"Y-you... w-won't l-l-let m-me... d-drown... Th-Thorin...?" Bilbo stuttered, unconsciously digging his nails into Thorin's forearms and making the dwarf wince. "R-right?"

"Bilbo," Thorin gritted, squeezing the hobbit's waist as an effort for him to let his arms go. "Relax. You will not drown."

"P-p-promise?"

"I promise," Thorin winced. "Let go of my arm, please."

"S-s-sorry," Bilbo apologized in a quiet voice as he unstuck his nails from Thorin's tanned skin. "I-I'm sc-scared is all..."

Thorin sighed heavily. Getting the hobbit into the water alone, had been hard enough for the strong dwarf prince, and the snickering of his nephews didn't help. After Thorin had reached out his hand to help Bilbo in the water so he could teach the hobbit how to swim, Bilbo had fiercely shook his head and whimpered as he stared at the water in front of him. The dwarf had pressed down his temper and raised his patience level with the frightened hobbit. He, who had thankfully been wearing his briefs at the time, cautiously got out of the cool water and had approached Bilbo carefully as to not scare him away with the reality of learning how to swim. Thorin was able to persuade Bilbo to get in the water, but the hobbit begun to protest and cling to the dwarf's arms when Thorin backed up into the water. Now as they stood waist-high in the water, Thorin faced the dilemma of actually teaching Bilbo how to swim.

"Bilbo, you have to trust me. Alright?" he said, shifting his weight nervously as Bilbo kept shooting fleeting glances at the water around them. "I will not let you drown. Bilbo, look at me."

The hobbit took his eyes off the shimmering water to look into Thorin's pleading blue eyes.

"I want you to learn how to swim," he said. "I do not want you to fear lakes and streams because you cannot swim. Bilbo, please. I am asking you to trust me." Thorin gave Bilbo a small and comforting smile and felt relief wash over him when Bilbo's head moved in a slow, hesitant but sure nod. "Alright," the dwarf breathed, "let us begin."

Bilbo whimpered and Thorin chose to ignore it. "Wh-what w-w-will h-happen...?"

"Let me explain first," Thorin replied. "I am going to have a hold on you for as long as you want me to, okay?" He waited for Bilbo to nod before continuing. "First, is teaching you how to float-"

"B-but hobbits can't f-float," Bilbo interrupted. "W-we sink!"

Thorin let out a grunt of annoyance. "Let me at least teach you how to float? Yes?"

Bilbo nodded in defeat and gave the dwarf an apologetic look. "Sorry, I keep interrupting." He sighed heavily. "I'm really scared, Thorin. What if... I... dr-"

"No," Thorin said firmly. "I will not let you drown; you will be fine." The dwarf prince smiled at the hobbit who gave a small smile in return. "Trust me?"

"I trust you," Bilbo answered, fully removing his hands from Thorin's arms to show that he trusted the dwarf prince with his life.

"Very well, let us begin," Thorin repeated his earlier words.

And so Thorin, Prince of Erebor, explained his actions to the small hobbit and after Bilbo's many tries to not panic and stay afloat, Thorin succeeded in holding a now-relaxed Bilbo on the surface of the now-calm water; Fili and Kili had gotten out several minutes prior and were now on the shore watching their uncle and burglar.

"This is floating," Thorin told Bilbo who had his eyes closed. The dwarf's strong hands supported Bilbo's upper back and underneath his knees as Bilbo's hand vaguely grazed Thorin's arm in assurance that he was still near. "Are you alright?" Thorin asked due to Bilbo's lack of talk.

"I'm fine," came the slow answer as if talking loudly would knock him off balance.

"Not uncomfortable?"

"No," Bilbo breathed, opening his eyes and smiling at the dwarf prince. "I'm fine."

Thorin smiled as well and righted the hobbit in the water. "Again?" he asked, unsure if Bilbo wanted to continue.

"Yes," was the clear and sure answer that made Thorin smother a huge grin of triumph. Bilbo breathed deeply and let Thorin lay him on the surface of the water once more. He heard and obeyed Thorin's commands to lift his legs and relax his shoulders. Once he did, he swore he couldn't feel Thorin's hands underneath him anymore. He tried with all his might not to panic and keep calm, though he could see Thorin's torso in the corner of his eye. Slowly, Bilbo let the soft wave of the water relax his body as well as his own nerves. After a while, he was sure Thorin wasn't supporting him...

"Th-Thorin?" he whispered and felt a rush of cool water underneath him as strong hands gently collided with his back and knees. "I-I d-did it?" He blindly pawed for Thorin's arm as a silent sign that he wanted to stand. He let out a gasp as Thorin pulled him upright and smiled at the dwarf prince who had a wide grin on his face. "I did it?" Bilbo repeated.

"Yes," Thorin answered. "You did it."

"Really?" Bilbo asked, disbelieving that he, a hobbit, had floated.

"Yes, you floated."

Bilbo gasped happily and hugged Thorin tightly. "Oh, thank you!" he exclaimed, pulling away and smiling up at the dwarf prince. "Thank you, Thorin," he finished in a calmer tone though it was laced with excitement. "I can float!"

Thorin grinned and helped the hobbit to the shore then watched as Bilbo hurriedly got dressed and scampered off towards the Lake-Town Inn. The dwarf prince ignored the growing blush in his cheeks and the snickers of his eavesdropping nephews as he dried himself and put on his own clothes.