#modern au thorin

[rutobuka2]

christmas cookies! 🎄 happy holidays, guys!

[shurikthereject]

Focusing more on Thorin this time! Thorin is part of the uni's rugby team and the captain of the said team (I don't know shit about sports so I'm sorry if I use the wrong terminology). It's hard for Thorin to balance out his studies in architecture and also sport, but it is expected of him since both his father and grandfather were great athletes, captains and students. He loves the sport but he would prefer more to pursue his career as an architect.

(Sorry for the bad anatomy, it's very rushed but I really needed them to smooch)

[msbilberry]

Modern AU.

Bilbo: [text message] I'm leaving.

Thorin: [text message] WHAT??

Thorin: Bilbo, I don't understand what happened.

Thorin: Bilbo, I'm in an important meeting right now and I can't call back.

Thorin:  Let me call you back as soon as I'm free and we will calmly discuss everything. 

Thorin: Is it because I work too much and don't pay enough attention to you?

Thorin: Or is it because I keep forgetting to put the cap on  toothpaste tube?

Thorin: I beg you, let's talk first. Yes, we have quarrels, but we feel so good together!

Thorin: Bilbo, I love you more than anything in the world, I don't need anyone except you, I can’t live without you!!! 

Thorin: Bilbo, please answer!

Bilbo: I'm leaving HOME. To the market for fresh vegetables. I wanted to ask if you forgot your house keys.

Bilbo: You're a drama queen.

[possibly-a-table-or-just-gay]

I love sibling dynamics, what can I say

[meteors-lotr]

Characters who really need therapy

The fellowship: All the shit they went through

The Company: All the shit they went through

Faramir: Childhood abuse and neglect

Éowyn: Childhood abuse and anger issues

Éomer: Childhood abuse, and working through his internalized misogyny and homophobia

Gandalf: He died for a minute or three

Galadriel: Anger and control issues

Every other person in middle earth: We almost got invaded and killed by orca

Characters who are actually fine

Elrond and his kids

[dael1n]

I decided to make a modern au! According to the Hobbit! (events BEFORE the quest in the canon) Thorin Durin, 39 years old, (6.2 ft) is trying to get his family's business back. Dis Durin, 32 years old, (6,4 ft) businesswoman with two children Fili Durin, 7 years old, is a fan of Iron Man Kili Durin, 5 years old, doesn't know what Marvel is, but he likes the star on Captain America's shield

Balin Durin, 31 years old, (5.8 ft) history teacher at the university Bilbo Baggins, 31, (5,5 ft) a biology teacher at the university, has his own greenhouse and a small flower shop that he inherited from his mother (the Gamgee family works for him there)

Dwalin Durin, 26 years old (6.6 ft) As a child, he was in an accident with many of the Durin family, left a scar on his eye, which is why he sees poorly. It did not hurt to serve in the army, I have been to places of increased military danger. (before that, he was severely depressed due to the loss of his parents and best friend, now he is trying to re-learn how to live in order to be a a worthy guardian to two little assholes

[baker-boy]

please please please may i have bagginshield fic recs i'm starting to run out

popular fics, underrated lesser known fics, long and short, gimme them all,

[lordoftherazzles]

Where The Shadows Lie by LordOfTheRazzles

bagginshield | vampire/slayer au | explicit

Bag End Bed & Breakfast collects more dust than customers these days. An unexpected visit lands a company of royal vampires into Bilbo’s care. As he learns to coexist, he discovers secrets to his lineage.  

↳ NOW ON AO3

[tetchy-frog]

👀

Someone’s looking dapper! A second WIP post whilst you all wait :D

[fizzyxcustard]

Ciaoooo I have a little ask for you :3

Historical AU.

