Author's Note: What can I even say? I'm really sorry this update took so long :( Honestly, I lost inspiration and could only write like fifty words at a time. For a while, I wasn't writing anything at all. Also, another apology for not finishing review responses for my previous chapter :p I wanted to hurry and post since the wait was ridiculously long. Thanks lillalil, Luinwen-2013, znk99fg7, MustachedCrusader, AnneDance1711, DwarvenWarrior, fairys have tails, dearreader, Crystal, SwanInProgress, Kcaelle, biddle29, Queen of Erebor, mh21, Antheila, Promise1982, HelsinkiAshes, TheHobbitFanatic, Shadowsammy, redhouseclan, Madame Tortilla, chm36, UKReader, kitcat12, blasphemy, FlyingHampsterOfDoom, obsessed reader, sistaa-krimzz, Grumpy Unicorn, TheAvengedGuava, CannonRebel, Guest, TheSparklyOverlord, and Mara Gin for leaving reviews.
Dedicated to fairys have tails who wanted me to update on her birthday, but I never did and I'm very, very sorry :( Also dedicated to znk99fg7 for constantly encouraging me, and reminding me that there are still people who enjoy "Heroes."
Disclaimer: I do not own "Colorblind" by Counting Crows.
Chapter Thirty-Two: Colorblind
Balin had given them the most Balin-esque, condescending look Rue had ever seen him muster as Thorin led her up the flight of stairs. Was it possible to be more condescending?
One thing was clear: Balin's mind was in the gutter. He thought her and Thorin were going to go have a roll in the hay. Sure, Thorin did give Rue crazy urges that could only constitute as "being horny." Yep. Her cheeks were flaming now as Thorin led her down to the end of the hall―to his room. Slowly, he opened the wood-like door for her, waiting for Rue to walk inside first. She ambled inside, taking in the sight of the room, the very definition of a guest room. Blank walls. Plain bed sheets. There was nothing here that was uniquely Thorin. Uniquely Thorin would've been pelts and furs. A fireplace decorated by runes in Khuzdul―or just furniture decorated by Khuzdul carvings.
If it wasn't a matter of two worlds, Thorin would have had one of the Harry Potter books sitting on a bookshelf, along with books on modern artillery. Rue swallowed hard, really remembering. Artillery had been…very fascinating to Thorin. He had scanned pictures of guns, grenades, machetes, and other weapons on the internet after Kili had taught him how to browse the web. Was it ironic that the things that fascinated Thorin so much had probably killed him? At once, it felt like Rue's heart was being jerked around on a pendulum―the pulse quickening. The last thing she remembered from her world was a bullet lodging into Thorin's flesh.
Instinctively, her hand shot out, curling around Thorin's. Too many times, she had failed Thorin. Him getting shot. Him being beaten at the post in Lake-town. For the first time in days, Rue's heart swelled with…pride? Finally, she was the one saving him, helping him make Erebor become a reality.
The bedroom was dark, nearly pitch-black in some corners. Absently, Rue wondered if this room was haunted. It would really suck if a vengeful spirit turned either her or Thorin into Jack Nicholson from The Shining. Talk about crappy luck if that were to happen. There was a single, pale glow from a candle on the nightstand next to the bed.
The bed.
Rue stopped in her tracks.
"I can sleep on the floor?" she offered with a nervous squeak. Rue turned crimson like an idiot. That should've been unspoken. It wasn't like Thorin wanted to share a bed. She was the only one here with inappropriate desires.
Stupidly, their kiss started to replay in her head like a reel of film. For the past few days, she had forced herself not to think about it. The only time she ever thought about it was at nighttime. Rue would be laying bed, scared as hell of marrying Naji, of realizing the company would be facing Smaug alone. Then she would think about Thorin, hoping when the time came, he would defeat the gold sickness. Thinking about Thorin would lead to the kiss. The memory of his hot lips flush against her lips left her head spinning. Remembering the feel of his big palms on the small of her back left her skin tingling pleasantly―mind whirling.
