A.N: Okay my last oneshot with these two was just too sad and depressing, so I had to write another one, but not as depressing. (Still a little sad, but for completely different reasons) So please enjoy! Oh, I listened to 'May I' and 'Vunerable' both by Trading Yesterday as inspiration for this little story.
Thorin sat at the edge of the fire, lost in his thoughts as he watched the far off peak of Lonely Mountain fade into the darkness.
Soon.
Soon they will reclaim Erebor and drive that damned Dragon out once and for all.
A twinge of pain in his shoulder brought a dark thought to his mind. He reached a hand up and rubbed the bandages there.
Azog.
That twice damned orc was still breathing and worse of all, he had almost managed to end him, if it were not for the most unlikely person stepping in. The halfling.
He dropped his head forward to let his hair fall on either side of his face, shielding him as he watched the hobbit across the fire. The grim line of his lips softened into a small smile as he watched Bilbo, currently he was arguing with Bofur.
'Probably on what type of seasoning to use in the meat stew.'
How the Hobbit had proven him wrong at every step so far. 'Grocer' indeed.' He thought with a snort of amusment.
He was shaken out of his thoughts by a voice behind him.
"Thorin Oakenshield, what is it you find so amusing?"
He turned to face the grey wizard, "Nothing that concerns you, wizardfriend. I was merely thinking." Thorin ended with a grumble, he did not want the wizard to know his thoughts rested not on the wellbeing of his kingdom, his people, or even that of the company but more and more Thorin was finding his thoughts centering on the hobbit known as Bilbo Baggins and it both confused and warmed him at the same time.
Bilbo Baggins...His burglar.
His? Even he himself didn't know what that statement fully meant as of yet.
Movement to his right caught his eye and he could see Fili and Kili sitting close to each other, heads almost touching as they whispered and gestured between each other, their gaze shifting back and forth from the hobbit to him. He caught Fili's eye and raised an eyebrow in his direction, as if to ask, 'What are you two up now?'
All he got in reponse was a shrug and small, sly grin. Fili patted Kili's shoulder and nodded once. Both stood up then and made their way over to the Hobbit. They stood on either side of him and when he looked up, they grabbed each of the halfling's arms and started to drag him over next to the campfire.
Bilbo struggled against them, "What are you two doing?!"
Fili spoke first, "Come sit by the fire, Mr. Baggins. After saving our uncle, I'd say you deserve a break. Come! Tell us the story!"
Baggins stumbled over his words as the other dwarves voiced their assents. "W-what? What story?"
Kili then spoke, "Well, where you saved Thorin of course. It was as if you sprang out of thin air."
Dwalin then added, "That Orc didn't see you coming. You gave it it quite a few extra holes at that."
Thorin, seeing the color draining from the hobbit's face, made to speak but stopped when Bilbo shot to his feet.
"Are you all mad? Do you have no shame? Yes, I killed that orc to save Thorin's life, but the fact of the matter is, I killed! I took a life! Now you dwarves might not have a problem with bragging about how many orcs you've killed, but I would rather not hold it up so highly! Yes it was an Orc, but it was still a life!"
With that said, he turned on his heel and ran off into the woods.
The other dwarves were silent for a moment before Balin shook his head sadly, "Aye, the laddie has a point. We should strive to be remembered for what good we have done, rather than the lives we've ended or the blood we have spilt."
"We were only trying to make sure Mr. Baggins didn't feel left out."
Gandalf spoke then, "Your intentions were good, but ill-placed, Fili and Kili."
"What do you mean, Wizard?" Fili asked.
Gandalf moved to speak, but paused and instead took a deep puff of his pipe and blew the smoke out into an impressive boat shape, complete with mast and mainsail.
He took a deep breath, nodded, and then spoke. "Bilbo showed considerable courage and self-sacrifice stepping in like he did and I fear the moment still haunts him in his sleep, relentlessly."
Thorin gave a derisive snort and turned towards the wizard. "All of us here have experienced the same nightmares the first time we ended an enemy's worthless life. Why should the hobbit be any different?"
Gandalf smiled at him, the twinkle in his eye betraying that he knew more than he should. "You see, hobbits are very much peace-loving folk, who have had no need for wars and battles. They are quite skilled at avoiding conflict, so when Bilbo stepped in..."
