Calm The Fire

07

"Sorry?" She eventually said.

Leaning forward, he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "You heard." He smiled, Náriel shook her head slowly, this caused whatever confidence he was feeling to slowly dissipate. Slowly his hands ran down her arms, "I apologise," he said awkwardly. He thought it was an obvious question to ask of her. It was clear that he cared for her, and she clearly cared for him in return. The case of courting seemed obvious to him, so he asked. Only he didn't expect silence from her.

"Oh, Thorin," Náriel's quiet voice finally spoke up. She put her hands on his cheeks and lifted his head up to look at her. "Don't look saddened, I am...shocked, that you asked, not offended. Nor am I saying no." She smirked and childishly tapped him on the nose. "I am saying yes." Reaching out slowly she wrapped her arms around him and nudged her head into the crook of his neck. Hearing a quiet clicking noise, Náriel leaned away and looked around confused.

Thorin reached out and picked up one of the small braids in her hair. Tilting her head to the side she looked to the clasp which was at the end. Taking the braid from his grasp, she twirled it in her own. Eyeing up the clasp again she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at it. "The symbol on this, it is yours?" Náriel asked while flitting her eyes up to look at him quickly. Thorin proudly nodded. "Hm, it's perfect." She scrambled off of the bed, leaping off she landed quietly on the floor. There was a small vanity mirror in the room which she ducked down into to see the new accessory.

Thorin walked slowly over, putting his arms gently around her waist, he leaned his head against hers. "I agree," he said while looking into the mirror too.

Náriel rolled her eyes, putting her hands over his, she leaned back against him. "Now the whole of Middle-earth knows that I am yours." She said mock seriously, but each word she spoke caused him to smile and nod, which caused her to smile too. Patting his hands gently, Thorin got the message and let her go. He turned and watched as she returned to the bed, laying down slowly she seemed to have it in mind to lay and listen to the rain. "Are you coming back? Or do you plan to stand there waiting?" Náriel asked, lifting her head up to look over her shoulder at him. She had a smirk on her lips, she for one, as much as she loved the rain and the storm, thought she may as well wait it out in comfort.

Thorin glanced once more at the window, watched the rain drops, before turning and returning to her side. He laid down, facing her, reaching out he placed a hand to her cheek and watched the smile appear on her face. Her eyes slowly drifted to a close, Thorin laid, listening to the rain hitting the windows as she seemed to go to sleep. She clearly needed to sleep, so he didn't stop her, and in fact he too could feel the gentle lull of sleep calling out to him, it wasn't long before Thorin had gone to sleep too.

—

Quietly murmuring in her sleep, Náriel frowned lightly and turned and curled more into the pillow she was laying against. Lifting a hand she swatted at her cheek, there was something tickling her. Even in her sleep she let out a quiet tired laugh when the feeling moved to her neck. Squeezing her eyes shut, she slowly opened them and looked up. "What sort of way is that to wake someone up?"

"It worked, did it not?" Thorin countered while readjusting his leaning position against his hand. His other one slowly traced along her jaw.

Náriel just looked at him blankly before slowly rubbing her eyes, trying to rid them of sleep. Frowning lightly, she looked around. "When exactly did I fall asleep?" It was an obvious question which just moved to the forefront of her mind. She hadn't remembered falling asleep. She remembered talking, watching the rain...then nothing.

Thorin rolled his eyes. "Somewhere between you trying to figure out a way to bring the subject of our courtship up in a conversation with your uncle. And then the sudden realisation that you couldn't just bring it up casually. That is when you went to sleep. You looked most disheartened, I must add."