Here we are all. For those of you that read the newest chapter of "Trust Me But Don't Thank me Yet," here's the fluffy one-shot that I promised you. You actually have Ballykissangel to thank for this as they requested a fluffy Thoin helps Fíli with a fear of water scene for "Scenes of Trust." We all know that it could never happen in that universe but, thankfully, there are multiple universes I can work with. I hope you enjoy it. This one is angst free, I promise :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing and gain nothing from this except for the warm fuzzies I feel when people enjoy my work and there is no monetary gain from warm fuzzies . . . or is there?
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Fíli smirked as he caught sight of his brother. Kíli flicked his eyes towards the middle of the river his smile the one that others feared and Fíli loved because it meant that Kíli was plotting mischief. Or more aptly, they were plotting mischief. And stalking dangerous quarry at that. Then again, this entire situation was actually not their fault. It wasn't as if they had taught themselves how to swim. And, after all, there was no better way to thank their uncle for his lessons than by showing him exactly how much they had learned, was there?
As Fíli slunk into the water after his brother, his mind slipped back to the day it had happened.
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It had been a rather warm day in the middle of his fifteenth summer. The air in their home had been oppressively sweltering, so much so that Kíli had even taken to giving others personal space as he couldn't bear to be that close to them. As much of a relief as it had been to be free of his brother's clinging, Fíli still found it strange.
What was even stranger to him was the lack of propriety his relatives were displaying. His mother had stripped to her underdress and rolled the sleeves as high as they would go. But more scandalous than that, she had gathered her skirt up so that it was above her knees, tying it in place. And his uncle . . . he'd never seen his uncle tie his hair up before, not even in the forges. And when combined with the fact that he too had stripped down to the lowest layer of cloth he could wear and still be clothed . . . it was a strange sight for the young dwarf.
Even the breeze that occasionally blew through the open windows and door did nothing to alleviate the heat. The air blowing in from outside was impossibly hotter than the air in the house. Idly, Fíli wondered if that was what dragon flame felt like. Uncle Thorin had said it was the hottest thing imaginable and Fíli couldn't see how it could be any hotter than this.
"Fee," Kíli whined. "Are you melting? 'Cause I feel like I'm melting. It's so hot. I wonder if iron feels this way?"
"Kíli," Fíli groaned, attempting to stretch out and find a cooler spot of floor. "Can we not talk about it? I think that only makes it worse."
"Actually, I think iron has it better," Kíli continued, undeterred by his sibling's misery. "At least it gets to go in the barrel when it's finished being melted. What I wouldn't give to be dunked in a barrel right now."
"Kíli, please," Fíli sighed. "You're being silly. No one's going to dunk you in a barrel. You wouldn't fit." Fíli jumped a bit as his uncle's voice came from the corner of the room.
"Actually," Thorin said, a hint of a laugh in his voice, "that's not a bad idea." At the confused looks on his nephews' faces the hint of a laugh became a true laugh. "Well, I don't intend to put him in a barrel, of course but I think I can arrange a dunking for him. For all of us. I know of a stream nearby that should be just deep enough for a swim."
"A . . . a swim?" Fíli asked, not liking the sound of that at all. He hadn't been near that much water. Not since the day that he went on an outing with his mother, uncle and cousins and had slipped off and fallen in the nearby river. He could still remember the feeling of going underwater and not knowing how to get back up. Yes, he'd been pulled out and nothing bad had happened but the thought of water . . . Fíli didn't want to go. He'd rather melt.
"Aye," Thorin replied standing and going towards the door without bothering to gather more clothing, "I think a swim is just what we need. Come, lads. Are you coming, Dís?"
"You all go on ahead," she said with a smile. "I've some things to get done that will be easier without ornery dwarflings underfoot." Knowing that he had no choice in the matter, Fíli stood and followed his uncle out the door and through the settlement gates to the stream.
When they arrived, it was clear that Kíli wasn't the only one that had envied iron. There were countless families of dwarves scattered along the stream, swimming, soaking and otherwise enjoying the cool water. Despite how strange it was for Fíli, none of them seemed the least bit surprised to see his uncle out of the house in his undershirt. In fact, most of the adult dwarves were dressed in a similar manner if they weren't wearing less. Dwalin was one of the dwarves that had opted for less, forgoing a shirt entirely while Balin had arrayed himself more like Uncle.
