Work Text:
The long journey to his sister's home had left the dwarf exhausted. Thorin's body felt spent; the cold rain outside had seeped into his bones and made it a struggle to keep himself sitting upright even after entering the mountain, let alone do much else. It didn't help that his skin burned with the contact of the warm air of Ered Luin; his hands were on fire, and the skin on his face shrunk strangely against his skull. It was only thanks to Dís that he managed to tuck something away and didn't fall asleep in his dinner right at the table, and it didn't take long for her to gently lead him away from the meal and to his room.
"If one didn't know better, one would think you a glutton for punishment," Dís chided, helping him remove the soaked layers he had donned in an attempt to keep the storm's bite out. They could still hear it continuing outside the Blue Mountain's walls. "You needn't travel so far at this time of year. The air outside could have frozen your heart, and would you have Ered Luin be without its king?"
Thorin could only grunt. His sister was clever: she often lectured him when he was too tired to speak, and thus was forced take in her preaching without retort. Her words rang true, of course, but Thorin's pride still bristled at being treated as such.
"Now," Dís continued, "I'll tend to your things while you thaw. The fire is fresh, so it should last the night." She motioned to the fireplace beside the bed, filled with a warm light and dancing flames. "Get some rest."
Thorin grunted again, falling into the bed with very little grace. Dís tutted as she covered him in furs, and sighed as she gently stroked the hair away from her brother's face.
"Sleep well. Oh, and by the way," she added as she walked out the doorway, "you are not to leave Ered Luin until the sun thaws the ice. We can make do without some trade with Men until then."
But Thorin hadn't heard her clearly; he was already slipping away.
------------
"Shhh," hushed a voice. "He's sleeping."
"Are you sure?" whispered another. "Uncle rarely goes to bed this early in the night."
"Of course I'm sure, look at his breathing."
There was a pause as the voices presumably watched Thorin breathe.
"Ah, I see it."
There was a rumble of thunder in the distance. Thorin twitched, his dreams fading, but the voices didn't seem to notice.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Mother would only have us go straight to bed, and - and - " The voice had trembled a bit in fear before trailing off.
There was another silence before the patter of small feet could be heard. A moment later, there was a loud crash as an axe fell to the ground.
Thorin stirred with a groan. The feet stilled.
"Kíli, be careful!" admonished one after they felt the coast was clear.
"Sorry," said the other balefully.
There was another quiet before the two moved once more. At long last, they were at Thorin's side, staring up at their uncle.
"What if he gets angry?" said one of the voices.
There was an uncertain silence. "Do you think he would - "
"Do you think I would what?" Thorin said, his eyes still closed, and the two young dwarves shrieked and nearly jumped out of their skins before dashing for the door. Despite his weariness, however, Thorin was still larger than they, and with two steps he had them both by the scruff of their nightshirts.
"Why are you bothering me at this hour?" he said sternly, holding them up to eyelevel. "Can you not see I am trying to get some rest?"
"We're sorry!" squeaked Fíli.
Kíli nodded, eyes wide in terror. "We - we were just - "
"Well?" Thorin glared at the pair. "Out with it!"
"We were frightened," Fíli finally managed meekly.
"Frightened?" Thorin raised an eyebrow. "Of what? There is nothing to fear here."
Just then, a particularly loud roar of thunder tore through their ears, and Fíli and Kíli curled in on themselves, petrified.
Thorin put two and two together, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You fear the storm? You have slept through them before."
"Not ones like this!" Fíli gasped as another peal of thunder rolled through.
"What if it's stone giants?" Kíli wailed, eyes brimming with tears. "They could rip through the mountain and - and - "
Thorin sighed. He would be getting no sleep if he sent them off now, he was sure of it. Knowing them, they would merely try to sneak back in within the hour and interrupt his slumber once again.
"Come with me, you little rascals," he grunted, pulling them under his arms and carrying them back to bed. "There are no stone giants in the Blue Mountains, but if that is your fear, then rest assured I will protect you from them."
His lips quirked in amusement as they gasped in surprise.
"Really?"
"Really, truly?"
"If you wake me up again, I will take you back to your beds," Thorin warned them as he plopped them down on the furs.
"We won't!" Fíli told him, scooting over to make his uncle room.
"We'll sleep quietly, we promise," Kíli finished before he tumbled over, pulled to the side by his brother to provide more space.
Thorin settled in after them, taking care not to accidentally hit one of them. By the time he was on his back and had noticed he had dropped his pillow in fetching his nephews, they had already crawled up and nestled into his sides, making it too cumbersome to pick it up. He would just have to do without it.
"Quiet now," he ordered as he pulled his furs up, and they nodded sleepily.
"Good night, uncle," murmured Kíli, curling up against his chest.
"Sleep well," yawned Fíli, wrapping his arms around one of Thorin's like a protective shield.
Thorin let out an amused huff of air before closing his own eyes, their warmth covering him like a second blanket.
"Good night," he rumbled, and silence filled the room once more.