fireplace to the right, which glittered with gems that were embedded in the mantelpiece. Another door lay to the right, one that you figured led to the bathroom. This must have been his own bedroom.

He guided you with him as he sat at the foot of the bed, with you taking your seat next to him. “I tried to make it more comfortable, wondering if you’d ever join me here.” He said, and you smiled, still tipsy from the ale as you kissed his cheek.

“It’s gorgeous in here, Kíli. They tell no lies about dwarven hospitality.” You sighed, letting your back hit the mattress until you sat up quickly. Kíli raised a brow.

“What’s wrong?” He said.

“It seems I’m quite winded from dancing,” you said, feeling the back of your shirt. “I’m in need of a proper wash.” You sighed to yourself, amused by how hard you had been going during the party. Kíli took this as an opportunity to feel his own tunic, laughing at his own sweat.

“You’re not the only one, then.” He said. “If you’d like, I can draw you a bath.”

You raised a brow. “You won’t wash up?”

“After you, amrâlimê,” he smiled, planting a kiss on your forehead. “I’ll let you have the hot water first.” You leaned into his touch, smiling. Ever the gentleman, he was, as he got up from where he was seated to go run the bath. But with some new courage, you stood up to follow him, gently taking his arm.

“Or,” you said slowly, stepping closer over the shorter man.

“Or?” He questioned, stepping closer and closing the gap between you two as a mischievous glint sparked in his eyes. “Or what?”

“Or maybe,” you continued. “We could share the hot water? Together?”

“Together?” He said a bit too eagerly, a cough escaping him as he tried to hide his reaction. You smiled at this. “Together, together! Amrâlimê, I’d love to.” He couldn’t hide his grin, too excited about the idea.

“Good,” you said. “So why don’t you draw the bath and I’ll join you in a few minutes?” He shook his head all too eagerly, like a puppy dog when you mention the words “treats”. Quickly, he left you to prepare the bath, and soon you realized just how fast your heart was beating. Where had this sudden boldness come from? You chalked it up to the energy of the party mixing with this ale in your system; yes, that had to be it.

Soon, after ridding yourself of your party clothes (a.k.a. the clothes you had been traveling in for the past few months) and finding a towel to cover up with, you gently knocked on the door to the washroom, your heart hammering in your chest. You heard a distant hum from Kíli on the other side, and took it as your sign to enter.

Opening the door to the dimly lit room, you smiled at the sight of so many candles lit, their flames casting dancing shadows on the walls. A waft of warm, steamy air hit your face as you entered, a relaxing sigh drawing from your lungs at the scent of the woodsy oils he must have used for the water. It was at the end of the room where Kíli sat in the tub, suds covering him as the ends of his hair were damp, a soft smile on his face as his eyes welcomed you in. You felt all warm inside, he made you feel so safe.

Which was good for your nerves, as was the dim lighting, as you crept closer to the tub until you were now standing in front of him. He looked at you with admiration in his eyes as he offered his hands to ease you into the tub. Gently, you took them, letting the towel fall to the floor and trying so hard to meet his gaze as you heard a small gasp leave his lips. Slowly, you crept into the tub, and he guided you to sit in front of him, leaning your back against his chest as he peppered your shoulder with kisses and soothing rubs.

“Amrâlimê,” he whispered in between kisses. “You’re beautiful…”

“Really?” You asked, a part of yourself feeling unsure as to believe him.

“Even the greatest masters of stone in Erebor could not carve a figure as divine as yours,” he said, and you felt your face heat up. You couldn’t help the smile that slipped into your face. “Mahal took great care when he thought of you, my darling.”

“Let me see you,” you said, now eagerly wanting to gaze upon your newfound love. You turned your head to look at him, to which he chuckled as he sat up straighter in the warm waters of the tub. You twisted yourself now to face him, your eyes transfixed on his own figure, which was worn and weathered with hair and scars of years past. His body was history itself, like a book you so desperately wanted to read. Carefully, you hovered your hand over his chest before letting it land right over his heart. His heartbeat was steady; so calm, so soothing. You could fall asleep listening to it.

“It beats for you, amrâlimê,” he said, bringing your gaze back up to his face. “Only you.”

You leaned closer, dangerously closer, as your other hand went up to cup his cheek. Your noses touched from how close you two had gotten, and you thought that you wouldn’t be able to breathe unless he exhaled. Your eyes flitted to his lips for a split second, but the young prince keenly caught it. “Show me,” you said, and with those words you began a wild night for yourself.

Kíli closed the gap between you two, his lips meeting yours in a tender kiss that was slow and full of young love. His hands roamed from your face to your shoulders until they found their places in the curve of your hips, holding you closer to him. In an effort to be more comfortable, you sat between his outstretched legs, sitting back on your knees in the sudsy water. He smiled into the kiss, a culmination of all his feelings for you taking over as your hands reached his hair, tugging lightly. That was all the encouragement he needed.

