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Can't Say We're In Love	By : CodyMThomas Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > Hobbit, The Views: 1894 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Do not own any part of the Hobbit, or Lord of the Rings, and I make no money from this.

Chapter List
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Thorin knew all of the reasons why it was a bad idea to court Ori. Ori was the same age as his nephews, Ori was shy and hated the spotlight, Ori had two very capable older brothers who would most likely eviscerate him. Ori might not even want him, he'd seen him looking at Dwalin lately, and that just made his heart clench, the thought of losing Ori to his cousin.
But he also knew why he'd try and court Ori anyway. He loved him, completely. He was quick, smart, clever, and didn't necessarily need a weapon to win a fight. Ori was stronger than he looked, as strong as Dori. He was experienced with politics, his smile was gentle and warm and always sent the butterflies fluttering around Thorin's stomach. The things he'd knitted for Thorin as presents over the years, were things Thorin treasured. Tonight he was wearing the Durin blue jumper he'd received last Durin's day. It was the softest knitted thing he'd ever felt, and couldn't stop touching it around the cuff, admiring the weave and how thin the thread had been that Ori had used. The time and effort that went into such a gift was substantial. He hoped the gift he had prepared would be well received. It had been hard not to be too extravagant, he had to remind himself that there could be other gifts, if this one was welcomed.
The three 'Ri brothers were coming to dinner tonight, and Thorin was a bundle of nerves. A few hours before hand there was a knock at his chamber doors. Dwalin was announced, all gruff and imposing, Strange, he thought Dwalin had gone to the Iron Hills, why was he back so soon?
“Just thought yeh should know, there's two more fer dinner tonight, so yeh aren't left with too little food. Oh, an' I took care of yer problem for yeh. Yeh just worry about Ori, an' making a good impression with him, the rest's covered.”
“What did you do?”
“It's covered. See yeh later.”
Somehow having Dwalin's support was actually very reassuring. It went a long way in relaxing the tight ball of tension in his gut. He wore no raiments, no crown, or even a circlet. Just a simple tunic, trousers, and the soft jumper that Ori had made for him. He wasn't a king here, he was just Thorin. Just Thorin.
When his guests arrived in his quarters, the nerves settled even more. Dori had a little one of no more than six or seven perched on his hip, gumming her fists among a halo of strawberry blond curls, and Dwalin had Nori's hand on his arm, who was blushing just a bit. Ori was on his own and fidgeting with the hem of his jumper once he saw what Thorin was wearing.
Dori was the first to pipe up, gradually depositing various satchels, and settling the babe firmer on his hip. “Hello Thorin, sorry about the extra people last minute. This is Fiori our third cousin on our mother's side. Arrived four days ago. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father was lost in a cave in in the Iron Hills five years ago. She's been living with those horrible Bor cousins of ours for the past three years, unwanted, and living with six other children in one room! Can you believe it? When Dwalin found out who she was he went and fetched her for me, and they were all too happy to hand her over immediately. No 'Ri will ever live with a Bor on my watch, will they love? Will they? No they won't!” The little girl giggled and shrieked in happiness, patting Dori's face as he tickled her with his beard and kissed her plump rosie cheeks.
Thorin was suppressing a chuckle of his own, he'd never seen Dori so carefree and smitten. Apparently little ones were the way to Dori's heart.
“It's never an imposition. And Nori, I see a familiar face with you.”
Nori actually blushed. “Yeah, well what can I say, the big oaf grows on ya. We started courting last month, hadn't felt right to tell anyone yet, until now.”
“I wish you all the happiness in the world. I already consider you my kinsman through trial and combat, so I look forward to having you as my kinsman through marriage someday if it works out for you, and I hope it does.”
Thorin turned to Ori. “Hello Ori, it's good to see you again.”
“It's good to see you again too Your Majes-”
And Thorin felt himself wince unintentionally. He didn't want it to hurt to have Ori call him by his title, but he was trying SO hard to not be that person right now. Just Thorin. To Ori he just wanted to be Thorin. Like the rest of the company was, none of the others were ever formal with him unless they were addressing him officially in court or a meeting.
“I- I mean Thorin. Thank you for inviting us over.”
Thorin blinked in surprise, and the happy butterflies were back. “Y-you're welcome. Please everyone sit, make yourselves at home. And don't worry, I didn't attempt to cook, you're my friends, I wouldn't do that to you. Bombur and Bilbo made this feast together.”
Thorin would never know it, but the peaceful atmosphere was entirely Dwalin's doing.
A bit more than a week earlier, Dwalin had been bedding Nori quite enthusiastically, until the former thief was all but boneless in his hold. He let his finger's trail over Nori's back as they basked in the afterglow.
“Thorin's goin' to ask Ori, I helped him pick out the first courting gift myself. I want yer promise that yeh'll behave yerself.”
“He's still an old poncy nob, Ori's too young for him.” Nori drawled into Dwalin's shoulder, melting even more into the gentle petting.
“That's Ori's decision, and ya know Thorin better than that. Why don't ya approve, really?”
“Power changes people, corrupts them, Ori's too innocent for that.”
“Again, Ori's decision if he can handle it or not. Promise me ya won't interfere.”
“I promise, long as you pound me into this mattress again as soon as you're able.”
“How about ya pound ME into the mattress until I recover, and then I'll return the favor? And I'll bed ya right before the dinner too, make sure yeh're far more focused on not sitting funny through dinner than with trying to cause trouble.”
“Deal.”
