The second day in Erebor was much quieter than the first one. All the Dwarves were still tired and a bit hungover after the late celebrations of the night before, so they all stayed to bed till the midday bells rang. Thorin made no exception. He couldn't even remember the last time he had slept so late, but even when he woke up at last he didn't feel rested. He decided he would not do much today. He was a King, of course, but even Kings needed a rest from their duties and responsibilities from time to time.
He spent the day walking through the halls and corridors of Erebor, checking is everything was alright, talking with people to see if they were satisfied with their new lives here, and writing several letters for important Dwarves from the Iron Hills.
That night, he decided to get to bed early. He had expected Laurelin to do the same, since she had looked rather tired all day, but to Thorin's greatest surprise she came to find him a few minutes before he went to bed.
« My King ? » She said in a hopeful voice. « You remember our evenings in the Blue Mountains, when we read together ? »
« Of course, I do. » Thorin replied gently.
« Well, I... I just miss it. And I wondered... Maybe we could start doing it again ? » She suggested shyly, not sure that he would accept now that he was a true King, now that he had so much more responsibilities.
But her worries were unfounded.
A broad smile came to Thorin's face.
« Ah, yes... That would be wonderful, indeed. » He said very sincerely. He looked genuinely happy, and Laurelin couldn't help but smile at him.
They went together to the small personal library in Thorin's room and they chose something together, a heavy leather-bound book with yellowed pages. It told the tales of Vahmâr the Brave, a Dwarf who had explored Middle-Earth long ago and written down everything he had experiences. His tales were full of heroic deeds and funny moments. Thorin and Laurelin had already read it together once, back in the Blue Mountains, but she really wanted to read it again and Thorin had no objections at all. They did not settle on a sheepskin on the floor, like they used to in the Blue Mountains now they had a soft little couch, with furs and blankets and coloured cusions. It was much more comfortable. The fire was roaring the keep the chill of this autmun night out of the room.
They didn't read for a very long time, since they were both tired, but they both enjoyed this moment of quiet together. Old habits were slowly coming back, even if they were now tinged with feelings Thorin did not feel last time they had read together - or maybe he had already felt them, without consciously knowing it ?
This was possible. He reflected. Because when he tried to remember a particular moment when he had fallen in love with Laurelin, he couldn't find any. It was as if this love had always been there, from the earliest moments, but hidden behind high walls where even Thorin couldn't see it.
They both went to bed early, but the next day it lasted much longer since they were both better rested. They read sevral chapters together.
And the day after it had already become an habit. Doing soemthing else during their evenings became unthinkable.
« It's so good to spend my evenings with you again. » He told her after several days, when Laurelin had opened the book on her lap. He was smiling as he grabbed one corner of the book. They had barely smiled, though, when he got up again.
« Wait a minute... » He said. He walked into his kitchen, and came out with a bowl of sugar-coated hazelnuts.
Then they started reading, but from time to time one or another hand came to pick up a hazelnut in the bowl. They were sweet and crunchy, just perfect. And sometimes, too : Their hands brushed against each other when they both reached into the bol at the same moment. Everytime this happened : Thorin blushed slightly and removed his own hand, to let Laurelin get her nut first but he also enjoyed these unexpected contacts that gave him shivers of excitement.
Most of the times, it was Laurelin who ended the readings whe she grew too tired to continue. Sometimes she wished Thorin a good-night and left him till next morning, and then Thorin couldn't help but feel utterly dejected without her, but most of the times she came back to him after washing and putting on her nightclothes she was then welcomed by a beaming smile on Thorin's face. It was pretty obvious he had wanted nothing but to see her again before going to bed, no matter how late it was. They settled on the coucha again, not necessarily to read some evenings when their eyes had grown tired from reading too much, they just sat together to talk and to enjoy each other's presence. Thorin loved to see her like that, wrapped in a warm blanket with her long brown hair untied. He also liked to see her in her nightclothes, because it was cozy and it was the proof she truly felt comfortable in his presence. She always looked serene and relaxed, so cute and lovely. He couldn't stop looking at her, to engrave every detail in his memory, because he wanted to remember her like that to the end of his life.
One evening, when Laurelin was too tired after a long day, she still went to read with Thorin – because every excuse to be close to him was good to take – but then she fell asleep on the couch, almost in his arms.
Thorin watched her slowly succumb to sleep first he saw her eyelids grow heavier and heavier, till they finally closed over her eyes. He smiled and got off the couch to give her more room, trying to be as silent as possible. He knew she had had a long day and she needed to rest, so he didn't want to disturb her. He cleared off the empty bowl of nuts and put it back in the kitchen, but it slipped out of his hands and clanged against the floor. Laurelin stirred in her sleep and Thorin cursed himself for being so clumsy.
« Laurelin ? » He whispered softly, brushing her hand with the tip of his fingers.
But her sleep was deeper than he had expected, and the only response he got from her was a feeble squeezing of her fingers when she felt Thorin's hand against her own.
