Bilbo froze as a plethora of emotions coursed through him while Thorin moved his surprisingly soft and gentle lips against his own.

Part of him was overwhelmed with amazement, awe, giddiness, and joy that the man he loved was kissing him. That the man he loved seemed to feel something for him too. However, the other part of him held fear, bewilderment, uncertainty, and worry.

What if the little bit of dragon-sickness that remained in Thorin was making him do this? What if Thorin didn't honestly feel anything for him? The last thing he desired was to be heartbroken.

As much as he desperately longed to kiss him back, there were questions that needed to be answered first.

Thorin soon realized that he was not going to respond to the kiss at all. He backed away with a rather frightened expression.

"Great Mahal! I'm so sorry, Bilbo. I apologize if I have offended and disgusted you. If I have, I will not blame you. I was wrong...I crossed the line," he said in a low, tremulous voice. "I know that the way you feel for and about me is not the same way I feel for and about you."

Well, that last statement certainly meant that at least one question didn't need to be asked.

Bilbo gazed at him with nervous hopefulness. "What do you feel for me?" he whispered.

Thorin bit his lip, distracting him momentarily. "You have not seen it? Did you never wonder why I kept you in my presence a good deal of the time, even before I almost completely succumbed to the dragon-sickness? Or why I helped you, protected you, and sought your company nearly all the time during our journey here?" he asked in incredulity. "Bilbo, you are too observant not to have noticed this."

"I did notice all of that. I especially noticed it when you would make me join you in the throne room for hours at a time. I wish that you wouldn't. I felt annoyed and bored just standing there doing nothing," he remarked.

"I'm sorry for that. I only did it because I wanted an opportunity to tell you that I am fond of you. Fond in a way that I am not fond of my family or friends. I wanted to tell you this long before we ever arrived here. But I could not. We never seemed to have much time to talk on our journey. Over the last several days, my mind has been centered on that damned Arkenstone and the gold. That is, if I was not thinking of you. I didn't know how to tell you aside from that. I could not bear the thought of offending you."

"Are you sure that what dragon-sickness is left in you isn't influencing you to reveal all of this to me?" Bilbo was compelled to ask.

Thorin looked irritated. "No," he replied in genuine honesty. "How could it be when I have just explained that I had longed to on our journey?"

"You do have a reasonable point there. I am truthfully very happy that you told me this, Thorin."

His jaw dropped in surprise. He could not believe his ears. "Happy?! How in the name of Aulë can you be happy that I have? You are a male Hobbit from the Shire and I am a male Dwarf king. Does that not seem like an odd pair to you, never mind that a good number of male Dwarves are Ones to other male Dwarves?"

"Perhaps it does, but not quite as much as you think. We may have a lot of differences, but it in other ways, we don't. We are even nearly the same height and size, if nothing else can be said."

Impressed by his observations and open-mindedness, Thorin rose an eyebrow. "But why are you happy?"

"Well...I have to confess that...I was drawn to you since the night we met. Since then, I have...fallen hard for you. I never told you for the same reason that you mentioned before, about Hobbits and Dwarves. But if we feel this way about each other-and I thought it was only one-sided on my part, but I am clearly mistaken-then perhaps...perhaps it is meant to be. I think that it very well is. I never felt this way for any Hobbit, male or female," Bilbo admitted.

"Never?"

"Never. Only you. But I am certain that I am not the only one you have ever been fond of."

Thorin shook his head. "You are wrong. I was never drawn to another Dwarf. I've never even kissed another Dwarf. Only you."

He traced his fingers along his lips. Bilbo found himself kissing them lightly.

"I wish to court you..." he (Thorin) went on after a pause. "...but I think that for both of our sakes, I ought to wait until the rest of the dragon-sickness has completely left me. I'd rather have a clear mind as I did before when I am courting you."

"You...want to court...me?" Bilbo stammered.

He nodded. "Yes, but I understand if you desire to have nothing to do with me. I have no right to ask this of you. From what you have told me, I have caused you no small bit of grief. I still apologize, but I would deserve it if you do not accept it."

Bilbo shook his head. "I told you before that there is nothing to forgive or not forgive. You have no need to apologize either, so stop doing it. All of this aside, I would be more than glad to court you once you have made a full recovery."

