A/N: Wow, I'm honestly so sorry for taking so long to update! I just really wanted this to be good and then I lost my inspiration for a bit with this story, but have no fear - my Muse is back and more active than ever so it will (hopefully!) not be too long before the next chapter's up. Especially as I have the rest of this week free for half term :D

Anyway, I hope you can forgive the long wait and that you enjoy the chapter!

Lives Entwined

Warm hands which enclosed his easily.

Eyes like the summer sky which looked into his with such love it made him blush.

And oh, that voice! That voice Bilbo had thought never to hear again, speaking to him so softly and tenderly and saying things Bilbo had only ever let himself imagine in the dead of night when the pain became too much to bear.

But Thorin was here; Thorin was whole; Thorin was his.

Bilbo thought he might die of happiness, here in Erebor with Thorin's hands in his and the dwarf's smile never leaving his face, the echo of his I love you still loud in Bilbo's mind. His heart still fluttered every time he looked at Thorin, his stomach full of butterflies whenever he caught sight of Thorin's gaze at him, but Bilbo couldn't remember ever being this happy.

However, it didn't make everything alright. Bilbo was still furious.

Furious that Thorin had died in the first place (he should have stayed safe) , furious that no one had told him he was alive straight away - even in a letter - but most of all he was furious that they'd brought him here and had said not one word about Thorin being alive. Did they all still think he was going to faint at the drop of a hat?

He'd grown over the course of their journey, toughening up not only his body but also his heart. Thorin's indifference to him had hurt and he'd closed his heart off from loving, from hoping; but it hadn't worked. Thorin's death had still hurt him like nothing else had before and he'd been willing to face down another hundred thousand dragons if it meant Thorin came back to him.

A gentle hand to his cheek brought him back to the present as it wiped away a tear that had escaped.

'Why are you crying, Bilbo?' Thorin asked, and Bilbo hastily sniffed and wiped his eyes, laughing wetly at the concern on Thorin's face.

'It's nothing,' Bilbo said quickly, returning to his plate of breakfast muffins and eggs. They'd gone to the kitchen to get Bilbo breakfast and Thorin didn't eat, merely sitting next to Bilbo as close as he could possibly get, their sides touching in a way that made Bilbo's heart jump and stutter, no matter that Bilbo elbowed him as he ate. Thorin seemed to cherish every touch he shared with Bilbo, even if it was a jab in the ribs. 'I was just remembering...'

Thorin cupped his cheek and turned his face to face him. 'Don't,' he said softly. 'Please don't. I'm here now and I've got you so please, my love, don't cry.'

Bilbo grinned slightly. 'How do you know I was crying because of you?' he teased, sniffing quickly. 'I've quite learned to live without you, you know.'

Thorin's hand around his cheek went stiff for a moment and his face fell, before he looked determined. 'But it was because of me, wasn't it?'

He looked so desperate that Bilbo took pity on him and brought his hand up to Thorin's, leaning his head into Thorin's touch.

'Yes, you great oaf, it was because of you,' he said quietly.

Thorin looked satisfied for a moment before he looked concerned again and he shifted in his chair so he was facing Bilbo, bringing his other hand up to Bilbo's other cheek and cupping his face, stroking Bilbo's skin with the pad of his thumb. It made Bilbo's stomach flutter to see this tenderness and know it was all for him.

'Then I'm going to make sure you never have reason to cry again,' he said softly, and just that sweetness made Bilbo want to cry again. 'It's all my fault and I'm going to make it better.'

Bilbo gave a long-suffering sigh and pulled out of Thorin's gentle hold. 'Silly dwarf. You already have, and now if you don't mind I'm still quite hungry...'

Thorin smiled and let Bilbo return to his food, although it still took longer than usual for Bilbo to finish eating on account of all the times he had to push Thorin's wandering lips away. Not that he really minded, but still - he was hungry.

When Bilbo had finished breakfast they sat in silence for a moment, Thorin softly stroking Bilbo's hand. Bilbo glanced down at their hands entwined and gave a little sigh, trying not to let on quite how happy it made him; the butterflies it caused to flutter in his stomach.