He smiled fondly at her, then he entwined his fingers to hers more closely. This time the contact was firmer, and it woke up Laurelin. Her gaze fell imediately on their linked hands Thorin blushed slightly and started to remove his fingers, like a child caught doing something forrbidden, but then he remembered he was no child anymore : He was free now to do whatever he wanted, and what he wanted right now was to keep holding Laurelin's hand. And so he did. His thumb came to stroke Laurelin's fingers very gently, very softly.
« I think it's time for you to go to bed. » He told her, almost shyly, with a fond smile. His face was slightly flushed and his eyes were shining unusually bright, and Laurelin guessed that the contact they were sharing didn't leave him indifferent at all.
Laurelin blushed too, and felt her cheeks grow hotter. She removed her hand, but very slowly, very reluctantly and just before the contact stopped, she brushed his fingers one last time, with a shy and nervous smile.
She stretched and got up, then she waited to see if Thorin still needed her.
« Thank you for spending the evening with me, even thoug you were so tired. » He said kindly, with a timid smile. He was not used to being in such a situation. « But there's no point in forcing yourself to do something when your body craves sleep so badly. You need to rest... So please go back to your chambers now, and sleep till tomorrow. Will you ? »
His smile was a bit shy and hesitant, but it was obvious he was happy to be with her, even in such a moment.
Laurelin smiled back at him, then she bowed and wished him a good-night in an affectionate voice. Her eyes were still a bit sleepy, but sparkling with happiness. Thorin felt a pang of deep affection for her as he realized how much she cared for him, too he didn't know if she oved him like he loved her, but there was definitely something. He suddenly felt very warm from the inside, and this warmth slowly spread throughout his whole body, from the tips of his finger to his small toe. It was a wonderful feeling, and even when Laurelin was gone he kept smiling fondly as he stared at the dark walls surrounding his bed.
But spending his evenings with Laurelin was still not enough for Thorin. He also sought out her presence during the day, whenever he had some free time between his duties.
Even if officially Laurelin was still Thorin's servant, her workload had become lighter now that they lived in Erebor, because she could now delegate some of her tasks to other servants instead of washing Thorin's clothes herself, she just put them in a wicker basket and brought it to the washing girls instead of cleaning Thorin's bedroom herself, she could now rely on a whole squad of serving girls who were in charge to keep every chamber in Erebor clean. Of course, Laurelin kept cooking for Thorin, because she knew how much he liked the meals she prepared for him but when she had no time for these tasks – because she was busy doing something else for Thorin, like finishing to write an important letter or running errands for him – Thorin just found himself one of the numerous cooks who had settled in Erebor, and they were always happy to please their King by preparing him their finest recipes.
Laurelin loved to spend that free time taking care of Thorin and being particularly full of small attentions for him, but very often Thorin encouraged her to spend this time for herself, when she had nothign specific to do for him. In these moments, she wandered through the corridors of Erebor, remembering what they had looked like before Smaug's attack and wondering why everything looked so different now, even those parts that the dragon had not damaged. Everything was still exactly the same, yet it felt strange and foreign, as if it were a place she had never visited before. After a few days, though, she realized that it was not the place who had changed, but herself : she had fled Erebor as a shy little girl, and now she had come back as a woman. She had gained in expreience and maturity, and seeing things with different eyes made them look different ev en though they had not changed. It was a strange feeling, but somehow Laurelin enjoyed to rediscover each part of their kingdom.
When the weather was fine, she also left the reassuring walls of Erebor to take strolls outside, gorging on sun and light and fresh air. The ponies were not made to live in the heart of a mountain, so they were stabled outside, in a low building of stone – and Laurelin loved to visit Thorin's brave little beast. He was shaggy and hairy, with a big head and dark eyes, but his dark bay coat shone in the sunlight. He was also very friendly, and after a few days he knew Laurelin well he loved to nibble at her pockets, in the hope of finding something tasty in them.
Laurelin also loved to take off her shoes and to walk barefoot in the grass of the meadows surrounding Erebor it made her feel wonderfully free and happy, as if by some magic she had turned into a carefree little girl again. Sometimes she felt guilty for wasting so much time in useless pleasures, but Thorin always encouraged her to keep doing those things she loved.
« Why do you think we reconquered Erebor, if not for our folk to enjoy our lives ? » He had asked her the day she had told him about having so much free time she didn't know what to do with herself anymore. « And you, Laurelin – you more than anybody else, you deserve to be happy now. »
Thorin really like the idea that her life was easier now. Yet there was also one negative aspect to all this : she was often far away from him. So he had to seek her out if he wanted to spend time with her he didn't need a particular reason, no, most of the times he just wanted to be in her company, or at least to see her from afar. Sometimes they just talked about everything and nothing for a while, before going different ways again. And sometimes, when Thorin had already visited her like that several times during the same day, he devised a good excuse to come to her once more whether some question about something she had told him earlier, or a new task for her to do, or anything that crossed his mind at the moment.
