An Even Fifteen (Fili x reader)

(29) The Forges

Fili's POV

I woke early, feeling more rested than usual. At least, since the battle. I had little desire to get out of bed, savoring the supple support of the mattress beneath me and the sweet warmth of Y/N's back tucked to my chest, my arm firmly settled about her waist. I grinned, enjoying the simple beauty of the view. Her hair was gently sprawled between us on the pillow, and I could see the courting bead I'd made for her glinting in the dim light of the dying fire. Her breathing was even and quiet. Thank Mahal she didn't snore like Kili.

I stifled a short laugh at the thought of my beautiful beloved making the pig noises my brother did when he slept. Poor Tauriel. I loosed my grip on her waist to trace my fingers gently over the exposed skin between her head and her shoulder. Goosebumps rose at my touch, to my great satisfaction. I wanted to kiss her, to wake her and show her how much it meant to wake next to her, but she had been up late the night before, and she looked so peaceful dreaming away that I could not bring myself to do it. Instead, I slipped out of my bed-- one day, hopefully, our bed-- and donned a familiar pair of old pants and a shirt. I had work to do.

I had decided to start working on this project last night before I'd gone to bed, but my decision was only reinforced after last night's events. Not only did I want to wake up next to her, I wanted to go to bed with her. In more than one sense, certainly, but I wanted to end my days as well as begin them with her beside me, for the rest of my life.

I knew she wasn't ready yet for the kind of commitment I was planning, but I knew that this project would take time to complete. It would be ready when she was.

I pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before writing a quick note. I folded it carefully and put it on the pillow next to her, so that she'd see it when she woke. Silently as I could, I stole one last glance at her sleeping form before slipping out the door and into the halls. A broad grin plastered itself to my lips as I made my way down to the forges.

I had not been there since before the battle. It had been lifeless and empty then, with unlit fires and eerie silence settled over the once-busy tools of my people's trade. Now it was alive and bustling. The forges blazed with fire hot enough to melt the skin off a man's hand. But we dwarves were made of sterner stuff. I watched proudly as my people worked with metal and jewels. They sang and shouted jokes to each other. The clanging and laughing and singing echoed in the vast area, and I relished the sight for a moment before descending the stairs and finding my own workplace.

I gathered the materials I would need: a bit of white gold, an amber crystal, and two diamonds just bigger than the head of a pin. Before I started, I found a bit of parchment and a charcoal pencil to sketch out some plans. Just as I finished the sketches and readied my work station before a small forge, Kili approached, wearing the widest smile I had ever seen on his face.

"Brother!" I said, leaving my preparations and clasping him in a tight embrace. "I have not seen you in weeks! How fares your elf maiden?"

If I didn't know better, I would have said Kili blushed at the question. "She is well. We are both well. And your rabbit-herding woman? How is she?"

"Very well, indeed."

Kili clasped me on the shoulder. "I have heard that Uncle approved your courtship?" I nodded, beaming. "Then perhaps he will be more open to my request."

"What request?"

He shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I plan to travel Arda with Tauriel, but I want to be married here, in Erebor, before we leave."

"And what does Tauriel say to this?" I ask, surprised.

"She understands my need to celebrate with my people. As she is exiled from her own homeland, I think it will be good for her to have such an occasion before we leave."

I could not have been prouder of my little brother. "That's very thoughtful of you," I said, clapping him on the back. He smiled before moving to see the sketches on my work table.

"I see the same thing brings us to the forges," he said, picking up the topmost sketch and studying it. "This is good work."

I grinned. "I haven't made it yet, Kee."

He shrugged, then put the sketch down. "Has she already agreed to marry you?"

Shaking my head, I said, "No. I have not asked. She cares for me a great deal, but she is not yet ready for the royal duties such a commitment would bring."

"She'll come 'round," my brother said before sauntering away, whistling an elvish tune as he went to another work station.

The hours always flew when I was at the forge. Here, I was not a prince. Here I was a pair of calloused hands, a sweaty brow, and the work in front of me. It was what I remembered best of my father. The bellows, the anvil, the hiss of molten metal in the cooling bucket; all were pieces of the father I had known for too short a time.

His instructions came back to me as I worked, and his habit of incessant humming while he worked. The melody trickled out from my memory into a hum of my own, and I found myself wondering whether my father would have liked Y/N. There is no question in my mind that my mother would love her. Both Uncle Thorin, who had been like a father to me and my brother, had given their blessing. But still, I wondered...

My humming and the clang of my hammer must have masked the noises of her approach, so that when I turned to reach for a tool I needed, the sight of her caught me completely by surprise. I stilled, thankful my body hid my project.

"Ghivashel, what brings you here?" I asked. She did not respond, her eyes fixed on my torso. She was unusually still. I had not seen such an expression on her face before. She looked a bit pale, but her eyes were wide and bright, and I could see her pulse racing in her neck. "Are you all right?" I asked and turned around fully, still blocking my work from her. She still did not answer as I wiped the sweat from my brow with my bare arm.

Ah. That's what it was. I had taken my shirt off an hour or so ago. The forges were stifling, and it was not as if the dwarves around me would be scandalized. But I remembered last night, her reaction... and smirked.

"Like what you see?" I taunted, putting my hands on my hips. I hoped she didn't notice I was flexing.

She coughed and spluttered, trying to find words and failing. "You... I got... But then... Lunch..." She inhaled deeply, then clenched her eyes shut as she squeaked, "NO SHIRT!"

I laughed out loud as those in hearing distance turned to see what the racket was about. They saw me and Y/N and smirked with understanding. Some even gave me an encouraging thumbs-up before returning to their work.

"Give me a moment," I said to her, going to put my shirt back on though I was tempted to see just how close she would let me get without it... But the shirt was not much better, being white and nearly soaked through with sweat. "All right, you wee thing. I'm decent now," I said. "Well, more decent."

She opened her eyes, but kept them fixed on my face. My heart leapt as I studied the colors there. More vivid than the brightest jewel, more enchanting than even the Arkenstone. I smiled and traced her cheek, which heated under my touch with a blush.

Her words came out on a breathless sigh.

"I brought you lunch."

A/N: Surprise chapter from Fili's POV! How did you guys like it? If you enjoyed it, I'd love it if you gave it a vote or left a comment. As always, thank you for reading!
--RA