#dwalin masterlist

"My uncle will kill me, but send a raven to Mirkwood too." I couldn't help but snort at the thought of an elf performing for Thorin. "We must require the services of the best bard we can find." Fíli ruled his eyes begging me for support as we moved through the halls of Erebor with a trail of servants behind us. "Spare no expense on it, Thorin's first birthday under The Mountain has to be perfect."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning of the party, I was summoned by the princes at the mountain's entrance. I attended as soon as I could, and when I got there, the two brothers were whispering. Kíli seemed nervous, and Fíli, distressed.

"What you both plotting, lads?" They both looked at me with that look. I stopped dead in my trucks. "What did you do."

"I told Kíli we needed a bard and-" Fíli started.

"I spoke to Tauriel," the brunet continued, immediately exclaiming, "and she found the best bard!"

"She's an elf."

"In Durin's beard—" I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Thorin will kill you himself."

"No-" Kíli stalked towards me. "but that's why you need your help!"

"You ought to hear her sing," Fíli spoke, "her voice is the most beautiful sound I've heard."

"Hold on- she's here?" I whispered, peeking over my shoulders in case someone might have heard us. "You brought an elf-maid here?"

"I walked in by myself, sir." a fourth, silky voice made me look over the brothers' shoulders. "No one brought me."

I, myself, noticed how my jaw fell at the sight of her. She was a vision of loveliness; the beauty she possessed was not from this earth.

"Mister Dwalin?" Kíli's chuckle snapped me out of my astonishment and sent me back to reality. "This is Y/n, from Mirkwood. The bard." my orbs went from the brothers to the elf and vice versa. "Y/n is really pretty isn't she?"

"I..." with a smile she captured my eyes again. "Must you complicate things all the time?"

"It's worth it!" Kíli defended their idea.

"Is it?"

"I can assure you it is." she spoke with a confident half smile. "Must I sing to you to prove it, master dwarf?" there was some kind of daring undertone in her voice.

"Nae." I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to look as stoic as possible with my heart pounding against my chest. "Won't expose myself to any kind of elvish witchery."

"I believe I do not need witchery to gain your favor, do I?" the knowing grin twisting up the corner of her perfect lips made my blood boil for some reason.

I grunted, fighting to pull my gaze away from Y/n, which earned an amused laugh from her. "I'll try to speak on behalf of the lass." I declared, already walking past the princes. "Only because she's already here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We were only starting the celebration when the blond prince approached me and took me away from the rest, supposedly to ask for updates on the bard's topic.

"Did you convince Thorin?" Fíli whispered peeking over my shoulder to check on our king.

"Nae, had no time to do it." I looked over my shoulder to see Thorin. "Since Bilbo arrived, I wasn't able to separate your uncle from him." I turned around with crossed arms and a sigh escaped me as I contemplated the hobbit. "For the sake of the lass, I hope the master burglar can placate whatever reaction Thorin has."

"Don't stress about it. Once she starts performing," I felt his blue eyes on me, "everything will be alright, you'll see."

"Where is that famous bard?!" Thorin's joyful yell triggered a grimace in Fíli's face. I clenched my jaw and my shoulders involuntarily tensed as the servants guide a fancy-dressed Y/n into the hall, along with the instrument she would be playing.

There was an uncomfortable silence, in which Thorin’s eyes searched for answers in the rest of us whilst Y/n prepared herself without any kind of distress.

Just as Thorin was about to complain, Bilbo gripped his arm and pulled him to whisper something in his ear. After a moment, Thorin, still with a weary look on his face, nodded, which gave Y/n the cue to start.

She sang, and as the performance progressed, I wondered if she had put us under some kind of spell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The celebration went on an on for an entirety of three days, so, despite Y/n's endurance, she had to take breaks between performances to rest, drink and eat.

No matter where I was, nor with whom I was, my eyes would periodically search for her. I would lose my train of thought, and even become self-conscious of my actions if her eyes laid on me.

The youngest ones noticed that, so did my brother, and they didn't pass a chance to tease me about it as loud as they could, attempting to draw the lass' attention to us.

Thank Mahal, Bilbo kept hogging Thorin’s attention for the most part of the celebration. I wouldn't be able to take whatever opinion my king had on the topic; a dwarf like me, smitten over an elf-maid of Mirkwood.

"Well, master dwarf," her voice startled me, for her steps had been stealthy before she had plopped down in the bench besides me. "was it worth it?"

"Aye, it surely was, lass." I replied, wiping the beer from my beard with the back of my forearm. "Though I have the impression that you know that already."

"Maybe I do." I contemplated her as she grabbed a jar of beer herself. "Did you enjoy it?"

"How could I not?" I stared at the jar in front of me as I spoke. "no words known to me can describe what that voice of yours made a dwarf feel." I grabbed the beer and quaffed what was left of my beverage, hoping the alcohol would somehow mitigate the blush that was already reddening my neck, ears and cheeks.

"Maybe words are not what you need to express what I made you feel." Fíli, who was sitting near us, spit the beer he had been drinking and I had to stop myself from doing the same.

"I see no other way to express it." I lied, not wanting to meet her gaze.

"may I suggest something?" I looked up from my jar and turned to meet her gaze.

Just when I was about to prompt her to do it, she closed the space between us and let her lips place a feather kiss on mine.

Her eyes were now casted down, just like mine had been a moment ago. It took me a minute to realize I wasn't breathing, so I took a deep breath before guiding one hand to grab hers, while the other one held her cheek and brought her lips back to mine.

She let out a chuckle shortly after pulling away from the kiss. "See, mister Dwalin?" her eyes went from mine to our interlaced fingers. "Sometimes words are not needed."

"This may be a stupid thing to ask," I began, trying to keep my voice steady and confident. "But will you let this brute dwarf court you?"

There was a pause in which I feared I would receive a negative for an answer. Dwarven costumes were not the same as elvish costumes after all.

"I would love to say yes," she sighed. "but I'm afraid I will have to leave soon."

"No you won't." Thorin's voice startled us both and my hand would have left hers if she hadn't gripped on it. "I would like to request your services as a bard." he spoke with a half smile on his lips, sharing a knowing look with Bilbo, who had taken a seat in front of us.

"For how long?"

"Depends on how much time Dwalin may need to gain your favor." the dwarves near us let out muffled laughs and I felt my cheeks burning.