Four months later

Eleni missed Gilraen and Estel, who had returned to Rivendell a month after the wedding, and wondered how much more he had grown. Those thoughts always led to wondering what kind of mother she would be; something that never left her feeling happy.

Dís however was overjoyed that she would live to see her grandchild's birth, already age was catching up to Fili's mother. But Eleni was more than grateful for her advice.

"You will grow even larger as the baby does," Dís said sewing clothes for her grandchild as she had insisted on doing.

"Will my breasts feel better as the baby grows?" Eleni asked, her breasts aching as they had been as of late.

Dís chuckled. "They feel as though they will burst, don't they?" she asked and Eleni nodded. "I'm afraid they hurt until after the baby is born."

"They will feel like this for that long?" Eleni asked unhappily as she rubbed her round stomach, still in awe that there was a child there.
"Yes," Dís said smiling. "But now that you no longer feel sick your desire for my son will grow."

Eleni's hands stilled on her belly as she thought of the older woman's words. "Can we still do that?" she asked.

"Of course, and you will want to," Dís said nodding to herself as she continued to sew, remembering her own pregnancy. "And Fili will as well."
"Even though I look that this?" Eleni asked uncertain. She had never cared for her looks before, she knew she was pretty but it did not matter to her. Though now, being married to Fili, she felt awkward with her stomach growing larger; she enjoyed looking at her protruding stomach and knowing her child was in there, but she did not know how Fili felt when he looked at her, when before she could tell her body had excited him now it did not seem to.

"You would be surprised at how beautiful he may find you," Dís said seeing the concern in the young woman's eyes. "You are with his child, you may never be more beautiful to him than you are now."

Eleni looked up at Fili's mother to see her kind eyes and she gave her a small smile, though she was still not convinced.

That night Eleni sat at Fili's side as they dined, and as he did every night, he rested his hand briefly over her stomach before kissing her. He now not only had to make preparations for more restorations, which were coming underway, he also had to prepare for his son; he had quickly grown tired after the first month of her pregnancy, busy with many things that kept him up late and woke him early.

"Is everything alright?" he asked Eleni concerned, seeing her face grow pale. He took note of the hand on her stomach as she blinked, frightened tears shining in her eyes.
"Yes, of course," she said, her voice steady, though he knew her too well be fooled. "I just," she trailed off and he watched confusion cross her face before a flash of alarm ignited in her eyes and she stood excusing herself as she left the dining hall. Fili stood to go after her, almost as fearful as his wife.
"You sit," his mother ordered as she stood. "I will go see to her." And with that Dís marched out of the main hall and after his wife, and he sat fidgeting in his seat wondering what had happened.
It took a few moments of walking for Dís to reach where Eleni leaned against a wall.

"Something's wrong," Eleni said, her voice and eyes full of tears. Her hands were shaking as they rested on her stomach, her face white from fear.

"Eleni," Dís said calmly, placing a hand on her new daughter's arm, "tell me what it is."

Eleni took a few deep breaths, blinking rapidly to get rid of her tears. "There's a flutter," she said, "it's something bad, isn't it?" she asked, her hands running over her rounded stomach.

"Where?" Dís said and placed her hand on Eleni's stomach. Eleni moved her hand lower and Dís felt what had frightened her. "Oh Eleni," Dís breathed. "This is not bad."
"It's not?" Eleni asked quickly, impatient for an answer.
"No," Dís soothed, cupping Eleni's face with her other hand. "This is a good thing."

Eleni stared at Dís waiting for Fili's mother to tell her what it was, feeling her body quivering as she felt something in her stomach twitch again.

"He's kicking," said Dís and watched her words sink in and as relief flooded through Eleni's gray eyes. Eleni smiled overjoyed and Dís smiled in return as she continued to feel the tiny kicks.
Fili left the table after supper and turned the opposite way from his study to go to their room.
"I thought we were going over more plans," Kili said following after.

"I will be there in a minute," Fili answered as he rushed towards the hall to his chambers. He burst into the room to see Eleni sitting on their bed with her hands on her stomach. He fell to his knees before her and took her face in his hands.
"Has something happened?" he asked staring hard at her, looking for despair.
"It's the baby," she said softly.
"Is something wrong?" he asked feeling terror squeeze his heart. Eleni looked up at him and smiled as she shook her head. "No, it's the baby," she said emphasizing the word baby. He looked at her stomach before turning his eyes back to hers not understanding. She took his hand placed it on her swollen belly and he waited trying to understand what she was doing. He felt a small thump on his hand, he would have missed it if he had not been focusing so hard on it.

She watched shock splay across his face when he realized what he had just felt, and then saw joy fill his eyes as he looked up at her.

"Our son," he whispered, tears thick in his throat. She nodded and he let out a breathy laugh before kissing her.
Kili stood in the doorway watching his brother and Eleni in their happiness, it finally sinking in that he would be an uncle. "Can I feel it too?" he asked timidly and Eleni nodded before holding her hand out for him. He missed the kick the first time, though the second one he felt on his fingertips and he laughed. "There's a baby in there," he said astounded. He had never really thought about children before, let alone where they came from. But seeing Eleni's belly, which was round but still small, and feeling the tiny kick he wondered when he would have his own children.
"That is your nephew," Fili said placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. Kili nodded standing and Fili took his place, kissing first Eleni and then her belly before they both left to return to Fili's study where Ori, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, and Gloin were waiting.