Finally, after much searching, you managed to find a job. It consists of transporting supplies on a boat for the lighthouse keeper who lives alone on the islet lashed by wind and waves. You like the job even if you have to help the guardian to rearrange the supplies, a certain Thorin Oakenshield, a taciturn and rather gruff dwarf. Unfortunately, that day the sea was quite rough and when you arrived on the islet the wind picked up and a storm started. You've taken refuge in the lighthouse with Thorin ruling that you won't be able to return to dry land for some time, maybe a week!

Ooooh!!

You can use this ask as a prompt for a fic or you can describe to us what you feel and what you do, the important thing is to make us dream ✨

This is such a lovely ask, so detailed and creative. I absolutely l love it, and thank you so much for sending it to me. I'm going to write it as a head canon, and then, who knows, it may be developed for a fic. ;)

You take a boat over to the island every three days, making sure that you have plenty of basic items for Thorin, such as groceries, toiletries, household items and even clothing.

He keeps in close contact with you so that you can also shop for the items that he needs before delivering them.

You know when you set off that afternoon that a storm is approaching, but Thorin is particularly low on food supplies and you cannot leave him without food.

As you row towards the island, you can feel the waves picking up height and speed. You know that you're not going to see your own home for at least a couple of days.

Thorin in surprised to see you and tells you that you shouldn't have come out in the bad weather.

As he lets you into the lighthouse, he can't help but smile as you drift past him. It's lonely out on the island and he often thinks about you at night, wondering what it would be like to hold you and find warmth with you.

You help Thorin pack away all of his items, but after an hour, you can hear the winds gusting around the tall building.

"There is no way you can go back while the weather is like this!" Thorin insists, as he stands at the window and pulls the curtain aside, watching the frightening height of the waves.

You can't help but feel a spark of excitement in your belly. You've had a crush on Thorin since the first time you came to the island and delivered his items. His eyes, his voice, his presence. But you also sense sadness inside him and loneliness.

Thorin cooks you a meal, a hearty stew, and just as you finish the last mouthful, the power goes out.

Thorin lights many candles and places them in the main rooms on the ground floor.

Your room will be the guest room next to Thorin's and he shows you your room, holding a candle which illuminates his face.

Once you head to bed, you lie there in silence, listening to the raging storm outside.

Thorin also lies awake in the next room, wondering what you are doing.

You get up to go to the toilet and accidentally fall over something in the darkness, which makes Thorin come running into your room as he heard the tumble.

He gets down to you, a candle glowing. "Are you alright?" he asks softly. Then he offers you his hand and helps you up.

Your ankle has been twisted and you moan in pain, falling against him.

Thorin grabs you, and for a couple of seconds, you can't help but gaze into each other's eyes.

[nikuttek]

anyone who writes bagginshield fics with esl!thorin deserves a kiss on the mouth

[rutobuka2]

I told you it’d get thirsty 🤷 but every lumberjack deserves to have fun

[shurikthereject]

I was extremely bored during class and made a lil doodle from the university AU. I think Thorin definitely fell first but also the hardest lol, while Bilbo was mostly getting very mixed signals and thought Thorin hated his guts at first. If you guys have any suggestions or ideas for this AU feel free to comment! Anyway enjoy this very messy illustration.

[foxglove-the-hobbit]

Tired eyes

[distinguisheddwarffriend]

My brain is FULL of TH fic ideas but I've already got 3 WIP and most of them are just "what if"s with no plot so I'll just post them here I guess and maybe some writing god hears me/ reads them and someone else actually uses them.

Here's Nr. 1:

Frerin did in fact NOT die at Azanulbizar but was transported into our modern world, sometime in the second half of the 19th century.

After some adjusting (industrialization is in full force but it's still not as 'bad' as it would be rn) he builds a life, him being a dwarf meaning that he ages extremely slowly compared to us lowly humans so he has to move after a while and again and again.

He lives in the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Finland.....