"No." Thorin shook his head, his words soft. He stole one last glance at the bed. "You shall sleep on the bed. And I―"
"What about you?" Rue blurted before he could finish. Stupidly, she covered her mouth, squeaking involuntarily. Dumbass was officially stamped on her forehead. She pictured Red from That '70s Show shoving his foot up her ass.
Thorin was patient, gesturing to the floor. "I shall sleep on the floor."
She was open-mouthed, watching as he snatched one blanket off the bed and a pillow, making himself a bed on the hardwood floor. A big part of Rue wanted to argue with him, wanted to throw herself on the floor and force Thorin to sleep on the bed. But she thought better of it. Rue would agree to sleep on the bed if it meant Thorin was happy. And if Thorin was happy, that was all that mattered.
With a slight creak, Rue sunk on the bed, gingerly bringing both legs up. Sighing heavily―tiredly―, Rue lay back on the bed, eyes fixated on the ceiling in a "trance." Sure, she pretended she was zoning out from everything around her, pretending to be too darn drained to notice much, but in actuality, she noticed everything. She was hypersensitive to the max right now.
The single candle in the room provided enough light for Rue to see Thorin removing some of his pelts. Rue swallowed hard, taking shameful peeks at him out of the corner of her eye. Her perverted self was hoping to catch peeks of flesh. She ran a hand through her unruly hair, trying to steady her breathing. Rue's heart was beating insanely fast.
All too well, she remembered Thorin being whipped by the wooden pole. The wood had split, and he'd been injured…
She wondered how his injuries were faring…
Maybe…
Bad idea.
Maybe Rue could ask Thorin if she could take a look another time? Looking at his wounds another time would be a much better decision than now.
She heard the rhythm of his breathing, heard the soft scuffle of Thorin finally settling down on the floor. He slid under the blanket, the shine of his long hair distracting her way more than she liked to admit.
Eyes boring holes into the ceiling, Rue inhaled. And then exhaled. What if she got caught? What if Naji or the Master of Lake-town somehow figured out she was gone? Not that they were always keeping tabs on her, but it could still happen. What then? Rue huffed in self-indignation. She should've thought about those possibilities more thoroughly before deciding to jump into Thorin's bed like a lovesick puppy.
Rue rolled on her side and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Thorin," she whispered in the dark, breathy.
"Yes?" he asked softly―maybe even nervously?
"I just want you to know that no matter what happens…nothing is your fault. Don't―don't blame yourself for things you have no control over. And um―" Rue stopped, choking up a little― "You're the greatest, toughest, most awesome person I've ever met. So uh…um…don't ever change." The last of her sentence was a squeak. Heat pooled Rue's stomach, heat seeped into her cheeks, warmed her flesh all over.
Thorin's silence was heavy―deafening.
She wished she had the guts to roll over and see Thorin―to really see him.
Rue blinked once, strands of her out-of-control hair all she could see. Shutting her eyes, insides squirming in agony, Rue readied for sleep.
Creak.
Rue jolted, turning. What the heck was that? Fear shot through her spine like icicles. Azog? Smaug? Naji?
Thorin sat at the end of the bed now, clad in his thinnest―final―layer, a shirt Rue had never seen him wear before. It was dark blue, loose, and the first two buttons at the top were left undone, giving Rue the slightest glimpse of chest hair. Between spotting the tiniest peeks of chest hair and realizing she had been deathly afraid of nothing left her cheeks burning in humiliation. Gosh, she was stupid.
"Thorin?" she whispered because it was dark. "Are you okay?"
Rue imagined some completely illogical Supernatural stuff going down, where Thorin would be having visions and premonitions like Sam did in the first season. Weird.
Thorin reached for her, his big hand burying hers. She did not mind the burying one bit, interlacing their fingers. Timidly, she kept her gaze on the bed sheets.
"You are astounding," he said huskily, gripping her hand tighter, making her heart beat as fast as hummingbird wing beats.
Rue had no clue what overcame her, but suddenly she was sitting up, and closing the little distance between her and Thorin.
Gently―carefully―gripping him by the shoulders, Rue planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. Parts of his beard met her mouth, making her insides go topsy-turvy. How could she be so dumb? Crap. Must undo mistake.