Ori jumped in, "It was like losing a piece of himself, wasn't Gandalf?"
Gandalf nodded, "At the end of this, I fear he will be much changed from the hobbit we first met all those months ago."
A rumble of thunder overhead caught their attention. Gnadalf looked up, pondering the dark sky above for a moment before turning to Thorin.
"As the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield, you should speak to him. Let him know that he is not the only one to be haunted by the taking of a life. It will be a small token of comfort to him to know he is not alone is this. Although, if I were you, I would speak with him quickly, so he is not left alone with his thoughts in the rain."
Bofur piped up then, "I can go find our burglar. He might speak to me."
"No, Bofur. I will do it. Gandalf is right, as leader of this company, it falls to me. The halfling saved my life, it is a small measure of repayment to do this."
Gandalf looked to Thorin in silence, a faint twinkle to his eyes.
Thorin stood after he said this and looked to his nephews, "Fili, Kili, see if you can find us a cave to shelter in before this storm starts. Do it quick!" The two brothers nodded and took off at a run to search for a cave.
"Everyone else get supplies packed and be ready to move when Kili and Fili get back. If I am not back with the hobbit before they are, then leave without us. No use all of us getting soaked to the bone on account of the halfling."
As the others made ready to move their camp, Gandalf moved closer to Thorin and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I have come through here before, my friend, there is a clearing near here where you can see the sky. There is a white oak tree that stands next to the entrance of a small cave. More than enough room should you two get caught in the storm."
"There will be no need for shelter apart from the group. I will find him, speak, and be done with this tiresome discussion."
Gandalf smiled at Thorin's words, "And what of comfort, Thorin? Hobbits are much different than dwarves. I fear sharp words will only make things worse for our burglar."
The dwarf snorted, "Comfort? He will not hear any words of comfort from me, nor gain a shoulder to lean on. Not from me. Maybe, I should've let Bofur go after him."
"I doubt he would gain the comfort he needs from someone other than the one he wants."
Thorin stilled in shock at his words, but did not move to acknowledge them.
"He is that way, my friend." The wizard pointed into the forest with his pipe, then turned to join the other dwarves in preparing to move camp.
Thorin shook his head and grumbled under his breath something about wizards and their meddling ways.
A loud rumbling overhead caught his ear, and he could feel tiny droplets of water falling onto his skin.
'A fitting accompanient to my mood.'
He rubbed his shoulder once more as his eyes fell on the forest. He shook his head as his feet started to move forward taking him one measured step at a time into the trees toward the hobbit.
/ ~ / ~ / ~ /
Bilbo was so angry at the dwarves that he didn't notice when he burst out of the brush into a clearing that was littered with rotting logs that he forgot something rather important.
His sword.
All the anger fled him and he remembered that fact, slapping a hand to his forehead.
"Bilbo Baggins, you are an idiot. Why did you have to run off like that?"
A thought raced through his head, 'What would Thorin think?'
He shook that thought from his mind and instead turned around ready to make his way back to the campsite when rustling through the brush stopped him. His thoughts started to race again, 'Oh no, nonono. Stupid me. What if that's an goblin, or an orc, or worse, one of the warg things? Oh you really did it now, haven't you, old boy?'
His hands started to shake and he looked around for something to use as a weapon. His eyes finally rested on a thick branch, a little big, but it would have to do. As he ran to it, the rustling got louder.
As whatever causing the rustling broke through the brush, Bilbo raised the stick and turned to hit it in the head, only for it to be stopped by a beautifully curved elvish blade.
He dropped the stick in shock when his brown eyes locked with the icy blue of Thorin Oakenshield's.
"Halfing."
"T-Thorin. I-I thought you..that you were-What are you doing here?"
"Trying not to get hit with a stick by a crazed hobbit." The dwarf replied.
Bilbo's face flushed bright red, "About that..I-I...that is, you see.."
Thorin grumbled, "Out with it!"
"When I took off like that, I forgot to grab my sword and when I heard the rustling in the brush, I panicked. So I grabbed what I could, which happened to be that stick and thought it could at least hurt whatever it was making that noise. Not for one moment did I think that it would be you that was making such a racket."