He had left the next morning, and four days ago, Dwalin had arrived back from the Iron Hills, wee one in tow, who after three days of hard travel, had finally gotten it in her head that Dwalin wasn't going to hurt her. He didn't generally like children, not when they were this small anyway and he still had to worry about accidentally breaking them. But it was a bad place, where she had been, and the Bors weren't getting out of prison any time soon after all of the dirt Dwalin had dug up on them. The other children had been doled out and taken in one by one into the homes of other relations, but Dwalin had insisted on taking Fiori to her kin in Erebor, no matter how much a rather tenacious aunt had wanted the child and was determined to make Dwalin's life a living nightmare if he refused. He had told no one about the enormous stipend he had paid the woman to shut her trap and never make contact again, and if he had it his way, no one ever would. Besides, he needed the child far more than she did, because Dori needed someone to fuss over, and since he was craft wed, that had always been his brothers, but now that Ori was grown, he had no one else to fuss over, so he was refusing to let go so Ori could grow up. Solution: Give him someone new to fuss over who couldn't protest.
“I'll be looking after Nori, and Thorin will look after Ori, but I need yeh to watch over Dori for me wee one, he doesn't do well alone. Yeh keep him happy, make him smile, and let him fuss over yeh, and I promise that when yeh've grown up, I'll make sure Dori sees sense when yeh're wanting to do things on yehr own, or get married. I promise to be on your side, alrigh'?” He had asked of her as they reached the gates of Erebor. She gummed her fist in response, which he took as a sign of agreement.
Dwalin had also taken Ori aside the day of the dinner, after he got back from seeing Thorin.
“He's gonna ask ya, tonight. So ya have ta make up yer mind if it's what yer wanting. But I'm begging ya, please, stop being formal with him in private. I can't bear to see him wince one more time Ori, it hurts.”
“Wince?”
“He winces whenever ya call him 'Your Majesty'. Haven't ya ever noticed? Probably because yer eyes are lowered. He views yeh as an equal whether yeh end up courting him or not. Call him Thorin, please? I'm begging ya.”
There was very little that Dwalin son of Fundin would not do for his kinsman and king, including buying distant infant relations, and begging a scribe a third his size.
As such, dinner was easygoing. Nori was much too distracted by Dwalin's hand tracing lazily on his thigh under the table to really much care that Ori was sitting beside Thorin, and Dori was busy feeding the baby, and in the most pleasant mood anyone could ever remember seeing him in. So Thorin had time to just talk to Ori, like they used to do on the trip, sitting around the campfire at night, just chatting, and it wasn't long before Ori finally relaxed fully.
After dinner and drinks, and a ban by Dori on any sort of smoking with the baby around, they were now seated comfortably, with Nori putting little braids in Dwalin's hair to try and embarrass him, and Dwalin ignoring it, staying in the conversation. Dori had gotten the wee one to sleep, and was fussing a bit to make sure she was comfortable enough, and her nappy was dry, and that she was neither too warm or too cold. Dwalin nodded at Thorin when his King caught his eye, it was now or never, he wasn't going to get them anymore calm and relaxed than this. He'd done all he couldm the rest was up to Thorin.
“Ori, I- we, have known each other for a very long time now, several years, and I'm proud to call you my friend and companion. But in that time, I have often wondered, if perhaps, you could see me as more? I'm not asking as a king, just as Thorin, will you accept this gift as a showing of how I feel for you, and my hopes that you will consider accepting a courting offer from me?”
The large box Ori unwrapped made him gasp. On one side was a fine wooden caligrapher's box, with five pens and four dozen of the finest nibs he'd ever seen. There were also sticks of ink, in black, blue, red, green, yellow, brown, and purple, a stack of thick creamy paper, and an empty leather book cover that was gorgeously tooled, to bind the pages into once he was done, the title areas still blank. The other half was filled with four lengths of basic knitting looms, Two finely spaced looms to use with fine threads, three round knitting looms, twelve sizes of needles, and a pair of connected needles that was long enough for a blanket. There were also twelve skiens of raw fiber. Two each of flax, angora, cashmere, cotton, wool, and one that was so unusual and rare he couldn't even identify it, along with a gorgeously carved wooden drop spindle.
“It took awhile to get the spindle just right, the looms and needles were easier, though I never have worked with much wood. The leather tooling was something I have missed doing, and the nibs were a very interesting challenge, I enjoyed making those very much.”
Ori's jaw had dropped. “You, you MADE these? For ME?”
“Of course I did, the gifts with the most feeling are the ones made from the heart aren't they? I couldn't leave such an important gift to others.”
And everyone saw Ori melt. Inside, Dwalin was cheering, and at the same time he dragged his nails up the back of Nori''s head to keep him quiet. Dori finally caught on that Ori wasn't refusing, but seeing how happy Ori was as he crossed the room and hugged Thorin, pressing his forehead against the king's, and Thorin just gently holding Ori close, content and quiet and entirely proper, Dori decided to let it be. Ori could handle himself.
“Yes, yes they are. Thank you Thorin, and yes, I'll accept a courting offer from you.” And no one protested when they kissed, because Ori had been the one to start it, so his brothers really had no room to complain, and really, thought Nori, Ori could do worse. King consort to the throne of Erebor, and a king who looked at him like he raised the stars in the sky. There wasn't much more they could hope for for their brother.
“Yeh've been good long enough, come on, I'll give yeh that reward I promised.”
Nori smirked as he and Dwalin left quietly, and entered Dwalin's quarters across the hall. It was a lovely night, entirely worth behaving himself for.
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Can't Say We're In Love