*AUTHOR'S NOTE: What can I say? I'm a sucker for happy endings. This little fic takes place after the Battle of Five Armies and what do you know- our favorite dwarves survive and Thorin becomes King under the Mountain. Also, male pregnancy is a common and accepted occurrence in this particular story, so moving on…*
Deep into the night on a cold winter's moon Thorin Oakenshield awoke with a chill. In a massive bed covered with furs and an immense fire roaring in the hearth across the vast room, the newly crowned King looked for the source of the cold. Seeking warmth, Thorin turned over to pull his mate closer to his bare chest. Half-asleep as he was, the dwarf came to a sudden full-consciousness as his hand came into contact with a cold sheet instead of his warm hobbit. The panic in his gut quelled as his eyes found Bilbo standing in front of the floor to ceiling window, opened so the curtains softly billowed in the chilly wind around his lover.
Throwing one of the heavy furs from their mated bed over his shoulders, Thorin walked over to the hobbit that appeared deep in thought, unaware of his King's stirring. Taking advantage of Bilbo's unawareness, Thorin took the moment to study him. His halfling was cast in an almost ethereal light from the mixture of the full moon and the flickering light of the fireplace. Even though his face was obscured by shadow, Bilbo was obviously content. Leaning against the window jam in only his long white nightshirt, the light from the fireplace shown through the fabric, outlining his belly, which was round and full as that night's moon.
"What has enraptured your mind so as to keep you from your much needed rest?"
Bilbo jumped, hands clasping the sides of his stomach, startled out of his thoughts at his husband's approaching voice. "Oh my! You've gave us a fright Thorin Oakenshield!"
Thorin gave a deep chuckle at Bilbo's newly acquired tendency to refer to himself in the plural. "I'm sorry my love. You gave me a fright as well when I awoke to your absence."
Bilbo began to relax again, leaning back against the window, staring out across the snow covered lands as his hands moved slowly across his swollen middle.
"Is our young keeping you awake?" The dwarf inquired, watching the motion of his husband's hands.
Bilbo's caressing ceased as he came to look down upon his heavy belly. "Yes and no. She has been calm this evening. I awoke in a heat."
Ever since their young had made its presence known through shape and movement, Bilbo had referred to it as the fairer gender. Thorin had inquired to the expecting man how he could possibly know of the gender and Bilbo would smile a knowing smile, telling his love that it was just something he knew and couldn't explain and who was Thorin to argue with the person carrying the babe? The hobbit had been apprehensive at first about telling the King under the Mountain of his suspicion of the young's gender, wondering if the King would prefer a male heir. Thorin's response had been a shake of the head and a kiss to the forehead before referring to Bilbo as a "foolish hobbit," telling him a princess would be greeted with much love and celebration.
Thorin reached out, cupping his mate's soft cheek with his own calloused hand, "you do feel unusually warm," he said, worried eyes scanning the hobbit's face, "should I fetch a healer?"
Bilbo shook his head, placing one of his smaller hands over the larger one of his lover. "No… I'm fine. From what I've gathered from the books these night sweats are common at this stage. I'm sorry to have woken you my love, please go back to our bed and I'll join you shortly as soon as I cool down a little," he said with a tired smile.
The larger man looked into sleepy eyes of the smaller one, knowing full well that they would not find rest anytime soon until his heat subsided. This had not been the first night where the hobbit had woken up in a sweat, tossing and turning, throwing his covers onto his lover. Thorin, after waking to Bilbo's exasperated sighs, would try to ease him by bringing him a glass of water or dabbing his neck with a wet cloth. After softly pressing a kiss to Bilbo's forehead, Thorin gauged that this particular hot flash was greater than the previous ones and would have to come up with something clever to ease him this time.
Thorin glanced out the window at the snow covered grounds and idea popped into his mind, "How about a nice moonlit walk through the grounds?"
The hobbit raised an eyebrow at the King, "At this hour? Surely I've caused you to be more sleep-deprived than I thought!" Bilbo said with a laugh.
"Of course! I can't think of a better time. We will have the grounds to ourselves, the moon is bright enough to lead our way, and the walk through the snow might help in cooling you down and tiring you enough for sleep," he said hopefully.
The dwarf received his answer when a laughing kiss was placed upon his own lips. "I'll grab our coats."
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB TBTB
Thorin and Bilbo slowly made their way through the frozen courtyard, leaving a set of booted and bare footprints in the snow behind them. The pair made laps around the grounds, hand-in-hand, marveling at what a layer of snow could do to the scenery.
"I've always been fond of the rolling green hills and wildflowers of the Shire," Bilbo commented, "but there is something magical about this land covered in this pristine white."
"I've never minded the winter. Great fires, warm drinks, the chance to cozy up to someone under a soft fur blanket."
Bilbo playfully pushed Thorin away, "Well I hope not with just anyone under a fur blanket!"
The dwarf pulled his flustered hobbit back close to his side, placing a firm kiss to his curly hair, "No, not with anyone. Though I must say that my certain someone's present condition with his tendency for hot flashes does interfere with curling up in a fur by the fire."
"I know my love. Soon." He gave out a long yawn, leaning his head on the larger man's thick shoulders.
Thorin spotted a bench nearby and after brushing off the snow sat down, pulling Bilbo onto his lap.
"Thorin no! I'll crush you."
Thorin gave a deep laugh, wrapping his strong arms around his squirming mate, pulling him tightly against him. "Hush now, you're still light as a feather to me."
The King shifted a little, opening his heavy coat to reveal his still bare chest which he pulled Bilbo flush against before wrapping his coat around the both of them.
Even though the expecting man had complained of being too warm earlier, he couldn't resist snuggling up against the warm flesh of his lover, reveling in the closeness. Thorin's hands soon found their way to Bilbo's nightshirt, pushing the fabric away so his powerful hands were massaging his tender skin that was covering the now kicking product of their love.
"I can't ever repay you for this wonderful gift you've given me my burglar." Bilbo heard Thorin whisper, the heat from his breath playing on his neck, sending chills down his spine. "For such a long time I was lost, no home, no one to call my own. Now you've given me everything and more than I could ever deserve."
Bilbo turned around so that he could look into his husband's striking blue eyes. "You deserve so much, my King. You've proven to be a wonderful ruler, lover, and soon to be father. It is my honor to give you a daughter." Bilbo placed his hand upon Thorin's, together their fingers following the lazy movements of their baby girl.
The pair sat like that, with Bilbo resting his head under Thorin's chin with the dwarf's arms surrounding him, for many quiet moments. The cold air and walk had obviously served their purpose for the hobbit felt his eyes begin to droop, sleep not being far off. He soon felt a shift as Thorin picked Bilbo up in his arms, carrying him like a babe toward the castle. "Come my love, let us retire to our bed."
"You know," Bilbo started without bothering to open his eyes, "I'm having a baby, that doesn't mean I need to be carted around like one."
As the two slowly made their way back from the grounds, Bilbo opened his eyes as he felt something cold nip his face. His eyes slowly opened to find snow swirling to the ground from the sky above. "Thorin, look! It's snowing!"
Bilbo felt before he heard the deep laugh in Thorin's chest. Turning from the snowy landscape to look back up at the dwarf he gave him a quizzical look, "what's so funny?"
"A tiny snowflake has found its way upon your nose."
Bilbo reached up to wipe away the flake before Thorin's hand stopped him, "No, let me." The dwarf adjusted his precious load so that he could kiss off the snowflake from his cold nose. "There. Gone."
"Well, with that taken care of…." Bilbo rested his head back against his lover's chest, letting his warmth and heartbeat lull him to sleep as they made their way back to their bed.