As night settled over the mountain, Bilbo walked out through the main gate into the chilly air. He stood there for a while, his thoughts taking flight over the valley, white with the first snow, and through the lights of Dale. The ringing of shuffling armour behind him brought him back, announcing that the guards were withdrawing to give the King his due privacy. Soon enough, he was wrapped in Thorin's furs and pulled snug against his body.
"Why are you not wearing your winter coat?" he grumbled just above Bilbo's head.
"I suppose I forgot to take it with me," said Bilbo.
"Or is it a ruse to get me out here?"
"Perhaps it is. Besides, this is quite a view. Worth enjoying every once in a while."
"Mmm, quite," agreed Thorin. He remained silent for a time, his arms closing tighter around the hobbit.
Bilbo leaned his head back into his chest, feeling rather nice and comfortable. "Are you happy, Thorin?" he asked, his own voice sounding more questioning to him than he had intended it to sound.
"Yes, of course I am," answered Thorin, shifting a bit, understandably puzzled. "Are you not?"
"I am," said Bilbo smiling and turned a bit to look up at Thorin, trying to appear as convincing as he could. "Oh," he doubled back a little and his smile waned at the sight of the King's crown perched proudly on Thorin's head. He didn't wear it unless he had official dealings with the outside world. This had apparently been one of those days.
"What?" asked Thorin, positively frowning.
"Ah, nothing," said Bilbo coming back to some sense. "I, uh, can't seem to get used to that."
Thorin's face lightened up slightly. "Why did you ask me that?"
"Well, because," began Bilbo resuming his former position, looking in the opposite direction from Thorin's crowned head. "I had an interesting conversation with that nice lady today."
"Oh?"
"She said that they are grateful to me because I make you happy."
"That is a nice thing to say," said Thorin, smiling and leaning his head against Bilbo's. The golden sides of his crown felt hard and cold even through his hair.
"Yes. I think they want you to have a home life of your own, like they do, someone to go home to, you know, after you're done being King for the day. Is that, is that what we have, Thorin? Does it really make you happier than if you were, well, than if we were not…"
Thorin turned Bilbo around to face him, swiftly enough not to disturb much of the warmth of their closeness. "Must you ask?" He looked and sounded a little offended. "Have I not made enough proof of my feelings?"
"No, you have. I," stammered Bilbo, "I don't know why I asked that. Of course I don't need to ask. I'm sorry." He burrowed his fists and face into the fabrics over Thorin's chest. He felt a deep sigh growing there.
Thorin took Bilbo's head into his hands and brought it up again to look him in the eye. "I am happier with you than I would have been without you. Much happier," he said, smiling slightly. It was more in his eyes than on his lips, appearing more grey under moonlight than their usual blue.
"But you have the love of your people, and you have your family," argued Bilbo.
"It seems that is not always enough. You were quite happy yourself in the Shire before we came."
"I certainly thought I was."
"And now?"
"Now I realize that I was… comfortable more than anything else. I didn't think I needed more than I had. I didn't think I needed… this. I was wrong."
Thorin smiled properly and resumed his all-engulfing embrace, pulling Bilbo back to himself. "I do not know what tomorrow will bring, Bilbo. Whether we will wake to another peaceful day, or whether we will face death again. I only know that what we have together is the one thing that makes me truly happy. The rest is an honour that I have to bear with the utmost responsibility."
"It makes me happy, too. And I will gladly help you bear that responsibility."
"I know. We have had this conversation before, in public."
Bilbo couldn't help breaking into laughter, and looked back up to Thorin, who was quite amused himself, at his own remark, no less. "Shall we go back inside? My sister doesn't approve of being late for supper."
"Oh, no, I don't imagine she does," said Bilbo and the two of them walked together into the golden light radiating from the entrance to the mountain.
Behind them, the guards shuffled back to their stations.