Thorin smiled at him. "At least we know your weapon skills extend beyond that letter-opener you carry."
Bilbo stilled at the sight of the dwarf smiling at him. The warmth spreading through his chest was confusing to say the least. Bilbo kept staring at him until finally Thorin clear his throat, causing Bilbo's face to flush once again.
A clash of thunder caused bilbo to nearly jump out of his skin.
"We must hurry back to the campsite. There is a storm coming. Kili and Fili are looking for a cave to shelter in." Thorin stated as he placed Orcrist back in its sheath.
Bilbo shook his head, "No, if they ask me once more to talk about that Orc..."
"They will not. Gandalf told us all that your sleep has been troubled by the memories. Is that so?"
Bilbo turned away from him, "Its nothing I can't handle for the most part."
A snort was his only reply, "You're lying."
Bilbo spluttered in indignation, "I am not. I will have you know that in all the history of my family has a Baggins ever lied. The same goes for the Took side. Now the Sackville-Baggins on the other hand...liers, the lot of them."
The dwarf prince chuckled as he moved closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, making Bilbo jump. "Then what is it that haunts your sleep?"
Thorin watched the hobbit shake his head and then look down at his feet. "It's nothing."
"And others say that us dwarves are stubborn, I am quickly finding that to be untrue. Tell me." Thorin argued.
All he got in reponse was the halfling shaking his head, causing his anger to rise, "Tell me now!"
"It's you, alright!"
In that moment, lightening streaked across the darkened clouds, and lighting up Bilbo's face and revealing the tear stains on his face.
A stab of pain shot through the prince's chest at the broken look on Bilbo's swiped at the tears coming down his face. "I see you laying there, unconcious and-What if I hadn't got there in time and that orc had ended up killing you? Every damned night that plays over and over in my mind and it's-"
He was cut off by Thorin's pulling him forward and his arms wrapping tight around him. His sobs are drowned in the roar of the storm as the rain begins to pour from the clouds and all Thorin can do is hold the hobbit's shaking form against his own.
He pulls back as Bilbo's shaking gets worse, the cold rain has drenched them both to the bone.
He pulls back and yells through the thunder, "We must find shelter! Follow me!"
Bilbo can only nod as he follows Thorin, their hands still clasped tight together.
Both were either too busy or too oblivious to notice.
/ ~ / ~ / ~ /
Fili and Kili return to the campsite moments later.
"We found a rather large cave for all of us to be comfortable in for the night." Fili stated.
Kili added, "Yeah, nice and dry too. There's some firewood already piled in there."
The other dwarves cheer in assent and are eager to get to the cave long before the rain starts.
Kili is the first to notice that Thorin is not there. "Gandalf, where is Thorin?"
Gandalf smiled, "He is currently fetching our burglar. I suggest we press on to the cave with out them. This storm looks to be a vicious one. I am quite sure that our esteemed leader and our burglar will find adequate shelter."
Fili exchanged a look with Kili and smiled back at Gandalf. "I never knew you were such a trickster, wizard. You may yet be a great ally in times to come."
Gandalf spluttered in indignation, "I have the faintest idea what you speak of, Master Fili."
Kili shrugged, "Of course you don't."
Fili spoke again, "Alright everyone, lets get to shelter before the storm comes."
The wizard and the other dwarves gathered their supplies and followed the brothers to the large and spacious cave, all content to be dry on this storm-riddled night.
/ ~ / ~ / ~ /
They stumbled quite a few times in the downpour, but Thorin never once let go of Bilbo's hand until at last they found the white oak that Gandalf spoke of and the cave entrance right by it.
"Here! We'll shelter here!"
By then, the trees were creaking from the force of the wind and the rain felt like a thousand tiny daggers stabbing into their faces.
When they got as far in the cave as they could, Thorin dropped bilbo's hand, and immediately started to search the cave; the only light he had was the lightning when it streaked through the sky.
His eyes lit upon a small pile of wood in one flash and in another he found a large blanket.
'Damned wizards and their knowing ways.'
"What are you doing, Thorin?"
