(A/N: I don't own the Hobbit or anything to do with it. This fic pretty much ignores everything after the opening sequence of the first movie, because that's how I wanted it to be. And be warned, there is fluffy stuff.)
Written in my Soul
The real reason that Bilbo had left his warm and cozy Hobbit hole was written not on the contract that he carried with him, but on the formerly blank skin of his left forearm. He could not read the letters, but he knew that they were Dwarven runes, and he knew their significance. It was the mark of a soul bond. Somehow he had managed to defy all Hobbit tradition and bond with someone outside of his own race. Perhaps he was much more a Took than a Baggins after all.
As he chased the party of Dwarves he wondered whether or not one of them was carrying a new mark of their own. Would they even know the significance? Did Dwarves have a concept similar to a soul bond? Was he chasing his potential life mate with false hope beating in his heart? After all, Thorin had seemed convinced that he could be of no help to the party. What if the others felt the same? What if he was rejected?
No. He couldn't allow himself to think like that for even a second. Even if they were not interested in a romantic relationship, surely they would not leave him to die of a broken bond. They could not be so cruel as to deny him their friendship, whoever they were. He would not have bonded to someone that would throw him away, the magic didn't work like that, he was just being silly.
As soon as he was hefted up onto a pony his heart felt lighter, the sensation was almost like floating, and yet he could not tell to which Dwarf he was bonded. He resolved to speak with Thorin about it when they camped. Surely the leader of the party would know the Dwarf to whom the mark belonged. Bilbo would promise that it would not interfere with the job that he had been assigned to do.
There was nothing to do but wait, however, it would be unseemly to attempt to ride beside the King when it was not his place to do so. Instead, he watched the party surreptitiously, hoping to notice one of them paying particular attention to their own forearms.
"You seem preoccupied Bilbo," Gandalf said, breaking into the Hobbit's thoughts around midday.
"I, yes, I suppose I am. Tell me Gandalf, what do you know of soul mates?" Bilbo asked and rubbed at his arm, nerves rising up in his chest once again.
"I know of the concept. Elves are known to have multiple soul mates, Dwarves only one, and Men none at all, do you wish to enlighten me on the Hobbit tradition?" Gandalf asked, obviously pretending not to notice Bilbo's preoccupation with his left arm.
"Oh, I thought you knew? Well then, where to start?" Bilbo mused, surprised by the fact that there was something that the wizard did not know.
"Best to start from the beginning, I find," the wizard responded stoically, but cracked a small smile when Bilbo looked over at him. Their conversation was not exactly quiet, what with the distance between them due to their sizes, but the Dwarves did not seem bothered by its content.
"Okay then, well Hobbits only have one soul mate. We bond with them upon first meeting them, and gain a mark upon our arms to indicate to whom we are bound. The relationship of soul mates in Hobbit society is probably different than that of Elves or Dwarves, however, there doesn't have to be anything romantic about our relationship for the bond to be fulfilled. Two who are bound may take others for their spouse, but will be very good friends and often keep homes next to one another. Or they may be bound romantically but never be lovers. Of course the most common bonds are the ones that end in marriage and children, but that need not always be the case," the Hobbit informed, feeling slightly more important at being able to provide the wizard with new information on his people.
Several of the Dwarves seemed to be listening in on the conversation, more than one pulled out a token and looked fondly at it as they rode. If the leader of the company had paid it any mind he gave no such indication.
"I see, and why is it that soul mates are on your mind?" Gandalf asked curiously, looking down at Bilbo as he puffed away on his pipe.
"Well, I have gained my mark," Bilbo said very quietly, ensuring that no one save the wizard was able to hear him.
"Ah, I see. Best to speak with Thorin about it then," Gandalf said, just as quietly, validating Bilbo's earlier plan-making session. He rubbed at his arm once again, feeling warmth radiating from the mark.
