Thorin spit out his drink in a great spray of ale. Oh Mahal it burned shooting out his nose too until he was dripping in what had been a pleasant mouthful of ale. He choked on the rush of air his body tried to vacant the invading ale until he had coughed up the rest of the burning liquid. However that wasn't even the issue, the main thought in Thorin's brain was...

"What did you just say?" he demanded glaring down his nephew as menacingly as he could with ale dripping down his beard.

"Marriage? To Bilbo? That was the discussion of the council?" Fili said. He had the decency to look confused if mildly concerned. Though that may have something to do with the ale now covering the majority of the meal. Kili was torn between horrified and giggling.

"Why would I get married to Bilbo?" Thorin asked, wiping at his beard and face.

There was a general stillness around the table as the question seemed to echo around the room. Balin and Gloin exchanged a look down the table.

"He sleeps in your bed Thorin," Balin says. "It had been assumed that marriage would be in your future plans."

"Yes, what does sleeping in my bed have to do with anything?" Thorin asked, partially flabbergasted.

Another awkward silence. Thorin felt everyone exchange looks. It was getting little exhaustive. He was the King, this shouldn't feel like he was being sat down for an intervention.

Before anyone could come up with something to say, the doors were pushed open and a small Hobbit came shuffling in.

"Sorry I'm late, the scrolls shelf broke on Ori and I. He's still cleaning...up..." Bilbo took a look around as all eyes turned to him. Kili had picked giggling and tried desperately to muffle it at least.

"Did I interrupt something?" Bilbo asks, looking around the room.

"No, laddie. It's all fine. We were just waiting for you two before we started eating," Balin covered easily. Thorin shot him a look and nodded. Ori came tumbling in after Bilbo moved away from the door. He was sporting a large bruise to one temple but seemed otherwise unharmed.

Nori and Dori pulled Ori aside to fuss over the bruise. Bilbo moved around the distraction to go sit on the first seat on the left, his usually seat at Thorin's left hand.

"The shelf only glanced him," Bilbo said to Thorin as he sat. "I already looked him over. He is fine. I would have take him straight to the healers if he wasn't."

Thorin nodded, already knowing it. Bilbo could be worst than a nagging hen over something especially health related. However, what he really wanted was to go back to the insane conversation they had just ended and demand answers that made some kind of sense.

"Is everything all right?" Bilbo asked, in a hush tone as Dwalin finally got Dori and Nori out of the way so he could inspect the bruise. It was a bit silly but Ori flushed when he did so plus he protested less.

Unable to really answer, Thorin nodded to his friend. There wasn't a proper way to say 'everyone assume we should get married just because you share my bed'. At least one that wouldn't make Bilbo feel anymore awkward than normal.

The others finally rejoin their King at the table and he gestures for them to eat. Most of them dig in and the chatter starts up. Thorin fixes to take his first bite when Bilbo cuts in.

"Why is there ale covering your beard?"

Kili's giggles ring out louder than he can muffle and his other traitorous heir joins in. Thorin scowls at them but it does nothing to stop them. He wonders sometimes if anyone remembers he is the King.

-Past-

If Bilbo thought about it, he supposed the whole situation might have been odd to anyone who wasn't Thorin and himself. It had probably started somewhere on the journey. While it certainly hadn't hurt that they were all in close quarters and everyone was practically sleeping on top of one another, Bilbo had found he slept best when he was within arms reach of Thorin.

Then the journey had come to an abrupt end at Erebor where they suddenly would have rooms to themselves. Only that didn't work out quite to anyone's favor. Smaug, it seemed, had destroyed most of the pathways to living quarters and it would be months before the main one would be rebuilt. The group of thirteen barely had four rooms to split amongst them. Sure, plenty of gold but less than half would have a bed.

Kili and Fili were supposed to bunk with Thorin, being family and all, while Bilbo was graced with space on the floor next to Dwalin. Balin and Gloin shared the bed in the quarters. This would have been a fine arrangement except all three of the dwarves snored as if would ward off potential attackers. And it worked too.

Of course, Bilbo had been listening to their snores for most of the journey but there had usually been other softer snores that he had been able to focus on to fall asleep. Their familiar rumbles, for whatever reason, seemed harsher and louder in the shared quarters and Bilbo couldn't tune them out no matter what he did.