Quickly, she pulled away. Thorin's mouth was open in dismay, his blue eyes glowing in the ever-fading embers. He watched her intensely as she sunk back down on the bed, rolling over and feigning "sleep."
Thorin remained sitting at the end of the bed for a few more moments. No one dared to move―no one even chanced it to take a breath.
And then she realized something crazy. If Thorin really did feel the same way, and loved her as much as she loved him, couldn't they…
They were alone on a bed…
All right, Rue needed to get her mind out of the gutter.
But was that realization really that crazy?
Without warning, the weight from the end of the bed lifted. Rue went still.
She heard Thorin move back to the floor, and then listened to the soft rustle of his blanket as he lay down.
Rue peeked over her shoulder. Gosh, why couldn't life just be simple for once?
Rue made it her business to wake up before dawn. No way could she tell if it was four, five, or six in the morning, but she knew one thing for sure: it was time to go back to the hellmouth.
Thorin, Bilbo, and the Dwarves were not going to get in trouble because she decided to sleep in. Screw that.
She crept down the staircase, visibly wincing at every creak she created. From the window, she could see the sky was a dark blue, which meant the sun would soon rise and―
"Ahem."
Rue stopped, standing stark still on the second to last stair. Squinting, bones rattling in sheer terror, she cast a better glance at the front room and saw―
Nori sat in the chair Balin had been sitting in last night. Nonchalantly, his feet were kicked up on the nearest table as an impish smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Rue blinked, eyes owlish.
"I didn't see you there," she confessed lamely, blushing. Nori hadn't seen her here last night, which meant he was probably going to be asking questions.
"I remember the race of Men from your world would say 'ahem' to each other when they were trying to address their awareness," Nori said airily.
"Uh, yeah." Rue shrugged innocently, descending the final stair.
"It has been days since the last we saw of you," he pointed out, lazily grinning.
It hit her like a thunderbolt.
Nori was goading her in an attempt to get Rue to admit where she had been last night. He already knew. Somehow, he knew or at least suspected. Was it dumb that his suspicions were true? If they hadn't been true, Rue would've been calling him a freaking "pervert." Nori could never get enough of ogling Sports Illustrated in the store.
"Yeah, I came last night. I didn't think―I mean I wasn't planning on it. It sorta just happened," Rue explained, tongue fumbling.
Nori wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, something he had to have learned from either Natalie or watching Dean Winchester on Supernatural.
"Rue, I shall pretend I did not see you, at least for the company's sake, but I will not refrain from…mocking our King. Or should I say your 'Intended'?"
She knew he was just teasing, but it hurt. It felt like a punch in the gut. More than anything, she longed for any real truth in Nori's teasing. Rue wanted Thorin to be her intended instead of others…
Instinctively, she chuckled at his playfulness, hiding the pain.
"I guess that's fair to uh…tease Thorin then," Rue piped up nervously, giggling.
Silence fell after her words. For a long moment, they stared at each other, blinking. Slightest tension rose in the air. What had she done? Did she do something stupid again?
Nori shook his head, opening his mouth and ending the pounding silence.
"You better take your leave, kid."
"Hey," she protested jokingly, nearing the front door.
"That is what Fonzie once said to young Joanie on Happy Days. Kid."
Rue had seriously never expected Nori to watch Happy Days. She thought he'd be too busy ogling the hot babes on Baywatch reruns. Who knew?
Rue laughed. Genuinely laughed this time.
Nori making references to her world made her realize one thing: this wasn't a dream. This was reality. This was crappy reality if she liked it or not.
It happened again.
Rue ended up meeting Thorin by the bench, their spot. All these secret "tryst" were stupid, but the only way she got to see any of them anymore. So for Rue, the risk on her behalf was worth it. Whatever happened to her happened. Just as long as the Dwarves were okay. Well, her logic was simple-dumbed-down-from-complex. At least until she was forced to see the complex standing in front of her in the form of a longbow.
Thorin's fingers had been whisper-soft against her wrist in the darkness. They had been talking about Harry Potter out of all things.
