It had broken her, and unmade her, and rebirthed her.

All of it; not just that first time.

And sprawled on Thorin's chest hours later, not caring that they lay on the hard floor of the training room, Arien still did not have words for what had passed between them. Not the physical joining, not the repeated bouts of it, but the sense of him. Of belonging.

She'd never known it could be like that.

He'd made sure she found her pleasure. Repeatedly. Before he ever found his own.

Arien savoured the fingers he still trained down her spine, even as she ran her own over the grooves in his stomach.

She pressed a kiss to his sculpted chest.

"We should go to my room," she said quietly.

"Yes," he replied, his voice deeper than usual. As if he still could not quite remember language.

"Do you..." she began.

"I'm staying with you," he growled.

He swept her up in his arms, and she pressed her back, now covered by his shirt, against his bare torso. She couldn't help arching against his solid, warm body, and the groan that escaped his lips rumbled through her skin. They reached her room, Thorin shoving open the door with his shoulder and laying her gently on the soft mattress. He leaned down and nibbled her ear, her breath hitching as he slid a hand under her shoulder. Thorin removed his mouth from her ear and replaced it at her lips, his kisses soft and taunting. Arien gasped and pulled him closer as his mouth traced her throat, her neck.

Suddenly she stopped, breaking away from him. He looked down at her, worry creasing his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, Thorin," she whispered. "I am not good enough. You deserve someone better than me."

Thorin tilted her chin, looking into her eyes. It always felt like he could see right into her heart, her soul, when he did that.

"I love you, Arien." His eyes did not leave hers for a heartbeat as he spoke, dropping words more precious than rubies and emeralds and diamonds. More precious than all the gold in Erebor. "Do not apologise for returning that love. Even when this kingdom, this world, is nothing more than a forgotten whisper of ash beneath the moon, I will love you."

Her eyes filled with tears. She was not good enough, but he loved her. It was all that mattered. Arien pulled him towards her, taking his mouth in hers with a fierce, burning desire.

"I love you too, Thorin," she whispered onto his lips. "You are my heart, my soul, you always have been, and I want never to be parted from you. Whatever happens, whatever hell this world throws at us, if you are by my side I will not be afraid."

Thorin took her face in both his hands, his thumbs caressing her skin. "We will face that hell, Arien. We will face it together."