Summary: (Pre-Smaug; more movie verse than book verse; rated T) Early mornings were your favourite time of any day.

Keeping your eyes closed, you let yourself bask in the warmth around you. You were wrapped up tight and had no plans on leaving. A soft sigh of pleasure left you, every muscle in your body completely relaxed.

Your lips quirked when you heard a low noise behind you. It wasn't quite a snore but it was close. You tried to quiet your breathing, listening to see if it would come again. When it did, you smiled fully as it became a snore. The sound didn't bother you because you knew it meant he was still deeply asleep and it would give you a chance to pursue your favourite activity.

Rolling over proved to be difficult with his arms around your waist, but you managed it by going slowly. When you were facing him, you let your head rest on his shoulder and watched the rise and fall of his chest. It was soothing and nearly lulled you back into sleep. Your fingers slid over muscles dusted with dark hair before you pressed them over his heart.

The steady beating of it made you smile. You loved feeling the heavy thump under your palm. But more than that you loved that he trusted you enough to slumber beside you. You knew it was no easy thing for him and spoke loudly of his feelings. Even if he rarely used words to express them.

Propping yourself up on your elbow, you watched him sleep. His dark hair was in disarray around his head, the locks nearly lost in the deep blue of the bedding. His expression was peaceful and relaxed as he dreamt, his mind far from any problem in the waking world.

You lightly traced the strong lines of his face. His beard was rough under your fingers, but his lashes were long and soft to the touch. You trailed your fingers down his nose before outlining his mouth. A small shiver wound through you when his tongue slicked over his lips, catching you as well.

You nearly cursed when you heard his breathing change and you saw his brows draw together. Settling on his shoulder, you splayed your hand over his heart again and closed your eyes.

It wasn't long before you heard him inhale deeply and let it out in a deep sigh. His hand shifted to your hip and squeezed you lightly. You felt him move against you and his cheek brushed over your hair.

You tried to keep your breathing even when he covered your hand with his, pressing a little harder. His fingers curled around yours and he lifted it so he could lay a kiss to your palm.

"I know you're awake," he rumbled.

Continuing to feign sleep, you forced yourself not to react when he kissed you again.

He chuckled softly and nipped your fingertips this time.

You tried to jerk your hand away from him at the slight pain but he held firm. Opening your eyes, you looked at him.

He had a brow cocked. "Why do you do that?" he asked.

Shrugging, you murmured, "To see how you'll wake me."

He didn't look like he believed you, but you were sticking with that answer. "It isn't really waking you if you're already awake though."

"Sometimes I'm asleep."

He made a low noise, clearly unhappy.

"Don't be like that," you murmured, shifting so you could kiss him. "The day is young, my prince. Don't sour it already."

Thorin caught the back of your head and pulled you in for another kiss.

A sigh left you as you sank into the caress. You didn't protest as he rolled on top of you, never breaking the kiss. His solid weight was welcome as he pushed you into the soft mattress. Your legs parted to wrap around his, the pad of one foot trailing along his leg.

He shuddered above you. "Don't start that unless you're ready to finish it," he growled.

You blinked up at him, going for innocent. "I'm sorry, my prince. I forgot how ticklish you were," you said meekly, letting your legs slide back to the mattress. "I will cease."

Blue eyes narrowed at you and you almost shrank away from him. You didn't know when he'd had time to prefect that look in his short life, but he had. Perhaps it was something those of the line of Durin were born knowing how to do. "Ticklish?" he repeated.

Your heart sank and you knew you had nowhere to go. "Thorin, no!" you gasped when one of his hands pinned yours above your head.

"You started it," he murmured, shifting his weight to his elbow before his free hand found your side.

There was only a second to suck in a sharp breath before it flew out of you on a giggle as he began tickling you. "No!" you cried, trying to squirm away.

It didn't work. He kept you trapped, his fingers finding every weak spot you had. They danced over your ribs, dipping into the curve of your waist. The little spot above your hipbone was grazed before the lower half of your stomach became a target.

"Stop!" you forced out between giggles and laughs.

"Make me," he rumbled, his lips twitching in amusement.

