The Royal Pudding
As Fili stepped back into the Mountain, he couldn't help but smile.
He was home again.
Four long months away and no matter where he went, he would always enjoy setting his feet back inside Erebor.
Especially when his greeting party consisted of his daughter barrelling towards him.
"DADDY!" Thora would not be stopped and everyone quickly had to avoid her as she ran down the steps, pelted towards him and jumped the last stretch between them.
Fili was ready and caught her, quickly swinging her around and then high up into the air.
"You're home!" She cackled happily and Fili pulled her back down to hold her close.
"Oh, my little ember!" He kissed the side of her head and then pulled back to look at her in awe, "look at you, nearly four and you've grown an extra inch! Are you sure you're not five?!"
"Daddy, you're funny!" Thora snuggled into him, her hands idly playing with the laces on the front of his tunic.
Fili looked around and saw Eilonwy slowly approach, a small serene smile on her face.
"My Lord Fili," Eilonwy bowed her head and stood in front of them, "Thora wished to come down and greet you first."
He looked about her and furrowed his brow.
"Have you-"
"Lady Dru," Eilonwy already knew who he was looking for, "is in her chambers, resting."
"Is she ill?" Fili asked a little worried. She would never nap during the day unless Thora was, so it struck him a little odd.
But Eilonwy just kept smiling and shook her head.
"No, quite well. Though, you should go to see her," there was an odd little tone in her voice and Fili wasn't quite sure what to make of it...was she amused?
Still, he did want to see her.
"Alright, trouble," he addressed his daughter was a 'faux' stern glare, "I've got to go and see if your mother is awake. I'll play with you later."
"Aww, but daaaaaad," Thora went all limp when he attempted to put her down and he was half tempted to just lay her on the floor.
But he, of course, had another idea.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to give that bag of presents to another little girl or boy-"
He hadn't even finished explained who or where he'd go before she suddenly wiggled free and looked up at him.
"Presents?!" She put her little hands together, almost as though she were praying, "oh, please daddy! Please, please, please-"
"Go on then!" He ruffled her mighty curls and pointed her over to the little wagon that had been brought back, "mind you don't eat all the sweets, your granny will have a fit."
As she ran over to the wagon, Eilonwy promised to take good care of her.
Surprisingly, all the way to the royal chambers, no one stopped Fili to ask him any questions or to send him to the meeting rooms.
No, in fact, people were nodding politely and smiling happily as though they knew something that he didn't.
It was...odd.
Very odd.
When he got to his rooms and stepped inside, sure enough, his beloved was tucked up in their bed, fast asleep.
Quietly, he stepped closer and towards his bed to look at her.
She was asleep on her back, with the covers tucked all the way up to her chin. Her hair sprawled out against the pillow underneath her.
She looked peaceful and beautiful and thankfully, not sick. He was glad Eilonwy just wasn't trying to appease him.
He removed his coats and boots and sat down beside her. He did try not to disturb her, but as soon as he lifted the covers and settled next to her, she stirred anyway.
She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a couple of times before he saw the moment she saw it was him.
She smiled sleepily.
"You're back."
"Aye'. Do you feel alright? You're in bed early," his hand came out to play with her hair and she stretched out beside him.
"Blissfully. Just knackered. How was your trip?" She turned and gave him a quick kiss before rubbing herself against him.
"Awful," he pecked the side of her head, "I missed you. Every day."
"Mmm. Me too. I got a present for you," she said sneakily and pulled back to look at him, her face a picture of pure joy.
"Oh?"
She slowly laid on her back again and pulled down the covers far enough to expose her chest and show she wasn't wearing a nightdress.
"Take a look," she removed her hands and placed them either side of her head, inviting Fili to do the rest.
"Oh," he was suddenly very interested in what it was she had for him.
He pushed him up onto his knees and grabbed the edge of the covers. Slowly, he pulled them down to reveal more delicious flesh and plant gentle kisses as he went.
But as he pulled them down to expose her stomach, he stopped.
And he looked properly at the small, rounded belly.
It wasn't big, but definitely bigger than he left it. And it had the familiar shape he remembered from when Dru had Thora in her belly.
He smoothed his hand over chest and then her stomach, smiling at the 'gift'.
"Are you really?" He asked in astounded disbelief.
She nodded and 'hummed' beneath him contently.
"I didn't even know until last month. And everyone knows sadly. I uhm...may have chucked up at Rana's birthday party and everyone sussed it. Though managed to surprise you?" She giggled as he laid his head against her stomach and nuzzled her.
"God, I love you," he then turned his head around so his mouth hovered over her skin.
When he spoke in soothing Khuzdul, she couldn't help but smirk smugly to herself as she repeated back what he said.
"'Your mother is a fiercesome warrior and I love her very much.'"
Fili chuckled and spoke some more.
"'And I can't keep secrets from her any more, because she's finally gotten the hang of her native tongue.' I know, right?"
He scooted back up slowly and crawling along, planted kisses up and around her breasts.
"Since we are to have another, I better get all my attention now," he gently sucked and nipped at the skin on her chest and she arched into him.
"Gods...I missed you," she grabbed at his hair when his teeth dragged over her nipple.
She playfully tugged on his braid and made him crawl back up to her, pressing her lips against his with all the passion she could muster.
Once they were both breathless and knew that they wanted more, she pulled back with a big smile and let her hands wander down.
"Would you like me to take care of you?" She reached down and cupped him through his trousers, relishing in his hearty moan as she caressed ad fondled him.
"Gods, yes."
"Good," she caught his mouth again in a hungry kiss and got to work.
As he laid against her, he shifted his hip up so she could slip her hands into his trousers and push them down to his thighs.
But she did not automatically reach to grab his cock.
