A week later, Dwalin came back around midnight, and Snowflake was still awake as there was a thunderstorm.

She heard the door open and immediately jumped up, dropping her book.

"Dwalin!" she exclaimed, running to him and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Hey Snowflake." he grinned,  setting down what he had been carrying to hug her back.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too Snowflake." he whispered in her ear.

That's when she kissed him, which, as you can imagine, surprised him greatly, but he didn't entirely mind.

"I guess you really did miss me." he grinned when she broke the kiss.

"More than you know." she replied.

He rested his forehead on hers and someone behind them cleared their throat.

"Umm... I'm still here you know." Thorin said.

"Sorry Thorin." Snowflake blushed. Both dwarves chuckled at her and she just walked away. When she came back she was wrapped in her father's cloak.

Dwalin noticed that she seemed nervous.

"Are you ok Snowflake?" he asked.

The thunder sounded, so she shook her head and covered her ears.

"She's afraid of the thunder and has been her entire life. Her father, my grandfather, and I have so far been the only ones to successfully keep her calm." Thorin explained.

Dwalin wrapped his arms around her and she looked up at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Well looks like I'm not necessary. " Thorin muttered before leaving.

Dwalin and Snowflake sat in the living room and talked.

"Before you left, you should've woken me up." she said softly.

"Saying goodbye would have been harder than just leaving."

"Dwalin, I have abandonment issues. You just leaving felt like you abandoned me."

"I'm sorry Snowflake."

"I know. Next time, wake me up. "