Thorin gave him a rare smile and kissed his hair. "I will do little things to show my affections to you then, and go from there until we both agree that we are ready to court each other. I am afraid that I am not very experienced with that, but I will do my best. I'm only warning you in case I unintentionally offend you or seem distant and cold. I will not intend to be."

"I would like that, Thorin, and don't worry about not knowing how to show your affections. You will do fine, I'm sure. I will do the same if it is agreeable to you?"

"Of course. I would like nothing better." He embraced him tightly then. "And thank you for opening my eyes. No one has yelled at me to set me straight in a very long time."

Bilbo reddened. "I am sorry for that...but not for knocking sense into you. I didn't mean to yell. I was just so upset and hurt that I couldn't help but vent. However, if you had been different, you would have injured me or worse for presuming to shout at you."

Chuckling gently, Thorin murmured, "Is it all right. I needed to be shouted at. And you are right that I likely would have brought pain upon you if I were different, but I would never want to hurt you.

"Go now, Bilbo. I need some time alone to think of how to rid myself of this dragon-sickness."

He smirked. "It may not be as hard as you believe it will be, but it will not be easy either. Just make an attempt to not worry or think about your treasure and the Arkenstone unless you absolutely need to."

"That is a very good plan, and you are right to say that it will not by as simple to do it at first. But I will make an honest effort to prevent what I have done in the last several days from ever happening again. I could not bear it if I lost you, my family, or the Company due to my greed and obsession for mere gold and jewels." He leaned his forehead on his. "Everything will improve, dear Bilbo. I promise. And if it doesn't, I know you will undoubtedly bring me back to reality again."

"Only if you upset me enough to make me realize that you need to be again. But I do not think it will happen anymore. You have recovered very quickly in just a few short minutes. You will be completely back to normal more sooner than later, I hope."

"I hope so too. I do not desire to be in this condition any longer. It is harming everyone here, including you and myself."

Thorin kissed him once more, and this time, Bilbo eagerly kissed him back. He laid his hands on his chest while Thorin rested his own on his back. Had Bilbo not been stunned when he kissed him the first time, he would have noticed how savory sweet he tasted. Thorin thought the same about him. Both of them hummed and moaned as their lips moved against each other's. Bilbo was relieved that he couldn't feel the Arkenstone in his jacket. There would be no guessing how he would react if he did.

Eventually, they had to move apart to breathe. Thorin caressed his cheek, and he leaned into his touch.

"Go now," he repeated in a soft voice. "I will speak to you in a few hours. Perhaps we can have tea or eat supper together?"

"Yes, I would like that. Oh, and if I may, I would like to ask you something," he added.

Thorin rose an eyebrow. "Yes, Bilbo?"

A blush crept up his cheeks a second time. "If it wouldn't be too much, perhaps you could smile more? I rather like it when you do. I know that in your past, you never had many reasons to. But you look much younger and...handsomer in the rare times that you truly do, instead of in spite or sarcasm. I'm certain that I'm not the only one who believes that you will turn into a grumpy-looking troll if you keep frowning more often than not."

Loud laughter erupted from the Dwarven king, startling anyone who was in earshot. Having never heard him laugh like that, Bilbo could not help but marvel over how musical it sounded.

"I will keep that in mind, and try to do as you ask," Thorin gasped after few minutes. He also looked pleased to know that he liked his smile.

Bilbo nodded to him and waved before leaving him standing there. He was still chuckling and shaking his head. The last of the dragon-sickness appeared to have vanished, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. It could have easily been a trick of the light.

He was walking through a corridor on the next level down when he noticed Balin leaning on a column. He gave him a knowing look while beaming at him with pride, relief, and delight.

"Good work, laddie. It is about time someone made him see sense. I won't be surprised if you are the one that will help him go back to the Thorin we know...for the better. That is, if you haven't already," he stated.

"What-? How much did you hear?" Bilbo questioned.

"Quite enough, I will say. Enough to know that you are the only one who will motivate him to stop this nonsense."

Then Balin left him standing in the middle of the corridor. Bilbo wondered if he had heard everything that he and Thorin talked about, and not just part of it.

XXX

A couple of hours or so had passed when Fíli and Kíli told Bilbo that Thorin had called off the search for the Arkenstone. No one knew why he did-aside from Bilbo himself and Balin, of course-but they were grateful that he had a change of heart. However, Thorin kindly asked everyone to notify him if they did find it.