"How far did you get reading Harry Potter?"
Thorin met her eyes. "I finished them." There was a sudden playful, small smile on his lips.
Rue's jaw dropped. "You did! In a week? No way."
"When you have nothing else to do but dishes and care for your home, it is rather effortless to read."
Thorin had finished the Harry Potter series in a week? Rue blinked. Wow. It was hard to believe. Lamely, she felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
"How did you get through Goblet of Fire? That one always feels like the longest one. And―and―" Rue sputtered― "I'm just so excited I don't even know what to ask. Oh, wait. I do. So who's your favorite character? Can you guess mine?"
Rue playfully leaned closer; Thorin leaning so close she could feel the press of his arm hair, tension seeping through the feel of his limbs.
"Professor Snape," he spoke gruffly.
How did he know?
Rue gasped. "How do you know?"
At once, Thorin turned to face her, his forehead grazing hers. Rue's knees shook, humming against the bench. Thorin inhaled. "You wish to save him. That is why."
Feeling flabbergasted, Rue threaded her fingers around Thorin's fingertips. "I'm that predictable, huh? And uh―you haven't answered my question."
Thorin shook his head. "It is not that you are predictable, Rue, it is that I…I have come to know you." He was quiet, eyes wandering up and down Rue. What was he looking for? Very tenderly, he pressed his forehead even closer to hers. "Ron."
"Ron?" Rue stammered in surprise. She should've known he would dig the Weasleys.
"I now understand why you named your hamster Mr. Scabbers."
Rue giggled, casting timid glimpses at the tree branches shrouding their whereabouts.
The small giggle attack left her in a flash. She beamed. "Ron is―"
"Misconstrued. Better than he is ever aware of. It is not until he must confront the locket that he sees the untrue and discovers the truth," Thorin mumbled, hot breaths dusting against her lips.
"Beautifully said," Rue said in wonder. "I can't believe you actually read them."
In what felt like a long time, Rue and Thorin hadn't been able to have a real conversation, where Rue's heart was left fluttering and mind a-buzzing. After everything going on in Lake-town, they hadn't been able to simply be "the chick who dug Harry Potter way too much" and "the Dwarf who had lost too much." Okay, Rue was being a little melodramatic now.
Thorin nodded, smiling gently―maybe even delicately?
"It's just―" Rue shook her head, at a loss for words now. Grinning, she shook her head again and buried her head in her hands. Too many thoughts and feelings skyrocketed through her.
"What is it?" Thorin asked breathily against her ear. "Tell me?"
And then that was when they heard it.
Creak.
A snap of a branch.
Thorin jumped up from the bench, alert and descending into warrior mode. His hand clenched into a fist as he scanned their surroundings.
"I am not here for battle."
What the heck?
The voice was startlingly familiar. Rue stood up from the bench, eyes going this way and that way in her search for―
Thorin was halfway from meeting her, but was frozen in place, eyes tripled in size. A longbow was pointed at the back of his head.
Rue opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come out. She shut her jaw, trying to talk again. This time, her throat felt swollen. How had Bard the Bowman snuck up on them? It was mind-boggling. Impossible. And never should have happened because―
They shouldn't have been out here.
She took one-step forward.
"Don't," Thorin instructed. Rue tentatively listened, coming to a halt. Her lips quivered, teeth chattering in bone-chilling horror. What would happen? It was over now. This time the Master of Lake-town would be finished with Thorin. Millions of Thorin-getting-tortured scenarios popped in her head. If she had to hear him scream…
No. Rue couldn't do it.
"Please," she begged, voice scratchy. "Please don't blame him. Everything's my fault. Just please; let me explain everything to the Master of Lake-town myself. Please―"
Bard interrupted, "You are not going to see the Master of Lake-town. That is why I am here―" His eyes shifted to the left, where the shadows of buildings lay undisturbed― "I know how 'plucky' Dwarves may be, so it was a must that I speak to you with my longbow. It is the only way I would be listened to after everything."
Guardedly, Bard began to drop the longbow's aim.
