Thorin sighed as he watched the hobbit walk away from him. He knew that what he was about to do was wrong and that he should just let him go, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't complete the last leg of the journey to Erebor, the leg that may lead to all of their deaths, without knowing for sure.

"Bilbo," he called placing a hand on the other's arm, pleased when his voice stayed steady despite the fact that his emotions were anything but. When the hobbit turned to look at him with his wide, innocent eyes Thorin almost decided to forget any of this had ever happened. He could still end it before anything more happened. Or he could simply say thank you. It would make sense, after all the hobbit had just saved the quest once again with his barrel idea.

"May I talk with you?" he asked knowing that despite what he had just told himself, there was no stopping this. His heart would not allow it. Not before he knew how Bilbo felt about him. He thought the hobbit's actions spoke for themselves, but he still needed to know for certain. The hobbit seemed to think about his words for a moment before he agreed and allowed Thorin to lead him to the room the lakemen had given him for the night.

Bilbo was curious, he wondered what the King wanted to say that he could not have said in front of everyone, but despite his curiosity—or perhaps because of it—he followed. He figured that Thorin wanted to have words with him about the barrel incident. Bilbo had known that it was a stupid plan, but it was the only one that he could think of. He should have known that even though it worked the proud dwarf would still want to say something about having been closed up in a barrel and being thrown into a river.

So you can imagine poor Bilbo's surprise when, instead of yelling at him, Thorin pressed him against the cool wood of the door and kissed him full on the mouth. He knew that he harbored such feelings for Thorin, but hadn't realized that they were reciprocated. As his shock evaporated and he began to return the kiss, he heard the dwarf King moan into his mouth.

Thorin heard the moan leave him and knew that he should be ashamed of the needy sound but he found that he didn't care. He had desired the hobbit for some time now. And if Bilbo's enthusiastic response was any indication, he had desired Thorin for nearly as long if not longer. The way that Bilbo's hands slid under his cloak in an attempt to find skin nearly undid him. He didn't know if the hobbit knew the effect his was having on him, but if not, he soon would.

When they finally came up for air, Bilbo was looking decidedly ruffled and even Thorin's composure had been shaken by the encounter. It was everything he could do to keep himself from taking the hobbit there, against the door at the sight of the blush that covered his cheeks.

"Well . . ." Bilbo began unsteadily, licking his lips and feeling heat pool low in his stomach at the way Throin's eyes followed the movement. "That was unexpected," he finished lamely.

"You think so?" Thorin asked his voice little more than a whisper and his eyes burning with desire. "What if I was to do it again? Would the fact that you now expect it change your reaction?"

"No," Bilbo breathed out, even though the room was large, it suddenly felt very small, almost as if there was no air to be had. "My reaction would be the same."

"Is that so?" Thorin asked leaning in to test that statement. He was pleased to find that Bilbo had been mistaken. His reaction was not the same. He was bolder, his hands actually sliding under Thorin's clothing and finding skin this time as Throin's did the same. Neither of them noticed when Bilbo's buttons gave way before Thorin's searching hands, except to enjoy the increased skin contact.

Thorin was surprised at the texture of the skin his actions had revealed. Even with Bilbo's beardless face, he had halfway expected to encounter hair on his body. There was none. His chest was as smooth as his face. As strange as it was, the dwarf found it exhilarating in the same way that the hobbit's strangely pointed ears were exhilarating.

Bilbo was shocked as he felt Thorin stroke his ear, the calloused hands of the dwarf King surprisingly gentle almost as though he felt that he would break Bilbo if he was touched him too roughly. Such a tentative gesture from the usually resolute dwarf caused Bilbo to shudder. The care Thorin was taking with him was almost more unexpected than the kiss had been.

It also made Bilbo feel more daring than he had ever figured he would be. With no hesitation, he stroked Thorin's beard. He had wondered if the hair would have the same texture as the hair on Thorin's head—that he had "accidently" touched before—and was a little disappointed when it was coarser. Even so, he was fascinated by it.

Thorin closed his eyes at the feeling of Bilbo's fingers in his beard. He didn't know if the hobbit knew it, but the way he was now touching Thorin was one of the most intimate ways a dwarf could be touched. Beards were prized among them and to allow another to touch your beard for any reason was the ultimate sign of trust and devotion. Despite himself, Thorin leaned into the touch. He had never allowed anyone to braid his beard for him, preferring to do it himself and to have the hobbit stroking it now was strangely erotic.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me, Bilbo Baggins?" Thorin asked, his voice rough with desire. He leaned down so that he could press his forehead to Bilbo's as he waited for the answer.

"That is a mutual question, Thorin Oakenshield," Bilbo replied. "You frustrate me to no end. You are stubborn, rude and distant, but I am still drawn to you. It makes no sense, but there it is."

