It was only four days before the wedding, and Evangeline was meeting with a few of the ladies of Ered Luin and arranging some of the final particulars of the upcoming ceremony. There had been so much to prepare, but little by little each question was answered and each detail sorted. Her small fingers dusted along the top of a light blue flower in an arrangement in front of her as the hobbit listened to Grerea review how the bride was supposed to behave during the ceremony for what must have been the fourteenth time. The healer was utterly relieved when Grerea's speech was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Balin, who came to the blonde's side with what seemed like urgent news.

"My lady, I have a letter for you in the other room. It may be important, if you would like to come read it before continuing here…"

Balin suggested, and Evie nodded, her brow furrowing. She hoped it was nothing serious, and that the older dwarf was simply being cautious with the news. The hobbit did not often get letters, and she was immediately concerned it might be from her mother. She excused herself from the room and followed Balin down the hallway. The healer sensed that something was out of place as he directed her into a private room to her right, while he stayed out in the hallway. The hobbit looked back at him as she entered, clearly confused as to why he was acting so strangely. Why not lead her into the room and pass her the letter? Wasn't this simply a private place to read?

The white haired dwarf winked at her, his eyes sparkling, and moved to shut the door behind her without another word. Evie opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it and instead went along with the ruse, stepping into the room as curiosity got the better of her. She wondered if Dis had something to do with this, and it was some sort of secret which had to do with the wedding. The blonde made a fragile, unconscious noise of surprise in the back of her throat when she turned and saw who was standing beside her, hiding in the shadow of the door so the dwarf could see who entered before he could be observed. It was not Dis at all, but her brother – shocking the hobbit even now when she claimed to know him so well.

"Thorin!"

She exclaimed at a whisper, knowing innately that they had to be quiet. If they were caught together…

"We are not supposed to-"

His future bride fell silent as he approached her, his heavy feet more muffled than usual on the stone floor. Thorin's enormous hands were on her face, pulling her close and guiding her to him. He leaned his forehead against hers, his long, hawk-like nose brushing her small button one as his lips inched ever closer. Evie wanted to say something, to tell him how much she had missed him and how all this was killing her inside, the anticipation, the quiet deception – but he stole her breath away with a kiss, his fervent lips enveloping hers and making her tremble against him. She tensed at first, unprepared for such sudden intimacy, but then melted against him, her petite hands reaching for his shoulders and clinging to his tunic as his lips erased her every objection.

"My apologies… I could not bear another moment without you."

Evie sighed softly, looking up at him with a smile in her eyes. Her fingers loosened around the fabric of his shirt, smoothing the cloth and feeling his broad shoulders beneath her palms. He was like a dream, this sturdy warrior king, his physical potency only matched by the ardent gleam of love in his eyes as he looked down at her, and she did not understand how it was that she had come to find him. The hobbit felt unbalanced when she met his sapphire gaze, and she began to doubt she would ever get used to being so close to him. Small, searching fingers moved into his hair, combing through the long, dark brown locks and enjoying their surprising smoothness.

"It has been torture, to keep this secret."

He confessed, and the blonde chanced a glance back up at him to the usual startling effect. They had not been able to see each other very often over the last few days as the final preparations for the wedding were made – it was improper for bride and groom to have much contact. Evie breathlessly agreed;

"To be so close to you and be unable to… to touch you, to smile at you… I thought there could be nothing worse than when I was confused as to your feelings, but… Perhaps it is right that we must act this way, perhaps it is possible to have too much happiness… My mother always said.."

"All I know is that I am happier with you than I have ever been before. It is surely more than anyone deserves, yet I cannot but thank Durin for the gift of it."

She nodded, unable to contest his words. Her clear grey eyes drifted back down to watch her hand where it was still weaving through his long, untamed hair. Although she could not see his face, the hobbit could feel him smiling at her and it produced a similar expression on her own pink lips.

"I love you.."

His voice was soft and tender, the booming sound of authority stripped from the rich tenor until all that remained was the quietude of a king at peace. It made her reply stick in her throat, and as Evie's bright, adoring eyes met his, she endeavored to speak but the words simply would not come. Instead, she tried to demonstrate her feelings, if such a thing could be done.

Evangeline leaned forward, her thin brow furrowing as she took her time in beginning the kiss. Her lips barely brushed his, a gentle, saccharine, ghost of a touch. She took his bottom lip in both of hers, allowing the kiss to blossom in that slow, fragile way new flowers were accustomed to, laced with unimaginable sweetness and the unparalleled beauty of something new. Her fingers dusted the bristles of his beard, coming to rest upon the edge of his chin and quiver there as her lips hovered over his a moment longer. She had shown him what she could not say in words, as clear as anything. Their breath mingled in the small space between them, and Evangeline grinned contentedly up at her future husband, ready to do whatever it took to make him so.