Pulling you closer, the kiss slowly became more intense, filled with more passion and even more pent up urges. His thumbs carved their prints in your hips, and you let out a small whine from the feeling. Quickly, he pulled back, chest heaving from lack of breath as concern laced his brow. “Is everything alright? Did I hurt you?” His eyes darted across your features as you flushed in the dim room.

“Quite the opposite, I promise.” You said. “Do it again.” And with a crazed smile, he dove back into your lips.

Soon his tongue made a quick swipe between your lips, and you let him in with open arms and a drawn out whine as he deepened the kiss between you, your tongues dancing with each other as you found yourself hooked on his taste. You wanted more of it, and desperately.

Wanting to change it up, you moved your kisses to his jaw, trailing down lower and lower until you found your perfect battlefield: the little dip between his neck and his shoulder. With eager intensity, you bit down softly, tracing little kisses and bites wherever you could, resulting in a breathy groan leaving his lips. “Y/N…” his voice whined, needy and full of want, and you couldn’t help but smirk as you came back up.

“Yes?” You feigned innocence, wrapping your arms around his neck as you looked down at your love, and he sat up, his grip on your hips tightening a little as he found his opportunity to attack your own neck.

You gasped as the touch, a small sigh leaving your lips as he placed love bite after love bite until he found the one spot that left you weak. “Fuck,” you breathed out a moan and you felt him smile against your skin. “I need you, Kíli. Please.”

“Begging already?” He smiled. “Amrâlimê, we only just started. Now relax, my love. I’ve barely begun.”

A small huff left your lips as his own returned to your neck, peppering in a few more bites that would later develop into beautiful bruises before trailing down to your breasts. His touch as delicate as his tongue darted out to lick a stripe over your nipple before taking it into his mouth, rolling his tongue around the swell of it as his eyes never left yours. Your breath hitched, and you felt yourself growing more and more needy, rubbing your legs together for some sort of friction as the warm water was beginning to feel much, much hotter. Your hands dug into his hair, tugging and twirling as his tongue danced shapes over the swell of your breast, biting softly. A moan escaped your lips in surprise.

His hands now moved from your hips to your inner thighs, gently pushing them apart as you helped him spread your legs. His calloused fingers, which were softened by the water, traced circles on the inner part of your thighs, slowly inching their way closer and closer to your heated core. “Come now, Y/N,” he purred, pressing a kiss to your breast before shifting to give the other one some attention. “You can get louder, can’t you?”

With a shaky breath, you nodded, and he smiled in return, his fingers ghosting along your slit until he gently pressed one further, allowing it to slide into you with ease. You couldn’t help the delicious groan that left your lips as you finally began to feel some sort of stimulation down there that you desperately needed, your hips rocking to swallow his finger up to the very knuckle. You wanted more, and he was more than happy to oblige, dipping a second finger into you as his thumb found your clit, delicately tracing shapes onto it. You clenched around his fingers as they slid in and out of you with curved expertise.

“That feels so good,” you mewled, your voice carrying out as a whine, and you were rewarded with a kiss as Kíli brought his lips to yours. His fingers slowly began to quicken their pace, his thumb never leaving your most sensitive bundle of nerves as his lips enveloped yours in a sloppy kiss. You broke away, needing to breathe as soft moans and pants left your lips. “Faster, please Kíli.”

“As you wish, my love,” he smiled, placing a kiss on your jawline as his fingers now curled inside your tight walls, the water beneath you sloshing with his rapid movements as his thumb continued its unrelenting attack on your clit. “I only exist to please you. That’s all I want to do right now.” You could feel yourself building up inside, the tension pulling at every nerve in your body as you could sense you were almost ready to snap. You looked down at him with hungry eyes, now seeing that he too was quite aroused, his erection poking out of the waters as he worked his magic on you. But just as you were about to bring it up, you felt yourself snap, a string of broken moans and whines leaving your lips as your vision blurred for a split second and you felt yourself come completely undone. But Kíli didn’t stop there, no. He continued his torture, keeping up his pace to allow you to ride out your high until he slowly came to a stop, pulling his fingers out of you.

You fell forward onto him and his strong arms caught you, tucking away some of the hair that had fallen in your face. He looked at you again with awe, drawing you in for a chaste kiss. “You look so beautiful when you’re wrapped around my fingers,” he said, a smile on his lips. But you weren’t done, no. You brought him in for a kiss of your own, a needy groan resounding in his throat as your fingers delicately went down to wrap themselves around his length. He shuddered at the touch, and that one act of his was more than enough to make you ready for another round of fun.

Gently, you ran your hand up and down the length of his shaft, bringing your thumb up to rub small circles over his slit, which was eagerly leaking pre-cum in your hand. “Please, amrâlimê, I can’t handle your teasing,” he whined.