"Uncle looks like his old self again too. I wonder what happened to make him go back to normal," Kíli said half to himself.

"I don't care what did, as long as his dragon-sickness doesn't return and make him an even bigger idiot," Fíli remarked.

Bilbo chortled. "Maybe he realized how irrational he was being and decided that he couldn't go on like that," he pointed out. That was all he would allow himself to say.

They nodded thoughtfully.

"I hope that that's the reason why," Kíli muttered. "I will go insane if I have to deal with this a second time."

"No doubt we all would," Fíli agreed.

Everyone except for Thorin, who had locked himself in a room, spent the rest of the day clearing away the rubble in the halls. None of the Dwarves let Bilbo pick up the heavier stones, so he conceded to help with the smaller ones wherever he was able. It took a long while, but a number of corridors eventually looked more tidy. The rest would be tended to over the next few weeks and the floors would be swept and washed down.

Bilbo had his lunch and tea when he was not cleaning. Thorin did not come to the dining hall to eat-as far as he knew-when he was there.

He is probably just thinking everything through as he told me earlier, Bilbo thought to comfort himself. He was rather disappointed that he did not turn up, but he did promise to have supper with him, if not tea. This cheered him up a good deal.

"What're you smilin' about, lad?" Glóin inquired in amusement while he was enjoying his own tea.

"N-Nothing, Master Dwarf," he responded.

Balin smirked and winked at him, causing his face to tingle.

"Don't trouble yourself over Thorin, Master Hobbit. If he has recovered enough from the dragon-sickness, he won't let himself wither down to skin and bones," he whispered so that only Bilbo could hear him.

For safety measures, the latter hid the Arkenstone in his chambers. There was a crevice underneath his bed that he had accidentally discovered when one of his belongings had rolled past the bottom of the blankets. It was far enough under it for anyone not to see if it they chanced to lift them up. (His bed was very large by Hobbit standards.) He kept the cloth over the Arkenstone just in case as he tucked it in crack, then placed the stone that hid the crack over it.

A twinge of guilt raced through Bilbo as he did this, but he still did not want to give it to him until the time was right. At least he didn't have to risk Thorin feeling it in his jacket anymore. How he didn't before was beyond him.

He would have joined the others in cleaning out the halls again, but his back was aching from leaning over so much. He decided to rest before leaving to eat supper instead.

Bilbo did not know how long he had been in his room when someone knocked on his door. He opened it to see Dwalin.

"Thorin wants me to give this to you," he announced, handing him a tiny scroll. He nodded and left.

With quivering hands, Bilbo opened it carefully.

Go to the dining hall after the others have eaten, please. I will be there waiting for you. I want us to be alone as we have our supper. I have told Bombur to set aside food for us, the note said in Westron.

"Please" was a word that Thorin was beginning to use more often. He mostly directed it at him, but there were times he said it to his nephews or their friends.

Bilbo took off his dirty jacket and breeches, then put on cleaner clothes. He also brushed his hair to remove any dust that may have lingered in it. No need to look as if he had been rolling all over the floor!

Ori came to his chambers near sunset to tell him that supper was almost prepared. Bilbo thanked him, but told him that he had something to do, and he probably wouldn't be finished until it was over.

"Go on without me. I'm sure that Bombur will set my supper aside for me," he added.

Looking bewildered, Ori just inclined his head. It was not like Bilbo to skip a meal-even if there was a task he had to do. "I'll ask him to, if you like."

"No need. Bombur will see that I'm not there, and he will."

Ori nodded again before leaving. Bilbo waited until he was further down the corridor to follow him quietly. He would stay in the hall until Thorin appeared.

He sat on a bench that was opposite of the dining hall. By listening to the voices inside, everyone sounded much happier than they had in the last few days. They talked about Smaug's death and how quickly Thorin came around earlier.

"Is he still in his chambers?" Nori asked.

"When he handed me a note to give to Bilbo, he wasn't. I dunno where he went after he spoke to Bombur before giving it to me," Dwalin replied.

"Speakin' of Bilbo, Thorin seems to be keepin' him by his side a lot lately. I wonder what it all means," Bofur observed.

There was silence for a moment, then Balin spoke. "Perhaps he just wants to be friends with him. They have been quite close since the morning after the Eagles left us at Carrock."

