"Well, are you going to start reading?" Thorin looked cross. "You were so excited about it minutes ago."

Bilbo continued flipping pages. "I'm trying to get into the mood."

"And why is it taking over ten minutes to get into 'the mood'? What is this mood anyway?"

"I have to make sure to capture the emotions of the characters."

Thorin groaned. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious," replied Bilbo. "Maybe if you read then you'd begin to understand." Bilbo cleared his throat, then held the book up closer to him. "In the mountains of the land of Gemday," he began.

"You're in the mood now?" Thorin asked.

Bilbo nodded, trying to suppress his anger. "Yes, I am in the mood."

"Well, it took you long enough."

"Can you just let me keep reading before I lose the mood?"

Thorin raised his arms in surrender. "Do as you please."

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," said Bilbo, "was that in the mountains in the land of Gemday-"

"What's Gemday? Why do these creatures live on a mountain? This isn't like your last story, is it? I hated that story."

Bilbo clenched his teeth together. "No, it's not the same story, and you'll learn what Gemday is later on in the story."

"I want to know what it is now."

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to follow along with the story if I don't even know what Gemday is?"

"Do you think all of Middle Earth will be destroyed if you don't know what Gemday is?"

Thorin crossed his large arms over his chest. "No, but it would be appreciated by me if you would tell me what it is."

"Gemday is a land in another world called Ooranist, where there's an outbreak of evil magic, and the main character must prevent everyone from turning evil." Bilbo frowned. "There, do you need any more explanations?"

"Yes," Thorin said.

Bilbo sighed.

Why did I ever ask? he thought. I should've known that he would do something like this.

"You said they lived on a mountain, and does that mean they're like us?"

"A little," Bilbo said. "They're not rich, as there is no gold or jewels on their mountain. Instead, there is safety from monsters, but not much else."

"Why is there no gold and treasure on their mountain?"

"Because not every mountain can be gifted with great treasure."

"I feel bad for them."

"At least I can say that you are already building emotions towards these characters," said Bilbo. "I'll act as though I'm happy about that."

Thorin frowned, a genuine look of concern crossing over his pale face. "What do you mean by pretend that you're happy about that?"

"I wish you'd build emotional connections to them after I've read more than one paragraph of the damn book!"

Thorin smirked. "You're adorable when you get concerned like this."

"Thorin!" Bilbo said angrily.

"Sorry," Thorin said. "Allow me to clarify: You are always adorable."

Bilbo closed the book. "I give up, you have defeated me. Congratulate yourself now or whatever it is you were planning on doing."

"Bilbo, I didn't mean for that to happen." He wrapped his arm around Bilbo's shoulder, then opened the book for him again with his large fingers. "Here, you may continue reading to me."

"No," Bilbo said.

"What do you mean no?"

"I don't want to do this anymore if you will keep rudely interrupting me every two seconds. Can I finish one single sentence without your commentary and annoying questions?"

"I'm sorry." Thorin looked sad once more.

"You should be."

"I'll let you continue reading and I won't make commentary on it or ask stupid questions. I'm sorry about what I did earlier."

"No," Bilbo said, crossing his much smaller arms over his own chests with a huff. "I refuse to read any more to you tonight."

"But Bilbo, I promise to not be rude to you again!"

"I don't care, I refuse to read to you." He grabbed the book and dropped it onto the dwarves lap with a heavy clunk. "You have to read it to me, Thorin."

"What, I never agreed to this!" Thorin was completely outraged by this. What did his hobbit think was okay about this? "Why do I have to read this to you when you agreed to read it to me?"

Bilbo said nothing.

"Say something, it's the order of the king! So long as you live here, you will treat me as any dwarf does, and that is with respect. Now say something!"

"I'd like you to read to me to see how I feel," was all he said.

"Fine," Thorin replied. "I will. Now where we?"

"You've already forgotten?!"

Thorin turned red as Smaug's body. "N-Never mind, I will find it."

Bilbo simply sat, waiting for him to continue, and he appeared to be growing impatient the longer Thorin continued flipping pages.

How long is this going to take? he asked himself. It's like he's waiting for me to take it from him and continue right where I left off. That won't work on me this time, Thorin.

Thorin cleared his throat and began to read. "Tell me if I'm not in the mood as you call it. I want to be the best reader that I can be for you."

Bilbo rolled his eyes, knowing that Thorin would never get in the mood. For a moment he regretted allowing Thorin to do this, but decided that he'd still make Thorin do it to see how he always felt whenever he read to him.

"In the mountains of the land of Gemday, a rather small mountain, with few who lived there in that unnamed mountain, there was a man by the name of Rael."

He's actually doing it, Bilbo thought, smiling. He's actually reading the book out loud to me! It's a pure miracle!

"Rael was quite an average man, with nothing too important or amazing about him. All his life he had lived in those mountains, listening to the stories that his parents had passed down to him." Thorin cleared his throat again. " 'Now, Rael,' said his mother-"

"That's the voice you're using for his mother?" asked Bilbo. "That's horrible! It sounds too careless, she is quite a serious woman!"

"I'm sorry," Thorin said, then raised his voice. " 'These mountains may be our home, but we should never trust that it will last forever.' "

"Ugh!" Bilbo said. "Now you sound as if you aren't trying in the least."

"I'm sorry that I can never please you, Master Baggins."

Bilbo rolled his eyes. "Fine, you may stop reading. You have succeeded, Thorin."

Thorin smiled, then kissed him happily. "I knew you'd come around."

Bilbo's face turned red, though he couldn't tell whether it was out of embarrassment or anger. "Don't think this is over," he said. "You'll do it again someday!"

Thorin messed up Bilbo's hair, a playful gleam in his eyes, then kissed him again, which made Bilbo's face as red as his jacket had been on their travels. "Oh, we'll see about that."

Author's Note: Wow, I'm so glad people love the story and reviewed. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here's the new chapter. I'll try to get the next one up soon, hopefully by Friday.