Her hands instead smoothed back up and she gently raked her nails over his buttocks.
"Don't tease me, woman!" He pulled away with a growl, "I know what you're doing."
"I'm not teasing. I just LOVE feeling you."
To demonstrate she wasn't lying, Dru moved her hands up and over his wide back pushing up his tunic.
His lips found the skin of her neck as she continued to roam and stroke him wherever she could reach.
She eventually pulled and tugged his tunic up until their bare stomachs and chests were pressed against the other.
"I love you," she mumbled happily as her hands wandered back down and finally grabbed his cock.
"I love you," he smirked as he positioned and pushed him inside and with one, gentle roll of his hips, he laid within her.
Home.
They were not frantic or fast or hard.
They merely held onto one another and gently moved as though they were the waves on the shores at the bottom of the mountain.
They missed one another greatly, but that didn't always mean their lovemaking had to be madly passionate.
They were happy just lying against one another and kissing until Fili felt his release approach.
He buried his face against the side of her neck and she held him in place as she rolled her hips to bring him to his end.
He came with a muffled cry and collapsed on top of her, sweating and breathless.
Seemingly satiated with having 'taken care of him', Dru hummed contently and wiggled her hips a couple of times underneath him.
"Did you miss me?" She said, her voice thick with sleep and he could just tell she was ready to rest again.
He kissed her bare shoulder and pushed himself up to hover over her.
"Always."
He slipped out of her and to the side, pulling her into his arms.
"Good," she yawned and tucked herself up against him, "missed you too, Brambles."
Fili allowed her to rest against him but refused to sleep himself when he felt so excited.
Another child in their lives.
It would be hard, but Thora had brought so much joy and they were both ready for another little one.
Dru could sleep for as long as she wanted. He'd always make sure to be awake for both their children.
A short while later...
Fili HAD eventually left Dru in bed when she awoke and dressed, but since it was evening, they only grabbed Thora, played with her, went to dinner with the family and then retired back to their rooms.
Dru had allowed him to finish his work as she and Thora bathed and she'd tucked their daughter in for the night.
As soon as she went to his study and pressed a kiss against his head, he knew he couldn't stay and sit at his desk when his wife beckoned him silently.
Especially when he caught a glimpse of THAT sheer nightdress she wore under her robes.
They'd gone to bed, but finding they were both very awake, just laid together above the covers.
Fili's head rested on her stomach again as he 'listened' to their babe and Dru idly played with his long hair.
"We need to start thinking of names again. I made a small list, but nothing solid until you were back," Dru rattled off the few names she thought of, but then prompted Fili for his own, "do you have any you'd like?"
Fili could only think of girl's names at first, because of Thora, but then it dawned on him that they may have a boy.
And there WAS a name he'd been thinking about for a while.
"Yes," he turned his head and rested his chin on her bump to look up at her, "Bror. If that's alright?"
Tilting her head on her pillows, she smiled at him, knowing the significance and importance to that name.
"That's Da's name, isn't it?"
He nodded at her.
"Will it do?"
"Of course. It's a lovely name," she gently flicked a stray wave that had escaped and fallen down over his forehead.
"What if it's another girl?" He queried, wondering if she'd want her mother's name instead.
But she smirked and said jokingly, "Brori?"
He huffed out a loud and shook his head, rubbing his beard against her skin.
"That's just ridiculous."
"So is naming your house Kallan when it's a boy," she pointed out and OH...he had that dangerous little glimmer in his eye.
He didn't stop looking at her as he slowly crawled down.
"What are you-AH, NO!" She shrieked and laughed as his fingers ran up and down her sides and his teeth gently sunk into the skin of her thigh.
"FILI, STOP AHAHAHAHA!"
Fili did not stop.
In fact, he continued to tickle and nibble at her skin and he was JUST pulling up her nightdress for better access when the door that led to the adjoining room swung open and a little, tired voice got their attention.
"Daddy!" Thora grumpily rubbed at her eye with one hand and held onto the doorknob with the other, "stop tickling mummy!"
Whilst Fili did stop tickling and nibbling, he just laid against his wife and rested his forehead against her belly as she laughed.
"Just when it was getting to the good part!" He grumbled and turned to smile at his daughter, "Thora, I was just-"
"Don't worry mummy!" Thora stomped over and quickly scrambled up onto their bed, "I'll protect you!"
Thora shoved Fili with all her strength (which wasn't much) and he rolled off of Dru until he was 'banished' down on his side of the bed.
His daughter than smirked smugly as she settled down next to her mother, who was taking deep breaths as her giggles stopped.
"Oh, my little hero!" She grabbed her daughter and planted kisses all over her face. Fili DID attempt to crawl back up and join in, but Thora held up both her hands and gave him a stubborn, 'NO!' before settling back against her mother.
Fili sat up, sat cross-legged and watched the two 'conspirators' as they whispered and giggled between them.
Eventually, he WAS allowed to crawl back alongside Dru, but under STRICT instructions he was to stay on his side and not get in on the cuddle.
Though Dru did flip her over so she had to lay slightly squished between them.
It took less than an hour to get Thora back to sleep and as she lay next to Dru, Fili planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
"I'll wait until she's deep into her dreams and then put her back to bed," he whispered to his wife, but she seemed to be ready to nod off herself.
"Mmm, then we can continue," she yawned and blinked at him, struggling to keep her eyes open, "talking."
"Mmm," he nodded in agreement, though he could already see her nodding off.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, her breathing regulated and her eyes were shut.
He didn't take Thora back straight away.
Instead, he propped himself up to look down at his family.
His two girls.
His reason for being and living.
Happy, content and safe.
And he promised to strive every day to make sure they stay that way. And he promised the child within her the same.