You wailed, knowing you couldn't. You would have to suffer through this torture. Squeezing your eyes shut, you could feel tears sliding down your cheeks as you laughed harder. Normally, the sight of tears, especially yours, would make him pause, but not these ones.

Your lungs burned and your stomach ached as you tried to gulp in needed air. But you couldn't. The laughter had you caught firmly and wouldn't stop until he did. "Thorin!" you gasped desperately. "Please!"

He chuckled deeply, his fingers stilling against you.

Shaking, you gasped in breaths and fought the urge to glare at him. With your luck, he'd probably start up again.

You felt the bed shift and opened your eyes to see him propped beside you. He watched you as you quivered, his eyes warm and amused. "S'not funny," you panted.

His smile grew. "I beg to differ."

Huffing, you tried to focus on calming your pounding heart. It took a while, especially since your lungs refused to take deep breaths.

He watched you through it all, his smile still in place. When one hand slid over your stomach, you swatted at it. "Be nice," he murmured, leaning over to kiss you softly.

You threw him a look. That was rich considering he had reduced you to a pile of trembling jelly. "You're horrible."

"Me? I stopped, didn't I?"

And you knew he would have continued if you hadn't been on the verge of passing out.

"The day is young, love," he murmured, his eyes dancing. "Don't-" He didn't get any further as you whacked him with a pillow.

"Don't get cheeky with me, Thorin, son of Thráin," you growled.

He tugged the pillow away from you. "You started it."

"I did not!"

"Didn't you hear? I'm a prince so I have to be right."

You stared at him before tossing the covers over him. Rolling off the mattress, you scooped up your dress and moved out of arms reach.

"What are you doing?"

"I should get home before Mother misses me," you said, pulling the dress on over your head. "It'll surely be a busy day."

"You promised to spend the day with me," he said softly.

"Oh, surely a great prince of Durin doesn't want to spend time with a mean lass like myself," you protested, flicking your hair out of your dress.

Hearing the bed shift, you glanced over and saw he was sitting on the edge of it, blankets pooled in his lap. "You truly mean to leave?"

You looked around for your boots. "Surely a prince of Erebor won't miss my presence."

He made a short noise and rose from the bed. You tried not to notice how delightfully naked he was and kept your expression calm. His fingers slid under your chin to tilt your face up to his. "You can leave," he said quietly, his touch moving along your jaw to your hair, "but this says you will come back."

There was no need to look to know what he was referencing. The mithril ring woven into a braid on your left side was inscribed with vows of promise and below that was a bead bearing the mark of Durin. Both proclaimed your betrothal to the prince of Durin standing before you.

"You will always come back to me."

Your eyes narrowed and you gave him a push hard enough to move him. "You think you're all high and mighty."

"I am a prince."

Oh, now he was just asking for it. Pushing him again, you growled, "Your title doesn't protect you from your ego."

He smiled, taking another step back as you kept pushing him. "Why do I need to fear that?"

"Your head is already fat enough, Thorin. No need to add to it."

Thorin snorted. "Be careful who you insult."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"No?"

"No," you said firmly, giving him a shove.

He fell back onto the bed, his gaze never leaving you. "If you aren't afraid, what are you?"

Your eyes moved over him, wandering the hard planes of his body. Your teeth ran over your lower lip and he made a low noise. "Angry," you said softly.

"I don't think you are," he rumbled.

"I know you aren't."

Another noise in answer. "Weren't you leaving?"

"Not just yet," you murmured, stepping closer.

"Your mother," he protested mildly, pushing up so he was sitting.

"Can wait," you breathed, kneeling over him.

Thorin's hands gripped your skirt as you kissed him greedily. The material was pooled around both of you and skin was touching skin under it. The contact made you shudder even as his tongue slid past your lips.

Your arms wrapped around his neck, pressing you tight to him. You rocked slightly over him, rubbing against his hardening shaft and making him hiss.

He wrapped an arm around your hips, keeping you to him as he moved on the bed. When he was stretched out along it with his head on the pillows, you pulled away from him.