"We mustn't waste any more time. The Master of Lake-town and his brother's son know you are missing."
Thorin turned around, eyebrows knitting in puzzlement. Rue felt just as confused. Why was everything so damn complicated?
Thick silence drummed on. Rue gulped. Her eyes flickered from Thorin to Bard, back and forth, back and forth in a weird pattern that wasn't distracting her enough. She really wished she had a Scrabble board or something in Middle-earth. Something that could distract her. Rue could take a Scrabble board and run away, play by herself, and spell out words like "help" and "emergency." How cliché.
"Thorin," she uttered before she even realized she had started speaking. Gently, Rue touched his forearm, going to stand in front of him. "I'm gonna go back. I can go back. It'll be okay."
He was suddenly taut, too freaking taut. Rue hesitantly let her fingertips brush against his arm as she removed her hand.
"No," he grunted, bottom lip curling in a snarl. Rue quivered, all too aware of the cold nipping at her flesh.
She started, "There's no other way―"
Thorin cast a glare Bard's way before reaching for Rue with tentative fingers. His hand stayed on her upper back as he led Rue a little ways, clearly trying to get out of earshot from Bard. Why did he have to be so pointedly rude? Rue sighed a little. She couldn't blame Thorin. After everything that happened, the people of Lake-town might as well been death eaters. Okay, she was being overdramatic.
He stepped closer, entering Rue's personal space, bringing his mouth to her ear and whispering. The hot air tickled her ear, making her fidget. All Rue heard were sweet-nothings, daydreams getting the best of her. In reality, Thorin only spoke a few words.
"You're coming with me."
She shook, weak at the knees, eyes darting to his lips, flickering back up to his eyes. "But―"
"If something were to happen, you must be with me," Thorin whisper-yelled. Stepping even closer, his blue eyes trapping hers like a moth imprisoned by a flame, he breathed only inches away from her lips, "No matter what."
Rue nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet, scared to death. It was going to be okay. Her long, wrecked, flaky fingernails dug into her palm as she made a fist. Everything would be all right.
Rue was in Thorin's bedroom. Again. This was a bad idea. She was feeling like one of those perverts who spied on people in the shower from outside the bathroom window.
She had been voyaging Thorin's body with her eyes, only minutes ago when he had been laying on the floor, his back to her. Alas, he had turned, facing her. Seeing ghosts of his face in the dark sent pleasant tingles down her spine. In a weird way, she felt…like she was really seeing him, seeing him for the truly, awesome kickass Dwarf that he was. Thorin was willing to risk himself so that they could stay together, so that she could be with her family. And this wasn't the first time she had realized these things about him. Not at all. It was like she was peeling off another layer of Thorin's character, finding someone even more beautiful, even more human than actual humans.
Rue swallowed hard, gaze honing in on the candlelight from the nearby dresser. She remembered the night when she first met Thorin, he had been unconscious and injured, and there had been candlelight in the Prancing Pony room, along with the Ri brothers. Wow. Blink. So much time had passed since then.
"You're gonna do it," Rue half-whispered, gaining more momentum the moment she heard Thorin let out a breath.
He knew what she was saying. He had to know.
Thorin's silence was pounding, more earth shattering than every time he yelled at Kili for being a derp.
"I know it's a bad time to talk about it, but I want you to know that no matter what, you'll always be a part of me," Rue spoke huskily, staring up at the ceiling all wide-eyed and in terror. What in the hell was she saying? But once she started, she couldn't stop. Rue just started spewing all her feelings and everything like a maniac.
"If this ends in pain and suffering or a happily ever after, it doesn't matter. All of you are important to me. Thorin…you're meant for greatness. You're meant to be a king and to save all Dwarves―"
"Not without you."
He only uttered three words―sitting up from his spot on the floor―and nearly broke Rue.
She sat up, too, the bed groaning as she did so. Turning her body, she carefully faced him, deathly terrified of what could happen or where their words would lead…
"Thorin―" Rue started, loving the sound of his name on the tip of her tongue.