"Trying to get a fire started. It's too cold in here and we are both soaked to the bone. There is only one blanket, but it should be big enough for us both." He tossed the blanket at Bilbo and deeming his trousers dry enough to keep on, preceded to strip his outer and inner layer of shirts off.
"W-what?" Bilbo squeaked.
Thorin growled at him, "Now is not the time for delicate hobbit sensibilites. If you keep those wet clothes on, you'll get ill. If your trousers are not soaked through, than you can just remove your shirt."
Bilbo was momentarily dazed by the muscled chest being bared before him. Thorin had quite a defined upper body, the numerous scars and marks not marring the skin, but adding to the beauty. The hobbit shook his head of that thought and tried to grab the buttons on his shirt, but when Thorin turned around to grab logs from the pile, he found he was having trouble breathing. Thorin was breath-taking.
The dwarf moved quickly and soon the wood started to crackle and a warm, faint glow flooded the cave. His eyes looked up at the hobbit and found that he still had yet to move. He was just standing there with a far-off look on his face.
"What are you doing? Remove that shirt before you get too cold."
Bilbo jumped, gasping, and quickly raised shaky hands to his shirt, only for his fingers to fumble and trip over the buttons. Thorin sighed, knowing that Bilbo's fingers were probably ice cold by then.
"Come here."
Bilbo shook his head, "No, no, I can get it."
"Of course, and before you do, you'll catch cold and I'll have to nurse a sick burglar as well as lead this quest. Now get over here and bring that blanket with you."
Bilbo dropped his hands and trudged over to Thorin.
The dwarf prince raised his own shaking hands to the halfling's shirt and ever so gently began to unbutton it and when the buttons were undone, he pushed the shirt from his shoulders, shivering slightly as his hands traced over soft white skin. When the shirt was off, he laid it over a stone next to the fire and turned back to Bilbo. He was beautiful, all soft and porcelain skin.
Thorin grabbed his hands and slowly began to rub warmth back into the icy digits. "You're shivering, you waited too long to undress and the cold from the wet shirt seeped into your skin. We need to get you warm. Give me the blanket."
Bilbo leaned down to grab the blanket, not having the heart to tell Thorin that he wasn't shivering because he was cold, but because when his rough fingers brushed over his shoulders, it felt good. Then when he was rubbing warmth back into his fingers, it sent a delicious shock through his body. It felt better than good, it actually turned him on.
That stopped him in his tracks.
He was aroused by Thorin's touch.
And most shocking of all, he wanted Thorin to touch him.
"Halfling? Do you want to freeze to your death?"
Bilbo was so lost in his thoughts at his revelation that he did not hear the dwarf's question.
A rough hand softly touches his shoulder, causing him to gasp and look up in shock, and their eyes lock.
Thorin broke the eye contact when he reached down and grabbed the blanket. He sat down close to the fire as he threw it around his shoulders and pulled Bilbo down into his lap, the hobbit's back pressed against his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around him.
"What did I tell you about your hobbit sensibilities? The others are not here, it is just you and I."
Bilbo shook his head, "It's not that actually."
Thorin's hot breath caressed his ear as he spoke, "Than what is wrong, little one?"
Bilbo made to jump out of his arms, but Thorin's arms were like bands of steel wrapped around him, unmoving.
"Did you have to do that?! I mean...the whole time I've-that we've been here...you-I...the shirts...i-it-it's complicated." He finished lamely.
'Oh, that's it.' the dwarf prince thought.
"If you are uncomfortable with being bare-chested in front of me, do not be."
Bilbo stilled in his arms and softly whispered, "What?"
Thorin shifted underneath him before answering him, "I find your appearance most pleasing like this."
The hobbit gasped loudly, "What do you mean by that?"
He did not speak for a moment, as he was carefully choosing his next words, until a small voice utter his name.
"T-Thorin?"
He looked down at the halfling in his arms and suddenly knew why he had said what he did. He was fond of the hobbit and those feelings were only growing stronger with the more time he spends with him.
Thorin was startled out of his daze by the touch of small fingers on his face. Somehow, Bilbo had managed to maneuvar out of his arms and get turned around to face him.
"I think that I find your appearance quite pleasing as well."
And with a clash of thunder, lips came together, tears fell, and bodies melted into one another as the two halves of their souls became one.