He fights in both world wars depending on where he lives during that time (WW1 on the German side, WW2 on the UK's), other than that he goes to university and works all kind of jobs like policeman, fireman, soldier, teacher, carpenter,smith, weaver, factory worker, violinist etc etc etc

Around 1900 he meets this fella J R R Tolkien and befriends him, and after a time finds out that his friend is writing books about middle Earth, not only that, but one about his very own brother. Tolkien apparently is a seer of some kind because it's still almost a century until "The Hobbit" would happen (he does the math).

Frerin helps Tolkien with authenticity for his books, because the dude is smart and found out about Frerin after he corrected his Khuzdul one time to many.

Anyhow, after reading what will happen to his family, he becomes a mite bit obsessed with returning to Middle Earth and having ammased quite some wealth and with the help of some friends in high places starts founding various research projects into things like teleportation, multiverse, magic, alchemy, you name it. He also becomes a member of the Freemasons due to his occult knowledge.

In around 80 years there's almost no progress towards Frerin's goal of returning home, he does still have a research company but only a small group of mostly students works on the multiverse hypothesis, the rest does all kinds of stuff, technology, energy, whatever.

He has for the time being settled somewhere in Scandinavia, is a College Professor for Sociology and Political Science and volunteers as a social worker for troubled children.

He is fostering 2 or 3 children himself (ages 6 - 16) and has two grown up adopted children that still live & work with him (they found out about him), a guy & a lass ( both early twenties).

Somehow (don't ask I don't know) the whole household (meaning Frerin, his two young adult children, the foster children, his south American householder, her tiny dog and their personal Butler (more of a live-in family friend by now, think Niles from "The Nanny") all get sucked into a portal or whatever end get spit out into Middle Earth.

Not at Ered Luin of course, that would be easy, no, but somewhere extremely inconvenient. The Lone lands, the Brown lands, Moria, something along the lines of "we are so fucked".

So now it is a few years (1-3, or the characters have too much time to become Mary-Sues), before the quest to Erebor, and they have to reach Thorin before than and somehow survive a world filled with orcs (and elves!) while juggling a 6 year old, a tiny & barky dog, a cliché Mamacita, a British butler, and Frerin's realisation that he has gotten much too used to modern convenience.

(my weak ass would probably include some romance between one/more than one of the original characters and the canon characters, I'm a sucker for Fili or Kili x OFM and rare pairings like KilixBifur or ThorinxNori and I want Frerin to date an elf or Bard I think.)

.... Does this sound like something you would read/write? I'd maybe try to write this with someone else, alone I don't dare to. What do y'all think?

[middleearthpixie]

Better Days ~ Chapter Nineteen

A/N: If you or a loved one is in crisis, or experiencing suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation, help is available 24/7/365. Call or text the Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit their website at www.988lifeline.org. 

Summary: Frerin Durin had the perfect life, until he found out his wife was cheating on him. Now, he’s navigating uncharted territory as an about-to-be divorced single dad. Dating is a mess, he’s dealing with the fallout where his kids are concerned, and really, he would just love a vacation away from all of it. 

Elena Madison is new to Sidleburg, and also navigating life as a newly single parent. The last thing she needed was for her daughter to come down sick, when she hasn’t even had time to unpack the moving boxes, never mind find a pediatrician. And the last thing she ever expected was to meet a man like Dr. Frerin Durin…

Neither Elena nor Frerin were looking for anything, but fate has a way of messing up even the best laid plans. However, both have been hurt and both aren't at all sure they trust themselves, never mind trusting someone else...

Pairings:  Modern!Frerin x ofc Elena Madison

Warnings: Spontaneous kitchen sex, attempted suicide

Rating: M

Word Count: 3.2k

Tag List: @mrsdurin @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @linasofia @fizzyxcustard

@legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being

@rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-mer-6195 @sherala007 @enchantzz

@knittastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell

@jotink78 @sorisooyaa @ruthoakenshield @frosticenow @quiall321

@dianakc @glassgulls @evenstaredits @heilith @asgardianhobbit98

@albionscastle @absentmindeduniverse @way-too-addicted-to-fandoms @sazzlep

@court-jobi @masterofhounds

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here. 

