An Even Fifteen (Fili x reader)

(45) Not Long Now

The nursery was ready. The custom crib, which Fili had made himself, stood in the corner of the little room attached to your bedroom. Lights had been hung from the stone ceiling, making the dark room cozy. Pillows were smartly arranged in a pair of rocking chairs, a cushioned changing table hugged the wall near the door, and a small dresser was stocked with even smaller clothes. You had even made yarn and knitted a blanket from the Rhosgobel's recent bout of shedding. Well, Dis had to spend a few days teaching you how to knit, first, but you eventually completed the blanket.

You and Fili were just putting in the finishing touches: a few tapestries on the walls to make the underground room warmer and more comforting.

"I still say Fili II is the perfect name for a boy," your husband said through the nails clenched between his teeth.

"Concentrate, you silly dwarf," you resisted the urge to giggle and watched Fili carefully as he nailed the corner of the tapestry into the wall from the top of a precarious ladder, which you held on to for dear life. You couldn't have the father of your child falling off of ladders before she-- or he-- was born. Fili harrumphed at your command, though it was muffled through the nails in his teeth, but complied and hammered the nail into the wall with all the precision of practice.

When Fili was safely down from the ladder, you plucked the remaining nails from his mouth and gave him a hungry kiss. "I still say Fili II is a little pretentious. The child needs to have an identity of their own."

Fili growled and tugged you as close as your swollen belly would allow. His hands gripped your hips, which were curvier than you were used to, and he bumped his forehead gently to yours. "Well, we still have time to decide," he said, his voice husky, "and we've a little time to ourselves before meeting the others for dinner."

You shook your head, laughing. "Oh, no. I have to get cleaned up. And you know it takes me twice as long to get ready with this," you gestured to your belly, "to work around."

Fili let his head fall back as he groaned dramatically. "You started it, wife," he said. You laughed at his dramatics and kissed his neck. He yelped and jerked his head sideways. You had recently learned of his ticklish spots, and it was still amusing to you to take advantage of that knowledge when he least expected it.

"Oooooh," Fili said, playfully growling again, "now you're in for it." You dodged his grabbing hands and waddled as quickly as you could for the open door and the bathroom beyond. You weren't fast enough to beat your husband, and he caught you with an arm around your chest before you made it over the threshold. "I think a wife as naughty as you," he teased you, "deserves a thorough washing."

You snorted. "If you wanted to help me bathe, you should have just said so."

Fili laughed, dropping his pretense of menace. "You always have to ruin the fun, ghivashel."

You rolled your eyes. "You and I both know that is entirely untrue. I just happen to be more conscious of things like timing, responsibilities, obligations..." you trailed off, grinning at Fili with a teasing glint in your eye.

It was the last month in your pregnancy. Well, you hoped it was. Dwarf gestations were a few months longer than human ones, but you were so eager to meet your little one that you chose to adhere more to your human timeline than your husband's dwarf one. You were also eager to be done with swollen ankles and fingers, and the appetite big enough for three grown dwarves.

Fili helped you bathe, which took two times as long as you had anticipated, but he helped you dress afterwards, which shortened that time significantly. So, in the end, you were only a few minutes late to your dinner commitment. Dis and Thorin greeted you jovially, as did your guests. Radagast, who had come to Erebor as soon as he received your missive, was more than happy to see you, and Tauriel and Kili had just returned from a month-long trip. Your brother- and sister-in-law were as in love as ever, and held hands through the entire meal. It was sweet to see, and it made your affection for your husband rise to the forefront.