"The day of our wedding cannot come soon enough."

She declared softly, the sound half trapped in her throat. Thorin smiled, the kind of smile that made Evie's head spin. She felt a little dizzy as he leaned forward and placed his lips on her neck, right above her vocal cords. She breathed in deeply, her eyes fluttering closed and her head tilting to the side as his lips forged a delicate path under her jaw until they came to rest just beneath her ear, making her heart skip a beat. He could feel it, and the sensation sent a thrill through the dwarf's stocky frame just as surely as it did the trembling hobbit in his arms. He hummed contentedly into her soft skin, and Evie thought she might faint from the want of him.

She whispered his name weakly, and the king backed away from her, his hands returning to her face as he kissed her one last time.

"I should go,"

He whispered anxiously, and Evie nodded, stealing another kiss. "So should I…" And another… Her fingers grasped onto his tunic once more and his threaded through her hair, parting silky golden strands and holding her fast against him as their kisses grew more and more heated.

"We should… not-"

There was no power in the protest; if anything it fueled the passion growing between them. Thorin backed her up against the wall, breathing deeply. He coveted her with his eyes, and she shuddered to feel his gaze upon her as if he could touch her through it. The look he gave her spoke volumes, and the healer knew precisely in that moment what he wanted and what, to her own astonishment, her body begged for as well. She swallowed, gasping as his sturdy frame went flush against hers. Trapped between the cool stone wall and her betrothed's imposing figure she felt helpless in a way she had never experienced before – his mouth trailed promises across her jawline and as he kissed the hollow of her throat she let out a graceless, flimsy cry and realized in an instant exactly what that feeling was. It shot through her body like venom, making her woozy and altogether unright, winded and weak on her feet. It was lust, and the blonde succumb to it as though she had just been submerged by a wave, dragged through the water without thought or prayer.

"Thor-rin.."

She moaned desperately, her voice two registers too high. She sensed him freeze against her, his own body throbbing with desire. He could barely control it or stop the rush he felt through every needy, pulsing muscle – he spoke her name and the deep tenor of his voice made her shiver with longing. Their eyes met, Evie's lids heavy and half closed and Thorin's sapphire orbs glazed over. She smiled, laughing breathlessly as their foreheads pressed together once more. Thorin shook his head against hers, completely speechless. Neither had anticipated what had just happened; neither could have predicted how the spark would become a fire so quickly nor how little time it would take for them both to be utterly consumed by the blaze. The wedding could not come soon enough, indeed, and to think that they could discover each other in ways they had seldom truly considered before was a shock to the senses, although a delightful one at that.

"I love you…"

She sighed, her thumb tracking the bone of his cheek and slipping down the side of his face. Thorin kissed her, a light, careful kiss, and then stepped away, clearing his throat. Evie grinned, adjusting her dress and trying to smooth back her hair. Thorin helped her as he could, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"What will Balin think!"

The hobbit muttered to herself, her fingers dancing through golden hair as she fixed her braids and tried to look proper. It was obvious Thorin had solicited his friend's help so he could steal a moment alone with his future wife, yet she doubted the older dwarf had any inkling things would go as they had. It was not as though they had crossed any true boundaries, and yet to think of what anyone would say should they find out the couple had become this intimate with one another before the wedding… Evie blushed to consider the terrible prospect.

Thorin's unspeakably blue eyes followed her as the blonde endeavored to make herself presentable, and she sent a teasing smile his way when she noticed his gaze upon her.

"Well?"

She asked, sidling back over to him where he was now leaning against a small table at the side of the room. He placed his large hands at the swell of her hips, and the heaviness of them sent a thrill through her. They could not start this again, although now that it had begun she knew there would be no looking at each other until after the wedding without great consequence – they had awoken something within each other which would not be satisfied until they were together, body and soul. The thought delighted and terrified the unsuspecting hobbit, but there was no denying the fact of it.

"You look beautiful.."

He told her, taking her hand in his and bestowing upon it his customary kiss. His lips then pressed against the soft curve between her forefinger and her thumb, and Evie breathed in sharply in response. Thorin smiled, enjoying the effect he had on her even while driving away more forceful impulses.

"I should go; they will be expecting my return."

Thorin nodded, releasing her hand and meeting her large grey eyes again. She curtseyed to him, her plump pink lips tugging up wryly at the edges and making him fight the urge to kiss her again with all his remaining restraint. With that and a swish of the light green cloth of her dress, she was gone, and in her wake the eager anticipation of discovering a fulfillment he had never thought he would know.

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Author's Note: This chapter is just for fun, but I thought it would be a nice first chapter for 2014! Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2014 brings you wonderful things! Thank you so much for your follows, your favorites, and your comments! They mean the world to me! 3