A/N: This one is for daisy_up Sorry it took me so long! Hope you like it.
***
You made your way through the quiet halls of Erebor humming to yourself as you went. You were snacking on some berries you'd managed to collect from the forest a few days before as you walked toward the hoard. Okay, technically it was the treasure chamber but you'd long ago ceased calling it that.
"Hello," you called out as you stepped into the cavernous room. The large, red dragon half-buried in gold in the middle of the room raised one eyelid to look at you. He huffed out a breath and closed his eye.
"I'm tired. Go away," he grumbled.
"Nonsense," you argued, having long ago lost your fear of the beast. "It is nearly evening."
His eyes shot back open at that. "Is it?" He yawned and stretched, pulling his long body from the treasure. "What have you there?" he asked, eyeing the food in your hand.
You smirked. "Berries." His lip curled in disgust and you laughed. "I'm not hunting for you Smaug. I'd never be able to carry all that meat back."
He simply grunted and repositioned himself to get more comfortable. Fortunately, he only needed to eat once a month or so. He'd fly out and eat his fill then return to Erebor. The two of you had been living quite companionably within the mountain since the rest of the dwarves had fled. Well, not immediately. Smaug was the reason for their departure after all.
You had been injured and separated from your family in a blast of flame from the dragon. When he found you still alive after the others escaped, he'd threatened to roast you alive and eat you. At that point you were tired of being scared and you missed your family. So, you'd said, "Go ahead. What are you waiting for?"
Instead of eating you, Smaug had laughed. It was a strange beginning to a strange friendship. You had contemplated more than once over the years trying to follow your people, but your injury had left you with noticeable weakness on one side. You did fine exploring around here, but there was no way you would be able to make a long journey. And you didn't even know if the ones you cared for the most still lived.
Shaking your head to clear the past from your memories, you grabbed the book you'd been reading and curled up against Smaug's side. The fire in his belly would keep you warm while you read. Before you could begin to read, you heard a noise. Evidently Smaug heard it as well as he used his nose to nudge you behind a pillar. "Hide."
You did as he said and watched as he dove into the gold, burying himself once more. You remained hidden and resisted the urge to peek out when you heard Smaug call someone a thief. It wasn't a dwarf then. He promised he'd let you see any dwarves that showed up before scaring them off. You sighed in disappointment.
It wasn't long before he ran past you as he chased the thief away. He glanced briefly in your direction to make certain you were safe and winked before continuing after his prey. You shook your head and chuckled in amusement. "Dwarves," Smaug growled in disgust and you immediately jumped up from your hiding place and hurried in the direction he'd gone. His body blocked most of your view as he snarled and growled.
Given the limitations of your body, you couldn't move any faster. Looking around you found a large gem near your feet and picked it up. You hurled it through the air and it bounced off Smaug's head. He turned to you with a snarl. "Was that necessary?"
"Run, lass," a familiar voice yelled and you sucked in a breath.
You were still too far away to make out the features and Smaug's bulk blocked a good portion of your view anyway. But you would swear you knew that voice. Your dragon friend had stopped his forward progression and you ran a hand along his side. "Move out of the way you big oaf. I can't see anything."
He sighed as he moved to the side and lowered himself to the treasure. "I am fire. I am death. Do not speak to me so."
"Uh huh," you responded as you continued forward. You scratched his scales the way you knew he liked and he purred in response before catching himself and clearing his throat. He changed the purr into a growl.
The dwarves and a...hobbit? gaped at you as you continued toward them. Tears flooded your eyes as you recognized the faces in front of you. Including that of your husband, Thorin. Hot tears leaked from your eyes and ran down your face. "Hello," you stated, your voice cracking.
Thorin seemed frozen as he took you in.
"Y/N, lass, is that you?" Balin asked, his voice trembling.
You smiled as you nodded your head. "Welcome home, boys."
The dwarves cheered as Thorin scrambled down to make his way to you. You laughed as he lost his footing in the loose treasure more than once. When he reached you, he cupped your face in his hands. He used his thumbs to wipe away your tears. "Amrâlimê, is it really you?"
"It is. I have missed you so much," you said. He crashed his lips into yours and you laughed in happiness even as he kissed you. Thorin was alive and he had finally found his way back to you.
He pulled away from the kiss only to wrap his arms around you to nearly crush you with his hug. "I thought you died, amrâlimê. If I'd known..." he trailed off then leaned back to look at you. "Have you been here this whole time?"
You nodded. "I was injured and too weak to leave. Smaug has taken care of me. We've taken care of each other actually."
He glanced between you and the dragon in astonishment. Suddenly, even as you watched, the twinkle in your husband's eyes dulled though he continued to grin. You frowned as the dwarf in front of you changed somehow. "If you have been here the entire time, you must know where the arkenstone is."
Smaug growled while you arched a brow. "Of course I know where it is, Thorin. It is buried in the deepest, darkest hole I could find. That stone has brought nothing but trouble since it was found."
Anger took over his face and his grip tightened on your arms. "Who gave you the right? You had no right! Tell me where it is! Tell me!" By the end he was shouting in your face and shaking you as he yelled. Gold sickness. That damned stone. You hated it with every ounce of your being.
Squaring yourself, you leaned toward your irate husband. "I had every right, Thorin. I was the only one left. I had to decide what was best for the kingdom and that stone wasn't it."
Thorin shoved you backward and you lost your footing. You fell into the treasure with a grunt, pain radiating through your bad side. Almost before you could blink, Smaug let loose with a mighty growl and Thorin stumbled backward in surprise and fear. Smaug placed his head in front of you so you could no longer see your husband. "You do not touch her," the dragon roared. When no one moved, he roared again. "Get. Out!"
They all fled. As soon as they were gone, you burst into tears. Thorin wasn't himself. He was sick. You knew that. That didn't make it hurt any less and it certainly wasn't the reunion you'd dreamed of.
***
The next day, you leaned against Smaug's side as you sketched in the margins of the book you held. You'd long ago ran out of paper and made due with what you had. Smaug pretended to sleep while he kept watch over you. You knew he was pretending because his head jerked up at any little movement from you. You heard a small noise and glanced up to see Thorin edging into the room. Smaug growled beneath you.
"It's all right," you said in a low voice. Smaug grumbled but remained where he was. "You can come in, Thorin. He won't hurt you."
"For now," the dragon added with a glare.
Thorin swallowed before quickly making his way into the room. He dropped to his knees in front of you and you sat up a bit. "Forgive me, amrâlimê. I never meant to hurt you. I-I was weak." All the sorrow in the world seemed to reside in his eyes at that moment.
"Are you my Thorin again?" you asked.
"Always, Y/N. I am always yours. But yes, the sickness has left me. It was your presence that grounded me. Once I realized what I had done, I could think of nothing else, including that cursed stone."
"I love you, Thorin. And I will forgive you on one condition."
"Anything, my love."
"Smaug stays. He'll help defend the mountain and protect the hoard."
Thorin's eyes grew wide as he looked between you and the beast behind you. "What kind of husband would I be if I asked the dragon that cared for you all this time to leave?"
You smiled and Thorin leaned forward to wrap you in a hug. He pressed kisses to your hair as he held you. You managed to elbow the dragon in the side. "Told you he wasn't so bad," you said.
Smaug hummed. "He's tolerable. For now."
***
a/n: I'm not sure about this one but the idea came to me and I went with it. Hope you enjoyed it.