Elena rubbed her eyes as she waited for the Keurig to brew her much-needed coffee. Alyssa had called her near midnight and it was almost two by the time she got off the phone. Although she enjoyed being at her grandparents’ house, Alyssa was homesick and thought she was getting sick again and it took Elena that long to get her to take a wait and see approach to how she felt and reminded her that there were doctors in Florida if she needed one. 

She’d originally planned to go to the gym, but when the alarm went off at seven, she turned it off and promptly fell back asleep, only to wake up an hour and a half later groggy as anything. And that was why the coffee was so desperately needed.

She was halfway through that cup when the doorbell rang. With a low sigh, she rose from her chair, padded into the living, to the front door and when she peered through the peephole, she was shocked to see Frerin on the other side.

She unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Frerin, what’re you doing here?”

He offered up a smile that was beyond tired and she tried not to notice the purplish smudges shadowing his eyes. “I just got off work and I wanted to see you.”

“You should just go home and get some sleep.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, then rubbed his face with both hands, “I probably should, and I will eventually. But, I know you’re pissed at me and I don't blame you, and that’s why I’m here.”

“I’m not pissed.”

“Really?” He lowered both hands. “Because you haven’t asked me in yet.”

“You’re not the only one who had a long night.” She stepped back. “Come on in. No offense, but you look dead on your feet.”

“I just got out of surgery.”

“Surgery?” Elena closed the door as he stepped into the apartment. “Since when are you a surgeon?”

“I’m not.” He shrugged out of his jacket to drape it across the back of the armchair. “I was keeping a twelve year old with an ectopic pregnancy company.”

“What?”

“Yeah.” He followed her into the kitchen and gestured to the Keurig. “Mind if I steal a cup?”

“No, not at all.”

“Thanks.” 

She returned to her chair as he stumbled over to the counter to brew himself a cup. “A pregnant twelve year old?”

“Yep. Her dad died at Sidleburg a few months ago and she and her mother were terrified, so when she asked me to stay with her, I did.”

“You’re allowed to do that?”

“The doc doing her surgery is a friend as well. We were in med school together. Reese was pissed, but he’ll get over it.” Frerin turned toward her, leaning back against the counter as he lifted the cup to his lips. “And even if he doesn’t, I don't give a shit.”

It didn't surprise her in the least, that he’d chosen to stay with a frightened child and risk the wrath of his boss. In the short time they’d been seeing each other, that they’d known each other, really, Elena had seen how he cared about his patients, and his job as well. “I’m sure it meant a lot to the little girl.”

“Yeah. Well, I like kids. It’s why I went into Pediatrics to begin with.” He lowered the cup and met her stare. “And I’m sorry I stood you up again. You should only know how much I wanted to tell Reese to go to hell.”

Thinking of the lingerie she had tucked away in her underwear drawer, Elena smiled. “Not nearly as much as I wanted you to.”

“I swear, I will make it up to you.”

“Frerin—”

“No, I will.” He set the cup on the counter. “I don't know when, but I will.”

Elena rose once more, moving over to stand before him. “You can’t promise it, Frerin. We both know the odds of you being pulled in to work a double shift are far too great.”

He let out a low sigh. “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”

“So, why don't you go home and get some sleep? You look almost dead on your feet.”

“I don't want to sleep and if I push through, I’ll sleep tonight instead of totally screwing up my system by going to sleep now.” 

With that, he reached for her hand and gave a gentle tug to draw her up against his chest. He bent to her, his lips warm and soft as they caught hers and when they met, Elena slid her hand up along his neck to tug him closer still. 

That was all it took. Fire met kindling and as his tongue met hers, her fingers went to the top of his button-down and as nimble as anything, flew down the column of buttons, then tugged the wrinkled cotton from his shoulders while he just as hurriedly swept her tank top over her head.

