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You spun around in front of the mirror, admiring the way the dress flowed around your legs. You still couldn't quite grasp the fact that a part of the hem wasn't resting on the ground, that it actually moved when you shifted without the help of your two hands.
"I could get used to this." You think to yourself, a solemn feeling starting to make its way to your chest. You knew you would probably have to return home soon, as Erebor was a dwarven kingdom, and you were, despite your height, a human. You shook it off, refusing to let the solemn thoughts bring you down tonight. This feast was all about celebrating the fact that Erebor had been reclaimed and the fact that every one of the company was alive.
So, you checked your appearance in the mirror once more, making sure the wreath made out of bachelor's buttons that Bilbo made for you is straight on your head. They fit perfectly against the blue dress, and even the jewels you are wearing, courtesy of Thorin, match the ensemble well. You still don't quite understand why he lent them to you, but you are grateful nonetheless. A small part of you hopes that it is because he has grown feelings for you, but a much larger part of you debunks such thoughts as ridiculous.
A knock on your door pulls you out of your thoughts. You hurry to open it, knowing it was Bilbo. He promised that he would come and fetch you when the festivities would start. There were some meetings and political matters to be discussed beforehand, and you have never excelled in those kinds of matters, so you decided that it would be for the best if you would stay out of the way. You yanked the door open, revealing Bilbo in a deep red jacket, tugging at the collar of it so it would fit him more comfortably. When he lifted his head to look at you, a wide smile spread to his lips.
"You look stunning, Y/N." You blushed at the compliment, stepping out of the room and winding your arm with his, allowing him to lead you along the hallways.
"Thank you. The flower crown brings everything together, doesn't it?" You asked nervously, receiving a nod from him.
Thorin's eyes almost fall out of his head when he sees you walk inside the hall on Bilbo's arm, the blue of your dress deepening as you step under a shadow. He could hardly breathe, you looked eternal in the dress, the blue color perfect against your skin. Your head was turned towards Bilbo, and you were laughing at something he had said. The glimmer in your eyes was what had always drawn Thorin in, and he realized, now as he stood in the middle of the hall, watching you from a distance, that he loved you. There were no mild affections or small crushes at play here, he loved you so much that it felt like a fire inside him. His feelings towards you had grown through the journey to Erebor, but they hadn't realized their depth until now. The fear of you returning home had been ever-present, especially when the mountain has been reclaimed. But now as he had realized that he loved you, Thorin's heart had felt like it had been tugged out of his chest, the thought of you leaving too painful for him to even process.
You hadn't been there for the meetings, much to his disappointment, but you were there now, and maybe he had the courage of telling you of his feelings tonight. His nephews had been pushing him to do it for ages now, but he had never found the right time to do it. But lately, he had started to realize that there was no perfect time to do it, he just had to pluck himself up and just tell you. But it was easier said than done. That was the reason he wanted you to wear blue tonight. It is a color that is traditionally reserved to royalty, and he hopes that it would at least repel a part of the potential suitors he knows will be all over you tonight. He would have so many other matters to talk about and take care of that no matter how hard he wanted, he might not be able to spend time with you tonight at all, as he had planned to.
- -
Miraculously, Thorin managed to wrap up all of the matters he had to attend to during the feast rather quickly. The moment the men bowed to him and walked away, he all but sprinted into the mass of people, trying to spot you in the hall. The crowd had started to thin as the feast was starting to reach its end, but there were still plenty of people in the hall to block his line of sight. Your slightly taller posture wasn't a help either at the moment, the people were moving here and there, and focusing on one was nearly impossible.
It took him a moment but he spotted you in the crowd, dancing in a slow waltz with Kili. Thorin felt a pang of anger inside of him at his nephew's hands on you, but it was quickly replaced by worry. You were no longer smiling, your lips no longer curved into the sweet gesture he was used to seeing on them. Your eyes were still glimmering, but not with natural happiness and enthusiasm, but with moisture as tears brimmed your eyes.
