2
All Thorin could remember as he was being set down by a giant brown eagle was a tiny halfling standing between him and Azog's fowl breathed warg. Thorin opened his eyes once more to a wizard's gray beard and hat.
"The halfling?" He questioned weakly to the wizard.
"It's alright. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe."
Thorin struggled to his feet with Dwalin, Balin and what seemed like the entire group of dwarves helping him.
"You!" He glared a the hobbit. "What were you doing?" Bilbo looked confused then scared when the dwarf king continued in a growl, "You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say you would be a burden?" Bilbo began to look away his ears turning red. Still Thorin continued, "That you would not survive in the wild? That you had no place amongst us?" Thorin breathed heavily looking into Bilbo's teary eyes. "Never have I been so wrong in my entire life." Thorin wrapped Bilbo up in a crushing hug. For a moment Bilbo stood there, unmoving but Thorin held fast and whispered how sorry he was into his ear. Thorin pulled back, faintly aware of the cheering of the dwarves behind them.
"I would have doubted me too." Bilbo said huskily.
Thorin grabbed him by his shoulders, pressing their foreheads together, "Do not do it again halfling, I certainly won't." Thorin leaned slightly to the left pressing his lips to Bilbo's temple and whispered, "I will not let you out of my sight again."
Bilbo's shaky laugh made Thorin pull back in question, "You don't owe me anything Thorin. Besides, I am perfectly capable of taking care of my self, if you hadn't noticed, thank you!" Bilbo tugged on his vest without buttons to straiten himself.
"Indeed you are Master Baggins. Indeed you are."
Thorin was making good on his promise when he grabbed onto the hobbit pulling him along the rock covered valley towards a house Gandalf was leading them to, and away from the pack of orcs chasing them, along with a abnormally large bear. He let go when he saw the others pressed against the doors of the house trying desperately to open it when Thorin saw a lever holding the door in place. He pushed passed everyone and lifted it causing everyone to fall inward. Thorin searched for Bilbo and pulled him inside farthest from the door.
"Com'on! Shut the door!" Thorin commanded just in time for the company to close the door on the beast's head.
"What was that thing?!" He heard one of the younger ones yell. He was too busy planting himself besides Bilbo to worry about who.
"That is our host." Gandalf said gravely.
Thorin couldn't help but press into Bilbo's side at that bit of information. He listened to Gandalf tell the company to rest, that they would be safe there for the night. Bilbo started to fidget, only then did Thorin realize he had his arm possessively around the hobbits waist. Reluctantly he removed the offending arm and looked around to see if anyone was looking, Dwalin smirked but said nothing as he turned to go find blanket for everyone. Kili had leaned over to whisper something in his brother's ear, then they both looked to their uncle meddling grins on their young barely bearded faces. Thorin growled silently and trudged off to find wood to make a fire, which just so happened to be close to his hobbit.
"Um, Thorin?" Bilbo touched the kings elbow to gain his attention. Without meaning to the dwarf pulled away from the foreign feeling.
The ever present scowl dropped from his face, "Yes, Master Baggins?"
Unfazed by the rejection he asked, "Are you alright? You've been a bit, well, off."
A small smile played at the corners of Thorin's lips. "Yes halfling, I am fine." Bilbo smiled and said nothing else just helped Thorin with bringing the wood to the hearth.
Kili whispered into Fili's ear again, "Did you see that? Uncle just smiled! And at Master Boggins too! But he hates Master Boggins."
Fili glanced over to the happy two, slightly bumping into each other and lingering when they touched, "It doesn't seem that way anymore brother." Fili chuckled, "Stop staring! Uncle Thorin won't be smiling if he catches us talking about them." Fili handed Kili another potato to peel.
Later that evening they all sat around the fire listening to Dwalin tell one of the companies favorite stories, sadly drinking only water. It seemed their host only had milk and water, no alcohol. The younger dwarves sat in front of Dwalin listening intently while Thorin and the older dwarves were off a ways leaning back and relaxing. Bilbo however was the most interested of them all, he sat down cross legged in front of the tattooed dwarf dying to hear every bit of the tale. This amused Thorin to no end and found it quite endearing, he couldn't help but watch as Bilbo leaned in for the climax of the story.
"-and BAM!" Bilbo jumped back, "Lightning had struck the nasty thing! Only leaving it's wee feet burnt to the ground."
Bilbo was shaking his head in amazement and the others began to clap, "That was incredible! Did Thorin's sister really make him stand out in that storm to get a toad?"
"Aye." Thorin's voice was low, everyone turned, "But it was as big as you were Master Burglar, so I can understand why she wanted it. She was only twenty-six then." Thorin's eyes twinkled in the fire light at the memory.
"Mother will probably look at Bilbo the same and make Uncle keep him." Kili jabbed Fili in the ribs, "Aye, she has a love of little creatures." Fili finished.
Bilbo started to laugh, "And I await the day when I will meet Lady Dis indeed. She sounds much like Thorin, I bet I'll like her." Bilbo smiled fondly at the king but looked down with a blush.
"Oh, she may sound like me, but she is a fearsome thing to behold." Thorin chuckled.
"Time for bed laddies, its getting late." Balin stood, his old bones cracking. Everyone got to their feet except Bilbo who was still contemplating where he wanted to sleep.
A figure stood over him, "Come Master Baggins. You need your rest." Thorin held out his hand to help the smaller one to his feet, but didn't let go. Instead Thorin pulled Bilbo to two bed rolls side by side. They looked rather comfy on top of a mound of hay, these beds were farther away from the others.
"Come. We must get some sleep." Thorin tugged Bilbo down onto to bed closest to the wall trapping him between it and the sturdy dwarf.
Thorin was quiet when the hobbit laid down next to him. He could feel his face getting warm at how close he was to the cute little body next to him.
"Bilbo?" Thorin asked softly. When Bilbo looked up shocked Thorin asked, "What's wrong?"
"You-you called me by my first name." Bilbo stuttered.
"Well everyone else does but if you do not wish for me to be so forward I can call you Master Baggins still." To say Thorin was disappointed would be an understatement, but before he could roll over to sulk, Bilbo caught hold of his shirt and spouted, "NO! I mean, no that's fine, its just the first times you've used it. I-I rather like when you call me Bilbo."
Thorin smiled and looked down at Bilbo's tiny hand gripping at Thorin's shirt and brought his own hand up to cup it. "Then I shall endeavor to call you such from now on."
Bilbo's eyes shown brighter then Thorin had ever seen, he was begging to adore the color of chestnuts more and more as the days went on.
"Ah-hem." Dwalin kicked at Thorin's feet the next morning. Thorin jolted awake to find himself spooning a rather lovely little hobbit. Dwalin looked between the two and coughed motioning for Thorin to get up. Reluctantly Thorin unwrapped himself from the bundle in his arms, careful to not wake him.
"What is it?" Thorin quietly growled.
"Seeing as you were wrapped around a halfling, I felt it was better to wake you before the other could witness such a cute side of their king." Dwalin's eyes were laughing at what he had witnessed. He looked down then back up to meet Thorin's eyes with a huge smile. "And I would suggest taking a dip in that cold stream out back before the others wake as well."
Thorin's face became beat red when he realized how tight his trousers had become, it wasn't his fault that the hobbit fit perfectly into the fold of Thorin's hips.
"Right." Was all he could say before turning abruptly to exit out the back. He could hear Dwalin's laughter when the door shut behind him. Mahal help him, he needed to be more careful.