 Her head fell back, her skin prickling from his beard as he swept a hot kiss along her neck, and down into the valley between her breasts. There was nothing slow or teasing about those hot lips, and he wasn't at all gentle when they closed about her beaded left nipple to suck hard at it, and that was just fine with her. He caught it between his teeth, flicked the tip of his tongue over it, and she couldn’t hold back her gasp, knots already twisting deep within her core. 

His hands curved about her ass, cupping her cheeks to pull her hard against him and when he thrust against her, the firm ridge of his erection ground into her mound, the damp heat between her thighs erupting almost at once at the sensation. Almost of their own volition, her fingers caught his belt, tugged to unbuckle it, and as he caught her tongue to draw into his mouth, she unbuttoned his trousers, slid her hand into the dark heat of his boxer briefs, and when her fingers curled about his cock, he exhaled hard into her mouth and shuddered against her. 

She slipped her fingertip over his slit, caught the silky fluid bubbled there to stroke it along his heated, veined length, then wrapped him in her hand to offer up a slow, teasing stroke that had him moaning into her mouth now. 

With each stroke, he met her, and in response, he slipped a hand into her sleep shorts, into her heat, and when those thick fingers slid through her dampness, through her slick, it was her turn to moan into his mouth. A shower of tingles rained over her at his touch, at the sensations he sent rocketing through her. 

He played with her, his fingertips teasing as they moved along her aching, damp flesh, dragged his thumb roughly over her clit to sent a jet to fire streaking through her. She gasped, that gasp becoming a moan as he then circled her clit with a slow, teasing stroke. Her body hummed from the pleasure thrumming through her, her desire for him growing into a ravenous hunger, that had her digging her fingernails into his shoulder, tightening her grip on his cock, as he teased her and tortured her in the most sensual way possible. 

She shivered with each lazy circle, with each rough sweep over her clit, her head spinning like crazy and her entire body begging to have him inside her. Her fingers teased along his shaft, swept lightly along the ridge, back to his slit and toward his body once more.

He thrust a finger inside her. Fire burst through her, her body tightening about him a little more with each slow stroke. Her body hummed with pleasure, hot and sweet, and his kisses grew hungrier with each thrust. She rocked to meet him, that humming growing even stronger as he crooked the finger inside her and stroked over the sweetest, most sensitive part of her body.

She clamped down on him, her back arching as the knots erupted and tingling white hot bliss flooded her body. He teased her with that finger, tortured her in the sweetest way possible as she rolled her hips to meet him, his name a breathless cry on her lips. 

“Fre-Frerin… oh… God…” Her moan rolled through the kitchen, her orgasm hard and sharp and making her head spin like crazy as fire flooded her.

He slid his finger free, but before she could protest, he lifted her onto the counter, crouched down to fish his wallet from his trousers with a sheepish smile. The smile made sense and made her smile as well as he fished a condom from it. “I was optimistic.”

“You are wise, Dr Durin.”

His smile went from sheepish to sinful as he tore open the packet and unrolled the condom over himself. She shivered at the fire in his eyes, the promise in his smile, as he pushed between her thighs, and a moment later, he breached her and offered up a powerful thrust. Then another. And another. He surged hard. He thrust deep. His moan mingled with hers as she wrapped her legs about his hips and rocked to meet him, a second orgasm building as the dark, coarse curls at the base of his cock ground hard against her already too-sensitive clit to offer up a delicious sensation that was half-pleasure, half-pain and had her melting all around him as he pumped into her. 

The kitchen grew hotter by the moment a fine mist of sweat rising along Frerin’s back as she dug her fingernails into his slick skin and surrendered to the moment. The knots were back, tighter and hotter than ever, and her throat felt raw from her cries but she couldn't hold them back. Each thrust fired her desire hotter still, fed her arousal, her need to come yet again and as she reached the summit, Frerin growled low in his throat, “Squeeze me, baby… squeeze my cock… just like that… oh, yes… oh, baby.. oh, holy fuck, Elena, yes… yes!”