They did not stop until late that night, when Bilbo was practically falling from his saddle with weariness. Thankfully stopping and being able to move around was enough to jar him back to wakefulness and he was able to contribute to setting up camp. He set up his bedroll where Fili indicated and left his bag beside it, going to join the rest of the company for a much desired dinner.
"Master Burglar I would have words with you," Thorin said plainly to him almost before he'd set his empty bowl aside. Suddenly Bilbo felt his courage falter, but still he nodded and followed the Dwarf a few paces outside of the camp.
"Yes Thorin?" he asked nervously, hating himself for trembling. He had planned to do this anyway, why did it being Thorin's idea instead make it so much more intimidating?
"I would have you explain this to me," the Dwarven King said and revealed his left forearm to Bilbo. There written in the language of the Shire was Bilbo's own name. If he had felt faint the previous night it was nothing compared to now. Mouth dry and hands shaking he pushed up his own sleeve and revealed the mark upon his skin to the Dwarf. Instantly icy blue eyes went wide and Thorin stepped back.
"It is how Hobbits find their soul mate," he stammered, wishing that Thorin had been listening in on his conversation with Gandalf after all. No part of him wanted to explain to the Dwarven King that he was bound to a creature as lowly as a Hobbit.
"That is what I thought you would say. It is much the same for Dwarven kind. Now, tell me what you would have out of this bond?" Thorin said, seeming to have regained the small bit of confidence that seeing his name on the Hobbit had taken away.
"I don't know. Normally we get to know each other before we decide. What does a soul bond mean for Dwarves?" Bilbo answered honestly, his heart thudding in his chest as he waited for the answer. Quite suddenly he was certain of what it was that he desired out of the bond, and he hoped against hope that Thorin would answer him in the manner that he wished to be answered.
"It means a life shared together, marriage, children, the soul bond means love, Mr. Baggins," Thorin paused and rubbed a hand over his face. "I will not ask that of you. I cannot ask that of you if it is not what you desire. Bonded as we are, I am prevented from ever harming you or coercing you. If you decided that you do not…care for me then that is your will," Thorin said and he sounded uncharacteristically vulnerable. Bilbo didn't know what else to do but to reach out and take Thorin's hands in his own. Shock registered on the Dwarf's face for half a second and then it resumed its stoic mask of resolve.
"I could never fail to care for you. It is just…I cannot give you children and you've a line to continue. I can see myself loving you, if I am perfectly honest, but I couldn't bring myself to trap you in such a way," Bilbo said, shocking himself all over again by having the courage to speak those words. He did not know where it came from, but he was quite sure that he could and did love the Dwarf to whom he was bonded. He had only known him for a day and a half, but he was certain that it was love.
"My line is secure in Fili and Kili. You need not worry about that. Nor should you think that you have trapped me. I would not have bonded with you if my soul did not deem you worthy of my love. And I give it freely. I will love you, and only you for the rest of my days. That is how the bond works," Thorin said, seizing the opportunity to use their joined hands to pull Bilbo against his chest.
"You are not angry? To be bound to me?" Bilbo asked, fisting his hands in Thorin's shirt and hoping against hope.
"Bilbo, I have lived for three centuries not knowing if I would find someone to love. If I have waited this long to love you, then that is how it was meant to happen and I am happy for it. You've much to learn about Dwarves and what the magic of the bond means to us. So tell me, will you have it be love?" Thorin said softly, arms wrapped around the Hobbit, pressing him as close as he was able.
"Yes, Thorin, I will," Bilbo whispered and felt himself almost floating once again, only this time it was because he had been hefted into Thorin's arms in an embrace.
"Thank the gods," the Dwarf whispered and kissed Bilbo firmly on the lips. Almost at once Bilbo felt the strange bubbly warmth of a proper bond rising up in his chest. Having only ever heard about it, he was not prepared for the light-headedness that came with it and so clutched onto Thorin as tightly as he dared.
(A/N: There may yet be a second chapter to this fic. But for now I leave you here. Let me know what you thought!)