Many of the other Dwarves agreed with him. Bilbo was just relieved that he didn't tell them about the interaction he had with Thorin that afternoon.

An hour passed, and they started to troop out of the dining hall in pairs or small groups. Each of them greeted Bilbo as they walked by him. Bifur only waved to him, only being able to speak Khuzdûl. Bombur was the last one to exit the room. He trailed after his brother and cousin.

The sound of their footsteps had faded when a new pair echoed down the corridor. Thorin rounded the corner a moment later.

"Good evening, Bilbo. You didn't have to wait here for me," he remarked with a smile.

"I wanted to. Besides, I didn't know when the others would be done with their meal, so I chose to remain here until they were," Bilbo pointed out.

"That is a wise idea. Shall we have supper, then?"

Bilbo nodded.

Platters of food were laying on a much smaller table in one corner at the end of the dining hall. They dished out what they wanted and sat down.

An awkward silence descended upon them as they began to eat. For once, neither of them could find anything to talk about.

"How do you like it here in Erebor?" Thorin finally asked after clearing his throat.

Bilbo mulled his question over pensively. "I suppose that I like it here well enough. I'm not used to such a big place, but in time, I'm certain that I will be."

"Mmm. Is your bedchamber comfortable? I can find another one for you if it is not."

"No, no. That's fine. It is very comfortable in spite of how cold it's starting to feel at night. This winter may be a harsh one."

"Aye, they usually are in the mountains, especially in mid-winter."

"In Hobbiton, they rarely are. Only a few have been as far as I remember."

Thorin grinned a little. "I do not know whether to envy you or feel sorry for you about that. You may not be able to return to the Shire until the mountain thaws. Even then, the journey back will take about six, if not seven, months. It will be late autumn to early winter by then."

Bilbo chuckled lowly. "That is true. I only hope that the trip back will not be as dangerous."

"No, I have no wish for it to be either. Our journey here was insane enough for me to have almost no desire to do it a second time."

"I do not blame you for that."

There was more silence as they continued their meal. Thorin practically wolfed down his food, making Bilbo laugh again.

"It's good to see that your appetite has come back, to say the least. You've hardly eaten over the last four or five days," the latter commented.

Another smile lit up Thorin's face. "Unfortunately so. My hunger for food finally caught up to me just before supper. No doubt I will be feeling exhausted soon as well."

"I believe you ought to rest anyhow. You haven't slept at all since we arrived in Laketown. Perhaps you will feel less crazy then."

Thorin had to laugh at that. "I will be more than happy to take your advice, I'm sure. It...it feels good to be able to talk to you with a clear mind again, Bilbo."

"And you," he returned.

Both of them reached for a scone at the same moment then. Bilbo reddened as his thumb caressed his hand.

They enjoyed themselves so much for the rest of the meal. At times they laughed nervously as their conversations went on, and at others, they were quiet. They were new to this, and neither of them wanted to say what might be the wrong thing.

How long they were in the dining hall, Bilbo and Thorin didn't know. Nor did they know that they had been eating for so long that the sky was pitch-black outside of the mountain. Even when they were full, they didn't leave the room. They were too occupied in explaining Dwarven and Hobbitish courting customs.

It was not until Bombur came to take the half-empty platters that they decided to retire for the night. They were starting to feel sleepy from all of the food they had eaten. Bombur shot them questioning looks, no doubt wondering what was going on between them. However, he did not ask or give any comments.

Bilbo and Thorin left the dining hall and went to their chambers. The former had just changed his into his nightwear when there was yet another knock on his door.

He cursed under his breath, grumbling about Dwarves pounding on his door at all hours of the evening. But his expression changed when he saw that Thorin was outside of it.

"I apologize if I am disturbing you, Bilbo," Thorin stated. He held out a couple of folded up blankets. "I just thought that you may need these. I remember you telling me that it can get very cold in here."

"Why...thank you, Thorin. But you didn't have to do this for me. I'm quite all right with the blankets I have."

"Keep them. I wanted to give them to you. The last thing that you need is to fall ill."

"No, I wouldn't want that!"

They shared a hearty chuckle. After calming down, Thorin leaned down to kiss him for a long minute. Bilbo held him close until he moved away for air.

"Good night, Bilbo. I hope that you sleep well."

"Same to you, Thorin. Good night."