He thrust hard, arched deep, and she clung to him as his released triggered hers and they came together, his pleasure feeding of hers, her body devouring his. She dragged her fingernails across his back as she shuddered and pulsed about him, as she tightened her thighs, to pull him deeper still. Her head spun. Her heart threatened to erupt from her chest. Stars burst before her eyes as he surged one last time, then sank against her, his body trembling as he whispered, “Oh… holy fuck… Elena…”

He wasn't the only one trembling. Black dots danced before her eyes as she clung to him, the pleasure swirling through her still so hot and sweet. She couldn’t breathe. Didn't trust herself to speak. She just wrapped her arms about his neck and pressed her cheek into his soft hair, whispering, “Oh, my God…”

A soft laugh brushed her shoulder, followed by an even softer kiss and he murmured, “I love you…”

The spinning in her head subsided, her vision cleared, and when he drew back and she met his blue eyed gaze, she whispered, “What?”

A hint of a sheepish smile came to his lips. “Yeah… I didn't mean to blurt it out like that, but… damn… Elena, I do.”

Her stomach fluttered at the low purr of his voice, and the soft heat in his eyes, and the aftershocks of her orgasm still rippled through her as she whispered, “Frerin… I—”

“It’s okay if you don't love me back,” he broke in gently. “I know it’s kind of sudden and I’m kind of a mess of a man, but—”

It was her turn to cut him off and she did so by gently pressing her hand to his lips. “Hush.”

The outer corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled and nodded and she lowered her hand to say, “And you are only a little bit of a mess, you know. But, you’re also in the middle of a divorce, so, are you sure that’s not just the post-fuck euphoria speaking?”

“It could be,” he admitted with a nod, stepping over to the trash can, and then coming back to her, pausing only to reach for the towel on the kitchen table. “But, I don't think so. I think about you all the time, Lena. When I’m with you, the time just flies by, and when I’m not, it drags. I want you to meet my kids.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the seriousness in his voice and she met his serious blue-gray eyes. “Frerin, are you sure? I mean, we haven’t been seeing each other all that long.”

“I know. That’s my one hesitation.” He eased his boxer briefs and trousers back up and fastened them. “I’ve proven I’m not that great at relationships, either. I got married when I probably shouldn’t have and stayed married long after we should have split up. And I—”

A hint of color swept along his cheekbones and she waited for him to continue. When he didn't, her stomach gave an odd lurch. “Frerin?”

“Toni wasn't the only one cheating. I had an affair after I found out about her and the kid. It was short and purely physical, but… I did it. I’m not proud of it, but I have to be honest with you.”

Elena swallowed hard as she carefully eased down from the counter. “With someone you work with?”

He nodded. “Yeah. She is one of the hospital social workers. I met her when I called her down for a consult and bumped into her a few days later at my brother’s bar. Next thing I knew… well… it was only that once, but I felt like such a shit over it. The neighbor kid had been going balls deep into my wife for months at that point, so I thought what was good for the goose and all.”

Elena stepped into her shorts to pull them up. “So it was only that one time?”

“Yeah. I was pissed off at Toni and envious of my brother, because he and his then-girlfriend, now-wife had just gotten together and I thought the world owed me. It was a waste of time, though, because once it was over? I hated myself for it. But, Lena, I swear to you, I don't normally fuck around and I will not fuck around on you. And I—I don't know where this is going to go, and I don't know if you’re seeing any other guys, but I’m not seeing anyone else and I don't want to see anyone else.”

Elena’s tank top skimmed softly along her as it fluttered down. “I’m not seeing anyone else, either, Frerin. And I don't really want to, but…”

“But…” He caught her hands in his. “But what?”