And then he was standing up, taking a seat at the end of the bed, his eyes like blue coals as they scorched into her very being. She sounded love-drunk on Thorin.
"I cannot promise your complete and utter safety, Ruby, but I do promise you my―" Thorin scooted closer, reaching for her hand and entwining their fingers with a tight-like grip― "Sanity, my loyalty." Somehow, his intensity reached a whole other level, Thorin's voice dropping to a hot whisper, "Erebor will be our home. All of us. We started this together, and we shall finish it as such. You are more Dwarf than man."
Rue squeaked, "We should burn him then."
After several seconds of Thorin appearing confused, Rue laughed. She couldn't help it. Sure, the conversation was serious, but imagining a burning dragon was rather odd and…poetic justice.
Nodding, he said slowly, "Burn…"
"Smaug."
A grin broke across Thorin's lips. He was fifty times more beautiful smiling than scowling. She decided that one of her life's objectives would be keeping that almost child-like grin on Thorin's face.
"You wish to burn…a dragon?" he asked, chuckling softly, the noise melodic.
"Well, yeah." She gave a tiny shrug. "I mean, uh, after we kill him. That's what we'll do with his corpse."
"You are quite the coordinator," he teased lightly, giving her knee a light tap.
In that moment, Rue realized one thing: this would be her last night with Thorin. Tomorrow, she would return to Naji. Having the reclaim of Erebor threatened because of her wasn't going to happen. Harry had never been selfish. He had walked to his own death to save Hogwarts.
"Thorin, there's something I really want, but uh—um—I feel stupid asking―" Rue turned fifty shades redder, embarrassed.
"What is it?" He placed his hand on her shoulder, touch so…tender.
"Could we just―I think um―uh―could we―lay together like we did before we went to the Forest Gate," Rue blurted. The words were out. Crap.
She couldn't even bring herself to meet his eyes, scared of the probable blazing rejection she'd most likely get. They had kissed, but it didn't mean Thorin felt for her what she felt for him, and the thought of that…
At once, there was a soft muffle and―
Rue's jaw dropped. What?
Thorin stretched out on the other side of the bed, his eyes round and shouting uncertainty.
"Sorry, I shouldn't even have…"
"Are you certain this is…"
"Yeah," she piped up.
Sleepily, nervously, Rue lay back down. She could feel him next to her, the warmness from his shoulder. The gentle hitches of his breath left her winded, beyond starry-eyed.
Silence.
Rue wasn't sure when, wasn't sure how, but their limbs tangled sometime in the night. Thorin soothingly guided her to his chest, running a palm over her back, stroking parts of her neck, fingers gliding through her hair. Laying her head on his chest, Rue shut her eyes, loving the feel of him. He felt beyond real―beyond existence. What did that even mean? His chest swelled up and down, so rhythmic, heartbeats like thunderclaps.
Rue hugged him―probably clung to him even. Feeling his knees, his legs, his stomach―everything―was abstractly sensual.
"Rue?"
Thorin's voice might as well have been a faraway echo.
"Hmmm?" Rue murmured, stuck in a sleepy daze.
"Stay with me," Thorin said hotly against her ear.
Rue squeezed him harder, mumbling, "Okay."
"Do not barge in there like some animal!"
Rue's eyes flew open. She knew that voice. It was Bilbo. There was arguing outside the bedroom door, along with―
BANG. BANG.
Someone was thunderously knocking on the door. Oh, no. Rue leapt up in a wild panic, shaking Thorin awake but―
Thorin being Thorin, he was already awake, slowly sitting up and glaring daggers at the door. They should've known better. Goose bumps prickled up her arms. No.
"I gotta go." Rue's gaze shot left, where there was a window. She wasn't sure if she'd be capable of making it down the roof without breaking her neck, but she'd give it a go.
Thorin followed her eyes, shaking his head, knowing what she was thinking. "You will not."
More ruckus resounded outside the door. Dwalin and Fili's voices were audible, along with Kili's hysterical yelling.
The doorknob twisted. Rue braced herself, standing closer to Thorin. His presence always gave her strength. Sure, that was cheesy, but it was true. He was to her what Lily was to Snape.