Blue eyes watched you as you sat up, your hands sliding down his chest to rest on his stomach. You smiled as he shivered when your nails ran over his muscles, scraping gently against his skin. "Are you going to do anything up there?" he asked huskily.

"Perhaps. Does the Prince of the Lonely Mountain have any suggestions?"

His hips lifted, rubbing him against your ass. "I can think of one," he breathed.

You laughed richly and fisted your hands in your dress.

Thorin purred as you pulled the dress off, giving it a toss. His fingers ran over your hips, stroking gently. "You're on the right track."

Laughing again, you pressed your hands to his stomach and pushed yourself up. "Is this what my prince wants?" you murmured.

"Yes," he groaned, fingers tightening on you. "Just-"

The door of his room crashed open, slamming into the stone wall. "Thorin! Are you-Oh!"

A harsh growl left Thorin and he quickly rolled you under him. "Frerin!" he snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you to bloody knock?!"

You bit down on your lip as he hauled the covers over you, trying desperately not to laugh. Peeking around him, you saw his brother staring at the wall, his cheeks as red as rubies.

"S-Sorry," he stammered, nervously tugging on a braid. "I forgot."

"Obviously," Thorin muttered.

"Be nice," you said softly.

He glared at you, but said, "What is it, Frerin?"

"Oh, it's nothing important!" he said quickly, his hand falling. "I just, uhm…well."

Your gaze dropped to see what he was fidgeting with now. "Oh," you murmured.

Thorin frowned before looking over his shoulder. "Where did you get that?" he asked in surprise.

Frerin gave him a bright grin. "Father gave it to me this morning!" he said excitedly. "I wanted to show you and-" He broke off and jerked his gaze away. "B-But you're busy and I should have knocked and I'm s-sorry."

"Thorin," you said quietly so only he would hear. "This means a lot to him."

Dark brows drew together. "You can't be serious," he said in disbelief.

"That's a war bow," you murmured. "His first real weapon beside the training ones you're both given. You know how important this is."

His eyes closed on an aggravated sigh. "Frerin, wait," he called before his brother could leave.

"Thorin?"

"Give me five minutes to dress and we'll go to the range."

"Oh! No, Thorin, it's alright!" he protested quickly. "You were busy doing-Ah, you were busy! I-"

"Frerin," Thorin interrupted shortly. "Wait outside. Five minutes."

"Yes. Yes! I'm going!"

It was hard not to laugh as the door closed. "I think we might have scarred your brother," you said mildly.

"Maybe it'll teach him to knock," Thorin growled, levering himself off of the bed.

You doubted it. When Frerin got excited, he tended to forget all else. Watching as Thorin dressed, you smiled to yourself. "You'll be a good king."

He paused and looked at you quizzically. "Because I just scarred my brother?"

Rolling your eyes, you said, "I take it back."

Thorin chuckled, cinching his belt around his waist. He came back to the bed, planting a knee on it as he leaned over you. "Thank you," he said quietly, giving you a kiss.

You caught the braids on either side of his face and tugged him back down for another.

He smiled against you. "And what are you going to do with your now free day?"

"Go home, bathe, and then join my prince at the range."

"You don't have to," he said, frowning.

"You only say that because you don't want me to see how badly Frerin's going to beat you," you teased.

Thorin grunted. "He has a knack for it."

You tried not to grin. "No, you have a knack for it," you corrected. "Frerin is already a gifted master."

He grunted again, pulling your hands away.

"But I'll still cheer for you."

He nipped your fingers tips before kissing your palms. "Until later, my love," he murmured.

You watched him leave before cuddling into the bedding. You would wait for a few minutes and then leave. Frerin might pass out if he saw you again so soon.

A/N: Oh, Frerin, honey, you need to knock! But you're still a cutie. Sexy times denied due to younger brother! Oh, I'm a horrible person…. But here is some fluff with almost stuff because I needed a break from smut. As a side note, I like to think that the bow Kíli uses is actually Frerin's that Thorin saved for all these years and gave to his nephew when Kíli showed talent with the weapon. And that's enough with the sad! Hope you enjoyed!