Morning was still long off as Bilbo climbed out of his bedroll. He hoped that perhaps a short walk would ease his mind enough to be able to sleep upon his return.

At first he was sure that he had only made two turns (both rights) until he had tried to turn back and found himself making a right to avoid a dead-end. It wasn't possible to get lost that fast, he was sure. Bilbo turned around again to head back to his last left, muttering how confusion must be dwarves natural state.

Some time later, when he candle started running low, Bilbo was certain that he would never find the dwarves again. He had nearly resigned himself to curling up in a corner and hoping that someone would find him come morning. The only other hope he may have had would be to start creating some kind of ruckus and pray that he wasn't too far away to be heard. Of course he didn't want to necessarily wake his companions, but it was quite chilly away from all the fires going in the rooms.

Just as Bilbo was ready to call the whole things quits, his toes were nearly frozen, and find somewhere isolated to sleep a voice called from behind him.

"Master Baggins? What are you doing from your room?"

Thankfully it was not a sleep-deprived hallucination, but instead really Thorin standing, in his bed shirt, at the opposite end of the hall.

"Thorin? Thank Yavanna. I got lost when I was taking a walk," Bilbo breathed out a heavy sigh.

"Why were you out for a walk at this time of night?" Thorin asked, his hair was messed up like he had been tossing and turning too.

"I had some slight difficulty falling asleep this evening past. I thought a brisk walk would help calm my mind," Bilbo admitted. He couldn't rightly say that he had been too far from Thorin to be able to feel safe enough to drift off.

"Come, I may have a solution," Thorin said, turning with a gesture for Bilbo to follow. He led Bilbo through four lefts and one right before ending up at the door Bilbo had been pretty sure he had seen assigned to the Durin line.

As Thorin pushed open the door, he turned and put a finger to his mouth. Bilbo nodded and followed the King into the room, where it was instantly aware why he wanted the Hobbit to be silent.

Curled up on the bed were Fili and Kili, both snoring gently, Fili a little quieter than his brother.

A hand caught Bilbo's and he looked up at Thorin who pulled him along to the far side of the room where there was a large, dark colored, two-seat cushioned sofa. There is a fur throw hanging off the end, and it seemed this was where Thorin had been resting.

Thorin blew out what remained of the candle, leaving the room lit by the dwindling fire. He set the candle on the mantle and gestured to the sofa. Bilbo wanted to protest taking Thorin's bed from him, but from the way Thorin crowded in close to Bilbo he realized quickly that Thorin wasn't giving up his bed, but instead offering to share. It didn't take much longer than an instant before Bilbo found himself pressed in close to the King of Erebor under a heavy fur throw that forced them even closer to keep them both partially covered, even though there was a bit of a breeze along Bilbo's back.

Bilbo tried to protest, but Thorin hushed him before the words were even uttered. This arrangement didn't seem that much better and really it wasn't that much better with Fili and Kili snoring just a few yards away plus it would have been so much easier to sleep in his own bedr-A firm hand moved to grip Bilbo's waist, pulling him closer until Bilbo's head moved from the cushioned sofa to Thorin's chest.

Finally the throw seemed to enclose them and the heat Thorin gave off started to seep into Bilbo's space. The dwarf felt like a furnace pressed so close to Bilbo. It was unfairly pleasant in a way Bilbo hadn't been expecting. His right arm was trapped curled around his middle, but his left hand rested outstretched over Thorin's stomach.

The warmth distracted Bilbo for a moment, before he remembered he was going to protest, there were things to question Thorin about, lots of things. Bilbo let out a low moan as a hand curled around his shoulder, keeping him pulled in close to so much delicious heat.

He hadn't realized his eyes had been half-shut since they had climbed onto the sofa until he thought to ask why Thorin had been out roaming the halls in the night too. The question was right on the tip of his tongue but his eyelids grew too heavy and Bilbo found his mind set adrift before he could pose his query.

Last on his mind was the thought that perhaps whatever his questions were they could wait until morning. He missed altogether Thorin's throaty rumble wishing him pleasant dreams.