Reluctantly he pulled out of Thorin's hold, crossing his arms so he wouldn't be tempted to catch Thorin's hands in his own again.

'You're still not forgiven yet,' he reminded him softly. 'You should have told me.'

'We... I didn't think, before, that you'd...want to know. I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with us...me...any more,' Thorin said quietly, looking at his now empty hands.

'Thorin, I spent the best part of a year with you all. Surely you remember...the end? Thorin, I - Gandalf will tell you, I hardly spoke the entire journey back. Even Beorn worried when we stopped off at his home, and told me the "little bunny has to eat!" - don't laugh, I am not a bunny! - but Thorin, I was... I was anything but indifferent.'

Thorin looked at him with such earnestness in his eyes and apology and Bilbo wanted to just melt.

'When you arrived and you couldn't see me, I didn't - we thought - the last thing I wanted was to scare you, Bilbo, or shock you. I thought - I don't know what I thought, but we didn't not tell you to hurt you,' he said and Bilbo believed him.

'Yes, well,' he said brusquely, before he really did just melt back into Thorin's arms. 'You shouldn't go around putting braids in people's hair when they don't know you're there.'

Thorin's eyes crinkled when he smiled. 'But I can put braids in your hair now you know I'm here?' he said, such a playful grin on his face he almost looked like his nephews. It contrasted sharply with the grey hairs, now even more numerous but still just as perfect in Bilbo's eyes.

'No!' he protested, standing up as Thorin's hand reached for his curls. 'Now, if you don't mind, I want to see the others.' He did his best to look haughty, but it probably failed. Either way, Thorin stood too, his face not smiling any more.

'The others?'

'Yes,' Bilbo said. 'I do rather need to speak to them. You can't keep me all to yourself, you know.'

'But you're mine,' Thorin said softly. 'I want you to stay with me.'

Bilbo blushed and his stomach was doing strange things again. 'Then come with me!' he said, smiling at Thorin's lost expression. He reached out for Thorin's hand and took it, pulling him gently from the kitchen.

Thorin allowed Bilbo to guide him - Bilbo had no doubt that had he wanted to, Thorin could have gone as immobile as rock - before pulling Bilbo close and holding him to him, an arm around his waist. Bilbo couldn't help the little giggle that escaped him then and he immediately covered his mouth, embarrassed, but Thorin just seemed to enjoy the noise and tried to make him giggle again before Bilbo extricated himself from Thorin's arms.

'No, if you're going to tickle me you can't have me!' he laughed and was gratified when Thorin immediately stopped and looked chastened. Bilbo took Thorin's hand again until they reached the communal dining room where the others were gathered.

Before they went in, Thorin said, 'I have to do something.'

'What?' Bilbo asked, narrowing his eyes. 'What do you have to do?'

'Nothing right now,' Thorin said, smiling gently before pressing a kiss to Bilbo's forehead. 'But I will have to go in a little while.'

Bilbo shrugged. 'Alright.' He smiled up at Thorin, then stood on his tiptoes until their lips were nearly touching. 'I love you, Thorin.'

'I love you, my Bilbo,' Thorin said, his voice low and thrilling. And then he leant down and closed the gap between them and their lips were touching. It was gentle and sweet and chaste, this soft but entirely too short kiss, leaving Bilbo completely unsatisfied when Thorin made to pull away. Bilbo grabbed onto his dwarf's coat, keeping him close and their lips locked as it grew slightly more urgent -

Until the door to the dining room opened and Dís stood in the doorway as Bilbo and Thorin broke apart immediately, Bilbo flushing as bright as his tomatoes at home. He would have moved away if Thorin hadn't caught his waist and held him there. They could see Dwalin in the room, smirking, and Fíli and Kíli hiding their faces in the other's shoulder; Bilbo flushed even further.

'I take it you've made up then?'

A/N: I'm sorry it's so short! But I've got the next chapter mostly written so... :D Also I think I might start using my Tumblr to post sneak peeks and things of my fics so if you're interested my blog is 'bespectacled-hobbits', so I look forward to seeing you there, maybe... :D Please do let me know what you thought and I promise it won't be such a long wait for the next chapter!