One That Got Away

Chapter 18

Mara watched Thorin across the dinner table that had hurriedly been set up with the pizza boxes and paper plates. The furniture had been some of the last things to come and was in mostly one piece. But that wasn't important to Mara just then. What mattered was that Thorin was way too far away. David had sat on her one side and Ben and Tom had sat on her other with Kili between them and Fili on Ben's other side so Thorin was seated between Andy and Fili. She had the distinct impression David did it on purpose. And she didn't plan on ever forgiving him. Truth be told she was just as unbelievably upset about getting cock blocked repeatedly as Thorin was. It had been years and years since she had seen him and her view of him, and herself, had changed so much it was staggering, but one thing that had changed was the fact that she was still head over heels for him.

She glanced at David. He wasn't about to give her and Thorin a moment, and with the Twins and the Boys constantly loose, they were never going to get a moment to-to what? Mara thought for a moment on what exactly it was she wanted. Thorin, obviously, but was she ready for such a big step as what their bodies kept trying to accomplish? Sex? Seriously? She thought maybe her heart was ready to give herself entirely to him forever, but her mind was rationalizing.

Don't be impulsive

This is a big deal

Use a fucking condom

Until Thorin touched her and then her mind just shut off and all that was left was her soul crying out for him. She watched him across the table listening to Andy talk about redecorating the bathrooms and he glanced at her. A smile flittered across his face and his eyes softened. Mara felt her cheeks heat up, the sensation spreading to her ears, an odd habit she picked up in Middle Earth that had stuck. Thorin's smile widened for a moment then he was looking back at Andy with a serious expression. Mara smiled and looked at her pizza.

Ben had one eye on Mara and nudged his brother under the table. Tom's head twitched slightly in acknowledgment as he asked Kili about the easter egg he found in Portal. Fili noticed the small series of movements across the table from him and narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Mara's faintly pink cheeks, then at Thorin, then the Twins who were making conversation in miniscule fidgeting movements. He looked at his plate, then coughed slightly. Thorin's head snapped around and Fili glanced at Mara then at Thorin then at the stairs. Thorin relaxed, after making sure Fili wasn't about to drop dead, and glanced at Mara who was picking boredly at her food. Her eyes flicked up and Thorin felt something hum in his chest. Mara could feel it too.

"Long day, early night," Mara said and rose from the table.

"I'm gonna help the Twins set up their game room," Kili said grabbing his plate and drink.

"I'll help," Fili offered.

"Need help finding your bedding?" Thorin asked Mara lightly.

"Yeah, I want to bed you-you help find the bed," she said and turned pink.

"Guys-" but before David could finish the whole lot of them were of grabbing various boxes and disappearing upstairs. He sat there dumbfounded as Andy started shoving paper plates in the trash bag and tucking the pizza boxes in the fridge. "Am I losing control of this house?" He asked his fiance. Andy smiled a touch condescendingly.

"Did you ever have it?"

-

Kili checked the cords one last time and turned on the TV. It hummed to life and the Twins whooped and he got slammed in a hug. It was nice having little brothers, Kili thought distantly as he ruffled the Twin's hair as Fili had so many times before to him. Fili smiled from his seat against the wall and pulled the four controllers from the box.

"Melee, every man for himself. And no cheat codes," he warned and Ben sighed.

"You are no fun," Kili said as they put in the game.

"I just don't like losing," Fili corrected. A door down from them Mara had upended the box with all her bedding onto the floor and she and Thorin were sprawled out on the comforter and sheets, fingers intertwined with her head on his chest. Thorin was playing with her blue curls with his free hand and wondering why they didn't do this all the time. He could hear her heart and steady breathing and she was close to him. She wriggled closer and squeezed his hand slightly for a moment. He placed a soft kiss on her head and she sighed slightly, a small content noise. It was all very domestic and slightly gross, but Mara didn't really mind.

"Thank you for coming for me," she murmured and Thorin smiled as they drifted off to sleep.

"Anything for you, my One." The next day was all unpacking boxes and sorting things. The Durin's moved the furniture, which was really much easier than rebuilding Dale from the ground up, and Andy convinced Mara to help put books on the shelves.

"Your wrist is still broken." Andy chastised when Mara tried to lift a side table.

"Your face is broken," she mumbled and started organizing books. The Twins were going through various rooms, making sure the boxes were in the right rooms and helping sort out everyone's belongings. David had locked himself in the study and refused to come out. It was dinner when he finally emerged.

"It lives," Mara called around a mouth full of Chinese. Kili had resorted to using a fork and Fili was just eating with his hands at this point. Thorin was stubbornly trying to pick up rice with chopsticks, so fixated on accomplishing this task that he wasn't paying attention to anything else. The Twins of course could wield chopsticks better than they could wield swords, and that was saying something.

"You'll never believe who I got for mom's case," he said with a smirk. "William Flynnagin."

"What!" squealed Andy in ecstasy.

"You got Billy?" Mara said incredulously

"Damn straight. He says mom is as good as cleared. He's getting started right away," he said and Andy planted a fierce kiss on his cheek.

"You are brilliant," she said with a grin.

"I know I know, hold the applause," he said bowing and the Twins rolled their eyes. Kili looked to Fili for clarification but there was no answer there. "He says that he can get her cleared in a week."

"A week? That's outrageous, it's crazy!" Mara said with a grin.

"He promised, and if there's one thing William James Flynnagin always does," David said taking up a comical voice and posing, "It's keep a promise." A pillow connected with his face and Mara laughed.

"Sit down and eat your dinner. I can't believe we're gonna be a family again," she said, eyes shimmering. Thorin looked up, the small clump of rice falling back into the take out box. Did that mean she wanted to stay? Did she no longer wish to go back to Erebor now that her life here was getting better? What came next? He watched her laugh at the Twins joke and Andy shook her head and mopped up the soy sauce they spilled with a napkin. David was bubbling at this latest, greatest achievement and Thorin wondered distantly if he willing to take Mara away from this family.