"My dear hobbit," Thorin said with a smile. "I believe that we understand one another at last. Now, the only question that remains is what we will do about this strange attraction." Bilbo knew exactly what he wanted to do about it, but he still had concerns. He pulled back as much as he could and gave Thorin the fiercest look that he could muster as addled as his brain was with desire.

"Thorin," he said finally, his voice choked with emotion. He couldn't believe what he was about to say. He had no right to make the demand, but he could not live with himself if he did not. "Once will never be enough. If that is all this is to you, tell me so that I can walk out that door right now. If that is the case, we never have to speak of this again."

Thorin did not laugh at him, or rage, but his expression did darken with lust as he looked at the hobbit he still had pinned to the door. "That is not what this is Bilbo. Were it merely a passing fancy I would never have acted on it. I desire you. Not for one night, but forever." Bilbo nodded. He wasn't sure that he believed they could be together forever, but for now it was enough that Thorin said they could.

Having heard what he needed to, he impulsively pulled Thorin to him and crushed their lips together. This was not a sweet, chaste kiss but it was a declaration of intent and desire. Bilbo poured all his frustration and passion into that one kiss. The sheer force of the emotions behind it shocked Thorin. He hadn't realized that the Halfling desired him that fiercely. But his desire was just as powerful and he met Bilbo, passion for passion.

When they came up for air this time, there was no question as to where this was headed. They both knew that there was no going back at this point. And before they had truly recovered, they were at it once more. This time, they were not content to show their passion merely with their lips, but their hands took part as well, stripping one another of the layers of cloth that separated them from having flesh on flesh contact. They never stopped as they moved from the door towards the bed, leaving a trail of clothing in their wake.

By the time Bilbo felt the bed hit the back of his knees, they were both naked. Thorin paused their kissing long enough to dig in the dresser beside the bed for a small glass vial containing aromatic oil that he had had the foresight to purchase in the town earlier that day in preparation for this eventuality. This also gave Bilbo a chance to examine the dwarf who would soon be his lover. Thorin was all battle hardened muscles covered with lightly tanned and furred skin.

Bilbo's arousal dropped a little as he realized that he must look pathetic in comparison. While he had put on some muscle since leaving home, he was still flabby by comparison. He wondered how such a magnificent creature could possibly desire him, but the fire that still burned in Thorin's eyes as he looked at him made him wonder if there was something about himself that he did not see.

"Thorin . . . I've never . . ." Bilbo began as the dwarf king hovered over him. He wanted this, but he was nervous now that the time for action had come.

"Hush," Thorin whispered into his ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin while he beard brushed Bilbo's neck. "I will be gentle with you. Try to relax." With his last words, he sucked the tip of Bilbo's ear while stroking along his side. Bilbo gasped in shock at the sensation. While Bilbo was distracted by Thorin's ministration on his ear, the dwarf's questing hand had moved decidedly south. Thorin smiled as he felt Bilbo twitch as his hand passed through the curly hairs down below, brushing his erection before continuing their journey south.

He had to admit that he had been surprised to see that the hobbit had hair there when the rest of his body was lacking—other than his feet. But his surprise did nothing to lessen his desire for the beautiful creature below him. He allowed his finger to brush against the hobbit's entrance, not penetrating yet but attempting to get Bilbo used to being touched. The way his shocked gasp slowly turned into sounds of pleasure told Thorin that he had made the right decision. He wanted Bilbo to enjoy this as well and knew that to accomplish this he was going to have to take things slowly.

Once Bilbo once again began to relax in his arms, he withdrew his hand and opened the vial, coating his fingers with oil. "This will feel strange at first," Thorin warned the hobbit as he resumed his stroking. "Do not fight the feeling. Do you understand me?" Bilbo looked up at him with lust and trust in his eyes and Thorin nodded before he slowly worked one finger into the hobbit. He saw as his face registered shock at the intrusion and waited until it had faded before he began widening the hole. Bilbo tensed as he inserted a second finger alongside the second.

"Relax," Thorin reminded him, leaning down to kiss him once more. The hobbit eagerly met his kiss again and began to relax around his fingers. Stroking Bilbo's face with the hand that was not inside him, Thorin continued the process of preparing the hobbit to be taken. Once he was satisfied that Bilbo was as ready as he would ever be he removed his fingers and coated himself liberally with the oil. He placed his tip against Bilbo's entrance and grasped the hobbit's hips with his hands, feeling the delicate bones that were just under the surface and taking them as a reminder that he would have to be gentle if he did not want to break him.

"Are you ready?" Thorin asked seeing the trepidation in Bilbo's eyes. As hard as it would be, if Bilbo said no Thorin was prepared to stop and wait until the answer was yes. As it was, that was unnecessary.

"Yes," Bilbo breathed his voice shaky—from fear or desire Thorin was not sure. He waited another moment to give Bilbo a chance to stop this before he slowly began to enter him. At the intrusion, even though he had invited it, Bilbo felt his back arc and his muscles begin to tighten.