Thorin wasted no time forcing himself through the crowd and into your side. As Kili saw his uncle approach, he gave you a gentle nudge, causing you to lift your eyes from your feet. As he reached the two of you, Kili gave you a polite bow before he disappeared into the crowd, giving Thorin a scornful look, something he had not been expecting. You gave Thorin a smile as a greeting, but it was hollow and fake, causing Thorin to frown. Something was wrong, this was not you he had learned to know. You were chipper and happy, not dark and broody.
"Is everything alright?" He asks, the worry in his voice clear to you. For a moment, you think of assuring him it is, but you quickly realize that it would be useless. Thorin is good at reading people, and lying to him about such matters is a waste of your time.
So, you take a deep breath before you speak out in a quiet voice, hoping that the chatter around you will drown out your words for anyone else but Thorin.
"No one has come to ask me to dance other than Fili and Kili." You muttered, shuffling your feet against the golden floor.
"Am I really that repulsive? Am I not wanted here?" The pain in your voice slashes a deep hurt into Thorin's heart, knowing that it's his fault. He had tasked Fili and Kili to chase away anyone who seemed to be interested in asking you for a dance, out of fear that you might gather affection for one of them. The two had deemed the plan idiotic, as according to their words you couldn't see anyone but him, but with a dark look from their uncle, they hurried to promise that they would do their best to keep you occupied and out of anyone's arms.
Thorin felt horrible as he realized the pain his actions had caused you and he led you away from the crowds by your hand, leaving you extremely confused. He was supposed to be meeting a few very important dwarves and organizing Erebor's business, why was he here? You were sure that he had more important issues to worry about than how your love life (or lack thereof) was going.
Your confusion kept increasing as Thorin walked further and further away from the feast, glancing behind him every now and then, like there was someone following you. But there weren't the halls were eerie quiet as you continued your silent trudge through them, Thorin's hand holding your hand. It was pleasant, the warmth of his palm against yours, the small callouses felt surprisingly comfortable against your hand. You looked around, yet nothing looked familiar. If he left you there, you were sure that you wouldn't find your way out. On the other hand, you usually didn't find your way out when you came from your room, so it wasn't saying much. Erebor was incredibly hard to get around, and you couldn't count the times you had gotten lost and asked for directions, only to follow them and find yourself even more lost. It was infuriating.
When you finally stopped, you were sure that you were on the other side of the kingdom by now. There was no one else around, the only sounds were the faint tunes of the music that carried through from the feast, some notes louder than others but none so loud that they would disrupt words.
"What are we doing here, Thorin?" Thorin just shook his head slightly, and you frowned.
"Thorin?" You asked again, taking a step closer to him.
"I've grown to care for you during these past months, and ..." He trailed off, not knowing how to continue. You tilted your head, still not fully understanding.
"I care for you too, Thorin, but I fail to see how it-" You were cut off by lips on yours, and you let out a squeak in surprise, causing Thorin to pull back hastily.
"Oh." Was all you could say, your fingers rising to your lips, the warmth of the kiss still lingering. Thorin took a step back, fearing that he had overstepped a boundary, but you reached for his hand before he could step out of your reach. You caught him by his wrist, and he looked up at you and was pleasantly surprised to find a smile on your face.
"Y-You don't- I mean- I am sorry that-" It was his turn to be cut off, a wave of relief rushing through him as the kiss deepened.
When you pulled away, he pulled you against his chest, brushing your cheek with his nose, smiling.
"It was me." You frowned, confused yet again.
"I am the reason no one came to ask you to dance. I chose blue for you as I wanted people to know you were associated with royalty and make them hesitant to approach you. And I had Fili and Kili chase away anyone that got too close. I didn't want to risk losing you for some other dwarf." You stared at him with a raised brow as he explained.
"I should have guessed that you had your hands mixed in with all of this." You muttered, pecking his lips.
"But you worried for nothing, my heart has belonged to you for a while now." You pressed your forehead against him, and he smiled, tucking you closer to his chest.