In truth, being a King was not as easy as some seemed to think : Thorin had duties and obligations all day long, and seomtimes he even had to work late into the night. But he always knew taht if things became too overwhelming, he could find some comfort wth Laurelin. Her smile, her words and her presence were always enough to make him forget about his worries and his frustrations. She was the steady rock he could always rely on, and he knew it.
Sometimes he wondered what she thought about these encounters, or if she had guessed the true reasons that motivated Thorin to go to her so often, but he never asked her openly. The only thing he knew was that she never turned him down, and never made him feel like he wasn't welcome. She was always smiling and friendly and visibly happy to see him, and being with her just felt so good that Thorin couldn't resist.
Sometimes they also met by mere chance, when Thorin's duties led him near the places where Laurelin was busy doing whathever task she had to do for him. In this case, Thorin always took a few minutes to talk to her, and to give her a pleased smile. Of course he never lingered, because he didn't like the idea of interrupting her while she was working – and working for him, on top of everything else – but he always made sure that she felt how much he was happy to meet her, and to spend a few moments with her even if they both didn't have much time.
« I'll leave you alone, now. Or else you'll never finish what you were doing before I interrupted you. » He always said, in a very gentle voice, so that she understood he didn't leave her because he wanted to, but because he had to.
And usually their encounter was over, after that.
One day, though, Laurelin had just finished buying food on the market and was about to walk back home when Thorin came her way unexpectedly, carrying an armful of old books.
« We found these in an old room. » He explained her. « The dragon had smashed some walls and this room was hidden behind a pile of boulders and debris, but now we've found a way to go inside. I'll bring them to Master Balin, to see if he might be able to restore them. »
« Shall I help ? » Laurelin suggested, and before Thorin had the time to answer she seized a stack of book and carried them into her own arms. The prospect of walking all the way to Balin's chambers with these mouldy – and heavy – books wasn't exactly rejoincing, but it was a good excuse to spend more time in his company.
« Are... Ae you sure ? » He asked her, looking sincerely puzzled.
He knew Laurelin was always ready to help, but this was really not a pleasant task. Yet at the same time he was happy she had suggested this, because it would allow him to stay at her side if it had been up to him, he wouldn't have had the courage to ask for it, so he was glad Laurelin had taken the initiative. Yet he still took several of the books away from her, because he didn't want her to break her back carrying them on such a long distance.
They walked side by side in the dark corridors lit only by a few oil lamps at the walls. Thorin told her about the work going on in the lowest levels of Erebor, to restore the mines and the forges and to find new veins of of gold and iron and mithril. After a while, Thorin realized he had unconsciously gotten closer to Laurelin as they had walked, as if his body had been attracted to her like a magnet. He wondered if she had noticed, and what she thought about this attitude, yet she didn't show any sign of discomfort so he juste stayed where he was, walking closer to her than ever before. At one moment Laurelin stumbled over a rock on the floor, but Thorin deftly caught her by the arm and suddenly she ended up in his strong arms he kept her there for a moment, and wished he could actually keep her there for the rest of his life.
Laurelin looked away from Thorin, to hide her red and burning cheeks ; being so close to him, feeling his strong arms around her, was the strangest thing she had ever experienced, because it made her feel both blissfully happy and horribly awkward.
Then of course he had to let her go again, because the books she had been holding were nos scattered scattered on the floor, but Thorin didn't mind since this gave him a reason to kneel next to her and to make this task last even longer.
They reached Balin's chambers, but the old Dwarf was not here so they just put the books on the floor, in front of his door, with a quick note from Thorin.
And then came the moment Thorin had dreaded : the moment when they would have to separate again. Thorin, who was standing so close to Laurelin that he almost touched her, just moved his fingers a bit to stroke Laurelin's forearm.
« I'll see you later. » He said, with a short nod. « I hope you don't have too many tasks left to do, today ? »
He was actually quite eager to be alone with her.
« Everything will be finished soon. » She said with a smile.
She lifted her hand so her fingers could touch Thorin's they intertwined for the briefest of moments, no longer than a heartbeat, just long enough to sent sparks all over Thorin's body. He didn't know why she had done this, but he was happy about it all the same. He tried to find the answer in her eyes, but she had shyly looked away and was not staring at the ground, her cheeks slightly flushed from emotions.
« I... I need to go, now... » He said very reluctantly.
Laurelin nodded, just as unwillingly. None of them wanted to see the other go, but they no longer had any reason to stay together.
In the end it was Laurelin who took the decision to leave first, to break the awkwardness of this moment.
And this is how two long weeks went by, made of stolen moments and fortuitous encounters throughout Erebor. By dint of spending so many moments together : They created new bonds between them, who came to consolidate those that already existed.
Thorin had not yet found the courage to talk to her about his true feelings, and he was still not sure about what she felt towards him, but he knew one thing : Whatever it was they were sharing right now, it was the best thing he had ever experienced in his life.