"Relax," Thorin whispered again, leaning down to take one of Bilbo's ears into his mouth once more. He paused, though it caused him almost physical pain to do so and waited until Bilbo relaxed once more to continue his entry. Bilbo made a small noise of protest, but made no move to stop the dwarf as he slowly pushed himself in to the base. Thorin remained where he was, waiting for Bilbo to adjust to the new sensation, though his muscles twitched with the desire to move.

After what felt like an eternity, Bilbo's look of mild discomfort morphed into one of curiosity and he experimentally moved his hips. This was all the invitation Thorin needed. At Bilbo's experimentation, he began to move within the hobbit, setting a slow but steady pace.

Bilbo let out a gasp at the feeling of Thorin moving within him and even though he never consciously decided to do it, grabbed the dwarf king's shoulders. What had originally been an intrusion, was now something exquisite. He hadn't know that such sensations were possible. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt in his life. Then, as he shifted his hips, he let out a cry as Thorin managed to touch something inside him that sent a flare of electricity right through him.

Thorin smiled down at the hobbit as he writhed in the throes of passion. He truly was exquisite. The flush on his cheeks and the way his adam's apple bobbed as he tried to contain his cries and gasped for breath in the face of his own passion. And while the small noises he made were intriguing, his cry as Thorin repeatedly touched the secret spot deep inside him were almost enough to cause Thorin to find completion however he restrained himself. This was Bilbo's first time and if it was within Thorin's power he would remember this night fondly. Besides, he would not last much longer. His cries were already becoming more desperate, his grip on Thorin's shoulder firmer and his movement more erratic. He was near the edge.

Realizing this, Thorin increased his pace, hoping that he might be able to arrange things so that they reached the end together. He knew that he may have been mistaken when his own vision began to dim around the edges even though Bilbo seemed to be no closer than he was before. Knowing that he could not keep this up much longer, Thorin took Bilbo's member in his hand and began stroking it in time to his thrusts. At his touch, the hobbit let out a cry and began moving frantically. Not moments later he stiffened and Thorin felt Bilbo contract around him just before his hand was covered with fluid as Bilbo reached completion.

The increased tightness, coupled with the look on Bilbo's face as he came was enough to pull Thorin over the edge with him. For a time, Thorin stayed where he was as the two of them attempted to regain their breath and their sanity.

"Wow," Bilbo finally managed to pant. With a laugh Thorin slowly pulled out of him and lay down beside him, pulling the hobbit against his chest. He buried his nose in the hobbit's curls and smiled as Bilbo snuggled more tightly against him.

"Is that all you can say?" Thorin teased lightly. "No praises for my prowess or skill. Only wow?"

"You should take it as a compliment," Bilbo replied, sleepy in the aftermath of their lovemaking. "I am usually much more articulate." Thorin had to laugh again. Articulate? The hobbit who stuttered more than any other being Thorin had ever met?

"If that is what you wish to believe," he replied choosing not to start an argument. He was content for the first time in many years. He did not want to spoil it over a trifle.

"Thorin?" Bilbo said suddenly, his voice small and his tone suggesting that he did not truly want the answer. "Why me? Why would you have chosen me?" He rolled in Thorin's arms as he asked the last part.

""Why not?" Thorin asked in return, his voice deeper than normal due to emotion. He was upset that Bilbo felt he would have to ask such a question. The hobbit severely undervalued himself. "Why should I have chosen another? You have proven your love for me time and again. You are loyal, brave and true. What more could I desire?"

His reply made Bilbo smile. He hadn't expected Thorin to be sentimental, or to be a gentle lover for that matter. But despite his pleasure at knowing that the dwarven king wanted him, he knew that there were questions he had to ask.

"What about heirs?" Bilbo asked, knowing as he did so that he might be destroying his own chance at happiness. "Kings need heirs and I cannot provide them for you."

"I have no interest in heirs," Thorin replied with a wave of his hand and looking Bilbo directly in the eye. "Fili and Kili also share the blood of Durin, I have no need to produce my own."

"But—" Bilbo began only to be cut off by Thorin's calloused finger being placed gently against his lips.

"Are you not happy?" Thorin asked suddenly, his eyes showing that it was more than an idle question. When Bilbo nodded, he continued speaking. "Then ask not these questions of me. Enjoy our time together and worry not for the future."

Bilbo nodded again. Thorin was right. There would be time in the morning to worry about what would happen later—if there even was a later once they were done with the dragon. The best thing for them to do that night was to enjoy the company of the other and make memories for later.

ooOO88OOoo

I couldn't resist. I'm sorry. This was just begging to be written and even though I have never written a slash scene before I decided to give it a go. I hope I did alright with it. I have written a few hetero-scenes, but I have never written guy-on-guy before. I would love to hear how you think I did and what I can improve upon if I ever decide to do something like this again.

Thank you for taking the time to read it.

Stickdonkeys.