They chose a place near the sons of Fundin along the stream bank. Kíli had wasted no time at all, running into the water with a squeal of delight that caused their uncle to flich at the shrillness of it.
"Excitable thing, isn't he?" Dwalin asked with a smirk.
"I wouldn't say that, Brother," Balin said with a grin of his own. "I seem to recall you making a similar noise not too long ago when you saw the water."
"I did no such thing!" Dwalin retorted turning to Fíli. "Don't believe a word he says, laddie. I don't squeal."
"I could see you doing it," Thorin said as he waded into the water at a more sedate pace, leaving Fíli on the bank staring at it as if it had offered him offence. "Kíli, stay in the shallows, lad. You can't swim."
"What do you mean he can't swim?" Dwalin demanded. "That's completely undwarvish. We'll have to fix that. Come 'ere, laddie. We'll have you swimming before the day's out." Fíli watched warily as his brother went towards his older cousin and Dwalin began showing him how to float on his back. He wished that he could join them, but he just couldn't bring himself to enter the water. He jumped at his name and turned to see his uncle standing chest-deep in the water looking at him in confusion.
"Aren't you hot, lad?" Thorin asked gently. Fíli nodded. "Then come in. The water is cool. It'll help."
"I . . . I can't," Fíli whispered looking away. He flinched slightly when Thorin came to his side, the water dripping off his uncle's clothing cold against his overheated skin. He felt a gentle hand on his cheek and turned shame-filled blue eyes to meet his uncle's concerned gaze.
"Why?" one word but it was all he needed.
"I . . . I'm afraid," Fíli muttered.
"Of the water?" Thorin asked kneeling down beside him, his hand still stroking Fíli's cheek gently. All the young heir could manage was a miserable sound and a nod. "Oh, lad, there's nothing to be afraid of. Come. You trust me, don't you?" Once more, Fíli nodded mutely.
"Then come with me," Thorin said standing and offering the frightened dwarfling his hand. "I won't let you drown."
"You won't let go?" Fíli asked as he allowed himself to be led to the water.
"Never," his uncle promised, his work-worn hand maintaining a steady grip on Fíli's smaller one. "Not unless you tell me to."
"I won't," Fíli whispered.
"Then I won't," Thorin replied. "Come, lad. Let's get you cooled off." Even though he had still felt fear, Fíli was able to overcome it. He knew that his uncle would never ask him to do anything dangerous and that no harm would come to him if he stayed beside him.
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Before that day had ended, Fíli had, indeed, asked his uncle to let him go. Thorin had taught him to swim with a pacience that had stunned those around and over the years he'd gotten quite good at it, if he said so himself. In fact, it was that very lesson that was about to enable their latest prank. Signing briefly to his brother and using his eyes, they finalized their plan and began their final assault.
Their uncle was sleeping peacefully, having found a log large enough to lay on in the river they had stopped to rest beside and sunning himself like a turtle. Fíli waited until Kíli—always the faster swimmer of the two—was in position on their uncle's far side before swimming silently up.
'One,' he mouthed locking eyes with Kíli under the log.
'Two,' Kíli replied before nodding to his brother and reaching up to push against his uncle's shoulder just as Fíli grabbed the same wrist and pulled. Thorin's surprised cry was cut short as his head went under the water. Fíli kicked off the log to make a quick escape, knowing that his uncle was going to be less than pleased with the manner of his awakening but he wasn't quite quick enough.
"Kíli!" he called in panic as he felt his uncle seize his ankle but his little brother merely kept swimming. Having not heard him with his head underwater. He struggled as he felt himself pulled back against his uncle but it was in vain. For all his training, Thorin was still stronger and taller. He could easily reach where they were while Fíli had to bounce to hit bottom. Even knowing that did not stop him from struggling to be free.
"That's a cruel way to wake a dwarf, lad," his uncle said once he had Fíli contained. "You know there's only one thing I can do about it, don't you?"
"I do," Fíli replied, resigned to his punishment. "I'll bet you regret teaching me to swim now, don't you, Uncle?"
"Never," Thorin whispered. It was the last word Fíli heard before he was forced under the water.
"Now," his uncle said after pulling him back to the surface and releasing him and offering him a predatory grin, "what do you say we go do the same to your brother? I have a feeling this was his idea after all." It hadn't been Kíli's idea, but Fíli saw no reason to correct his uncle's belief. It wasn't as if Kíli were truly in trouble. After all, it was just a bit of water.
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So, what did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)
Stickdonkeys