One month later

Eleni woke lying on her back, the only way she could lay that the baby wouldn't kick her for. She turned her head to the side as she settled to fall back into slumber when she felt the bed shake slightly; hardly noticeable if not for the soft grunts that sounded in the quiet room. She opened her eyes, the dim light of the torches on the wall still too bright for her tired eyes, though she saw that the place next to her was empty. Her mind jolted into awareness as her eyes sought out her husband, who she had fallen asleep beside, and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she stared at his bare back, seeing his right arm moving, but then he moaned and she realized what he was doing. She laid still as he finished himself, hearing pleasure and frustration in his sounds, until his body tensed and she heard him gasp. He stood pulling his pants up and crawled beside her, seeing she was awake. He kissed her lightly before rolling on his side away from her.

"Do men often stray from their marriage beds when their wives are pregnant?" Eleni asked quietly as she Dwalin, Kili, and Gloin returned from outside. Her round belly kept her from climbing to see the progress of their defenses, but she stood at the bottom as they yelled down to her.

"Some do," Gloin said carelessly without a thought. "It's a long nine months. Ow!" he yelled whipping around to face Dwalin who had punched him. He angrily turned to where Dwalin pointed to see a distressed looking Eleni and his anger left him as he realized what he said.

"Fili is not that kind of man," Dwalin said giving Gloin one last vicious look before patting her on the shoulder.

"Or dwarf," assured Kili, glaring heavily at Gloin as he walked by Eleni's side; where Fili had asked him to stay until their son was born.

Eleni turned to them and gave them a small smile. "Thank you for being honest with me," she said before walking away slowly holding Kili's arm, her legs and feet tired from her extra weight.

She began to notice subtle changes in her husband, he would grow distant from others, his tone curt, he would hardly touch her; and then one morning would dawn and he would be himself again. This happened often over the next two months, and not once did he ask for her; he took it upon himself to please himself, thinking his wife weak in her pregnancy. Though he learned, as he always did, she was stronger than he assumed.

"You could always talk to me," she said one night when he returned to their chambers, having seen the signs of his desire building unable to find a release.
Fili sighed placing his hands on her round belly, feeling the thump of their son's kicks. "I cannot ask that of you," he said dejectedly though he wanted to more than anything.
"Of course you can," she said turning his face towards hers. "Unlike you I don't become grumpy when I'm aroused."

His brows raised as he looked up at her. "And are you now?" he asked having never thought she would be.
"I have been for months," she said quietly running her hands through his hair as he knelt in front of her.

"You've said nothing," he remarked as he stood, seeing something flash across her eyes before she masked it.
"Neither have you," she said softly, almost shyly.
He did not like the uncomfortable look in her eye, and it took him a few moments longer before he understood. He pulled the laces of her dress seeing clearly the unease that told him he had been right and cursed himself for not seeing it before. "My desire for you hasn't changed," he told her as her dress fell to the floor, "only that I can do nothing with it."

"That cannot be true," she said unbelieving, unhappy that he was looking at her unclothed.

"Oh but it is," he insisted, the proof in the stiffening bulge in his pants. "These," he said running his hands over the few marks that lined her stomach from it stretching, "these I love." And he knelt again to kiss them before he stood. "And these," said Fili running his hands along the sides of her breasts, "have you noticed they've grown?" he asked.

"I've hardly noticed anything else," she admitted. "They are sore."

"Are they?" He heard her breathe uncomfortably as he ran a thumb over one, seeing it in her eyes that they hurt.

"They are ready for a baby," she said twisting to get away from his touch, though he persisted.

He smirked before taking a nipple in his mouth, seeing from her face that was what they were aching for. He pushed her on the bed before continuing to suckle one while kneading the other, roughly squeezing and pinching hearing her sounds of enjoyment. He moved his mouth to her other breast and ran his hand down her side and between her legs, feeling she was in fact aroused. He berated himself for not having spoken with her sooner, something that had left them both in agonized wanting. His thumb stroked between her legs as his fingers acted in place of him, listening to her moans grow more frequent.

Her back arched as much as it was able with her swollen belly, her breasts delighted in receiving what she had not known they craved, his fingers buried deep within her giving her what she knew she wanted, her legs quivering as she soared over the edge. She laid on her back with him between her legs gasping for air, having not felt that for months.

"Don't ever think you're not beautiful," he said kissing her stomach before laying beside her. She smiled slightly at him, her fingers light on his face.
"What about you?" she asked softly and he shrugged before undoing his pants and sliding them down over his hips. She watched as he took himself in his hand and began stroking, a thought crossing her mind. "Fili," she said and he turned his head towards her as his hand continued moving. She placed her hand over his wrist stilling his movements.

"What?" he asked impatiently wanting to continue.
"Stand up," she ordered and he stared at her incredulous. She nudged him until he complied and stood.
"What are you doing?" he asked confused.

"I can't lay on my stomach," she explained before getting down on her knees in front of him.
"Eleni, you don't," he said but she interrupted him.

"I know," Eleni said smiling assuredly before running her hands along his thighs, hearing his breathing deepen.

He looked down at her, her hands blazing against his skin. He had imagined her doing this, several times in fact, but he had never thought she would. His jaw dropped but no sound left him, her mouth warm around him, her tongue rough against his sensitive skin. He resisted the urge to thrust into her mouth, shuddering when her teeth brushing against him.

She felt his legs quiver the further she took him in her mouth, his head grazing the back of her throat, his hands in her hair as he moaned. He barely lasted a minute longer, his knees shaking as he came, crying out her name. He helped her stand then laid her down before rolling on his side and taking her in his arms.

"That is almost as good as what you do," she said and he kissed her, his hands running over her stomach. They lay quietly for a while, happier than they had been in a long while.

"Two months longer," he said breathlessly, feeling their son kick beneath his hand.

Renee: I'm glad you enjoyed the throne scene, I liked making her the one to completely lose herself in the sex. I don't ever take offense to critiscim so long as the person is respecting me enough to help me with my writing, rather than just being mean. I'm glad you think it's better, it's still not quite the way I want it but I may go back after a few days and then rework it again.