All Rue saw was Naji's familiar ponytail and his goat-like face. Bilbo, Dwalin, Fili, Kili, and Ori were behind him, shouting the Middle-earth version of insults at him.
Thorin tensed. Rue stood taller, peering at the floor.
"You cannot even look at me," Naji sneered.
Great. Rue huffed.
"Do not speak to her," Thorin growled, stepping in front of Rue, rage screaming off him.
"So you rolled around in bed with a filthy Dwarf? You are even more disgusting than I thought."
Rue clenched her fists. All right, Naji was about five seconds from getting punched Bad Girls Club style.
"How dare you even say such a thing!" Kili roared from the doorway while Fili held him back. Bilbo's mouth was open and Dwalin looked about two seconds away from laying Naji out, too. How had he even gotten inside here in the first place? Rue was guessing he had keys for every house since his uncle was the Master of Lake-town. Naji had "keys of the town" for every house and building in Bree.
"Take your leave," Thorin hissed menacingly. Pacing in front of Rue perpetually, Thorin seemed angry enough to pull both of Naji's eyes out with his teeth if that were possible.
Naji nodded, smirking as he marched backwards. "Oh, I shall take my leave. But there is something my betrothed should know."
Nobody asked, but of course, Naji answered his own question like some dimwit.
"Our wedding is sooner rather than later in the week. It is―" He beamed― "Tomorrow."
Laughing obnoxiously, Naji exited the room. Stunned silence. They were all speechless.
Hand burying her mouth, Rue resisted the urge to scream or kick the bed or throw herself on the ground and have some kind of breakdown. This was all because she had been thoughtless, careless, selfish…
She thought she'd been ready to give herself away…
Thorin glowered at a point in the distance, shaking now.
"I have a thought."
All eyes followed Fili's voice as he sauntered inside the bedroom.
"What?" Rue asked breathlessly.
"What if you are married already, perhaps already wedded before tomorrow?"
"But she's not," Thorin said indignantly.
Fili placed both hands behind his head, grinning like he was some mastermind. "Perhaps she can be married by the end of today."
"To who? Who will we find in such short notice?" Bilbo barked.
"Uncle."
Author's Note: After the long, long wait, it is finished! Hooray! I'm not going to make any promises about how long the next update will take, but I really hope it'll be easier to write the chapters out now :D Have you guys seen BOFA yet? My heart is still recovering from Thorin's death…ahhh! Anyway, please review and let me know what you think? And you can always find me on Tumblr at pearlprimrose ;)
DwarvenWarrior: I'm back again haha. I vote a new option, number four which is drop him off in the African wilderness with angry hippos and hungry lions. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Dearreader: Awe, thanks! There will definitely be an "encounter," but not the kind you think tehehe. Awe, shucks, thanks for complimenting my writing :D And thanks for reviewing!
Crystal: Your review made me laugh LOL! I think Nori and Fili are going to kidnap Naji. Thanks for the review :)
TheHobbitFanatic: Don't hit me with a spoon *ducks* Haha! Best reviews ever! Thank you for your multiple reviews that make me laugh when I'm having a bad day. Don't get stuck in cap lock again ;) I had to update so you wouldn't go to the dark side.
Thanks so much! 333
Redhouseclan: Thank you for taking the time to review! A "lil lizard man" is a new insult for Naji haha. Maybe when Smaug dies—if he does―, then he'll roll over and smash Naji ;)
Blasphemy: Awe, your review made me blush and get all flustered the first time I read it. I'm glad you ended up liking Rue :) Oh, yep, I'm definitely considering giving Nat one more role in the story. You weren't torturing me! Your English is quite good! I wish I knew two languages haha. Thanks so much for leaving a detailed review!
Obsessed reader: It is not abandoned, just dusty from not being updated haha :) I'm sorry about your dad :( and I hope you're doing okay. You deserve it. It's so awesome that you're taking care of your dad. Your selflessness is admirable. Thanks for the review :)
Guest: That was an awesome compliment since there are so many Thorin-centered fanfics! Thanks for reviewing ;)