“But… you’re still in the middle of what sounds like a messy divorce, Frerin. And I guess I’m a little gun-shy myself. My ex-husband was a serial cheater and—”

“I’m not a cheater, Elena. In twenty years with Toni, it was one time. I swear to you, it isn’t something I make a habit of.” 

With that, he stepped up to her, catching her face in his hands, and she bit back a sigh as his thumbs swept lightly along her cheeks. “I promise you, honey, I am not going to fuck around on you. And it’s not post-fuck euphoria, either. I love you.”

She wanted to believe him. She so wanted to believe him and in her heart of hearts, she did, but at the same time, she couldn’t help her hesitation. 

His eyes softened. “Elena, you can trust me. I swear to you, I am not going to hurt you. And if you want to slow it down, or throw me out of here, I won’t stop you, but I’m hoping you won’t.” A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Because I have to admit, sex with you is the best sex I’ve ever had and I really hate to give that up.”

She stared at him for a long moment, but then she smiled. “Are you serious?”

“I am dead serious, Lena. I mean, about all of it, but definitely about the sex.”

“Frerin!”

He slid his arms about her waist and lifted her to meet his gaze. “Sex with you is amazing, honey. No sane man would want to give it up.”

“You are terrible, do you know that?”

“I’m tired and not in my right mind.”

“So, then you don't love me?”

“Oh, no, I meant that.”

She curled her legs about his waist. “How do I know that?”

He offered up a sinful—if tired—smile. “I’ll find some way to prove it to you.”

“You asleep?”

Elena smiled as Frerin nuzzled her, her eyes heavy lidded and her entire body gone to mush. “Not yet, no. I’m just very cozy.”

He lifted his head. “Cozy, eh? Cozy is good.”

“Cozy is wonderful.” She trailed a fingertip lightly along his bearded cheek. Her body still tingled from his attentions. “I am a lucky girl…”

He shifted to stretch out alongside her, and she sighed softly, curving up against him to rest her head against his chest. “You should get some sleep,” she murmured, slipping her fingers through the dark gold hair sprinkled across his chest. “You’ve had a long day.”

“Yeah. I know.”

His fingers moved slowly along her hair, then down over her shoulder and along her arm. Little by little, they slowed and his breathing slowed as well. Rising slightly to gaze down at him, she whispered, “Frerin?”

“Mmmm?”

“I love you, too.”

He didn't open his eyes, but he did smile. “I knew it.”

His arm tightened about her and he pressed a kiss into the top of her head when she settled back alongside him. With a soft sigh of contentment, Elena let her eyes close and drifted off to sleep in Frerin’s arms. 

****

The buzzing of a cell phone roused Elena from sleep and she lifted her head to see Frerin’s phone dancing across her bedside table. “Frerin? It’s yours.”

He sat up. “What? Who?” 

“Your phone.”

Rubbing his eyes with one hand, he grabbed the skittering phone with his other and brought it up to his face. “”What is it, Toni?”

Elena came more awake at his growl, smiling when he said, “Yeah, it’s kind of a bad time. What is it?” A brief pause, then an incredulous, “What? When? Yeah… I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

With that, he tossed the phone down and bolted up from the bed to snatch his pants and briefs from the chair in the corner. He practically jumped into them. “I’ve got to go, Elena.”

She sat up. “Why? What happened?”

He looked up, the blood drained from his face and what could only be described as fear in his eyes. “It’s Jake… my youngest… Toni’s in the ER with him. He… uh… he tried to hurt himself.”

Her stomach kinked. “What?”

“Yeah. He—uh—look, I’ll call you when I can, okay?”

She jumped up from the bed. “Why don’t you let me drive you, Frerin?”

“I’m fine. I just… I have to go.”

“Yeah, okay. Call me when you get a moment.”

“I will.” He tugged his shirt over his shoulders, snatched up his shoes, brushed her lips with a kiss and then was gone. A moment later, her front door slammed and an eerie silence filled the apartment.