Endotherm {Thorin/Hobbit}

||Chapter 15||

||Chapter 15||

<|Third Age 2974|>

    Thorin Oakenshield finds himself in a marvelously perilous situation the next morning.  Indeed, a plentitude of emotion sweeps through him as he opens his eyes on the new day: confusion, disbelief, joy, and love.  But all this is expected, seeing as he did not quite make it back to his room last night, nor did Endor.  So instead, the two of them find themselves curled up in front of the fireplace in the library in view of the public.  But with Endor asleep, Thorin is quick to survey and calm himself as no one appears to be present in the library.

And thus, the king does not immediately pry himself away from the softened form and look of the hobbit.  Endor looks exceptionally beautiful in this moment to Thorin, with her fingers clinging to the fur of his coat and his arms wrapped firmly around her.  The woman's lips shine a beautiful peachy red, and the firelight plays on the ends of her curly eyelashes.  Gentle breaths brush across his chest with each fall of her own form, like a wind that awakens the spring from a cold morning.  She is, simply put, the most radiant creature Thorin has ever seen.

But that does not diminish his fear of being caught in that moment, though few ever enter the library.  And as strong as his desire is to hold her close forever, Thorin reminds himself that this is not possible today, nor any day in the future. She is a common hobbit and he is dwarf king.

Grunting, the king slowly pull himself away from the hands of a sleeping Endor, her hands grabbing at the blanket in replacement of his coat.  Thorin lets out a sigh of relief, glad that she did not awake in that position and think anything of it.  But in his relief, the King Under the Mountain accidentally pushed the Map of Erebor backwards, its corner falling into the fire.  With the sound of paper across rock, the king realizes his mistake, scurrying to pick up the map and pat out the small flame in the corner.

However, what the king does not expect is the revelation of words along the exterior borders of the map, shining in the light of the fire's warmth.  The king's eyes widen in revelation, moving quickly to the hobbit's side as she sleeps soundly in continued peace.  Of course, the hobbit is now cuddling a book, as only natural for her bookwormish ways.

Thorin nudges her shoulder softly in desire for her consciousness, yet concern for the way he awakens her.  But Endor's response is not what he desires, her mouth forming grumbles and whispers about 'unicorns.'  It is only natural when the king rolls his eyes, nudging her again but with a firmer hand.  "Endor, wake up.  I've figured out the map."

"Wha--You figured out the map?" Endor asks, blue eyes opening so quickly that Thorin almost jumps back in shock.  But for Endor, the view upon awakening can easily deceive her as a dream: Thorin's blue eyes shining into hers with hope, a smile playing at his lips, and his hair forming a curtain around them.  She appreciates waking up to the king, to be certain.

"It's heat.  I accidentally nudged it into the fire, only to realize that runes appeared in the heat," Thorin remarks, thoroughly forgetting about his desire for Endor not to take to him.  But the hobbit does not think as Thorin expects her to; rather than wishing for this incident every morning, she just thanks the Valar for it now.  Her heart may lie with the king, but she would be idiotic to suppose it to occur in the future.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Endor asks, rolling to her feet while grabbing the notebook and quill from beside the blanket.  Endor's hand gestures out for Thorin to read the map over the fire, though he takes great heed in his actions.  This time, he reads the map from a great distance above the flames, wishing not to lose the map of memory and importance.