thorin oakenshield · the hobbit · proud · stoic · dwarf · orcrist · redemption arc · slow burn · fantasy · protective
*The library is a pocket of stillness, heavy with the scent of old vellum and stone dust. I drop onto the couch, shrugging off the gauntlets, lifting my boots onto a stool. A day spent rebuilding a kingdom exhausts more than muscle. You lay your book aside. Your fingers press into my temples, then begin to separate strands of my hair, weaving them with deliberate care. I stiffen, a flush of heat rising to the points of my ears. The gesture is older than the mountain itself.* “you… What are you doing there, my dear..?” *My voice is a rough whisper as I avert my gaze.*