“Begging already, are we?” You whispered in a mocking tone, mimicking his words from earlier as you lowered your face to his solid member, placing a kiss on his swollen tip. His breathing hitched, his eyes clouded with want. “But I thought we were only getting started?” His hips raised out of the water to give you better access as you placed teasing kisses along the length of him, your tongue licking a stripe that led you back to his tip until you took him into your mouth. He moaned loudly at the touch, his hips bucking ever-so-noticeably, and you felt so powerful in this moment. Slowly, you lowered your head along his length, wanting to see just how much of him you could take into him before you swallowed around him, causing him to curse.

“A-amrâlimê,” he stuttered. “Please.” His voice was so breathy, so whiny. You loved it.

Slowly, you began bobbing your head along his shaft, your hands busy with keeping your body from falling over him as your hair fell in your face. Ever the gentleman he was, he was quick to tuck your hair back and grasp it in his fist, careful not to force your head despite how much he wanted to feel you gag on him. His hips bucked again as you kept getting faster and faster, wanting to bring him to completion before he quickly grabbed your throat, forcing you to meet his face as he brought you in a forced kiss.

You pulled away to look at him as his chest rose and fell dramatically, breath leaving his body in his aroused state. “Did you not want me to-” You spoke in a confused lilt, but he cut you off.

“No, not before I feel you again,” he breathed. “I’m already jealous that I didn’t get to taste you first, my love.” You smiled, chuckling as you brought his hands to your hips again, letting him guide you over his length. There you hovered, bringing him in for a kiss in the hopes it would distract you from any pain that was soon to come.

“Kíli, I love you,” you breathed in between kisses. “I’ve never wanted anyone to touch me as badly as I do now with you.” His tip rubbed against your core, and you let out a small whine. “Please, I need to feel you inside me already.”

“Oh Mahal…” That was all the motivation he needed, it seemed, for soon he sunk you quickly onto his length, splashing some water around you as you cried out at the delicious feeling of him stretching you out, his length already reaching places you had yet to even discover about yourself. You let out a string of curses, all moans, as you clenched around him in delicious pleasure. Gods, he felt amazing. You rolled your hips over him, craving some more of that delicious friction you had felt earlier, and you felt him shudder again. Gods, it turned you on to see his eyes glazed over like that, looking at you with such want and love that you wanted to consume him.

“Amrâlimê, let me show you just how much I feel for you,” he said. “Let me take care of you.” Slowly, he rolled his hips in tandem with your own, slipping in and out of you with ease as his thumb quickly found purchase over your clit again, rubbing slowly in tandem with his thrusts. The water around you sloshed and splashed with your movements, but that was the least of your cares as pleasure rocked through you, tearing you piece by piece until you were nothing but putty to be kneaded by the man you loved, who thrusted into you with increased pace with each movement. He was hitting every spot inside you, filling you so deliciously until he eventually found your sweet spot inside, causing a moan to rip from your lungs.

“Fuck, Kïli,” you said, your mind melting and only thinking of the pleasure he was bringing you as his own moans rang in your ears. “Right there, please. Don’t stop!” You felt that same pressure building up in you, the tension pushing and pulling as you looked at Kíli with lust-filled eyes. His own eyes met your gaze as he planted more kisses on and between your breasts, biting and pinching at the skin as he maintained his pace, but he too was beginning to feel the tension you had so intensely started earlier.

With shared moans that echoed and bounced off of the stone walls, you found yourself coming undone around Kíli, pleasure taking over as he helped you once again ride out your second orgasm. Your skin felt like it was going numb while being on fire all at once, and you relished every moment of it with ragged breathing. With a few more thrusts, Kíli too came, pulling out of you just in time to avoid any unprecedented consequences as his back hit the walls of the tub, his breathing uneven as he gently pulled you into him, kissing all over your face which held a small sheen of sweat from both the party and your latest festivities.

“I’ve wanted this for a while now,” he said, his voice soft as he kissed your forehead. “It seems as though all my thoughts of you are improper as of late.” You chuckled, leaning into his touch.

“Well then we’ll have to spend more time exploring those thoughts, now won’t we?” You teased, and a fired up groan sprang from Kíli’s lips as he brought you into another kiss.

“I’d love nothing more, amrâlimê.”

And for a while, you two stayed like this, with not a care in the world of whatever was going on in it. For now, you could focus on nothing other than the intermingling of your two heartbeats. Time seemed to slow down for you two as the candlelight danced on the walls, and you were content. Because in this moment, nothing else mattered except for you and your son of Durin. Not the fact that soon you would have to leave Erebor entirely, nor the fact that there were probably some people searching for you two at the banquet. All that mattered right here, right now, was how much you were in love with this man and wanted to be with him. Nothing else.

“Come on,” your love said. “Now we really need to wash up.”

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