Uni is done! My StarTrek Big Bang is done! so I am attempting to get this going. Only a couple of more chapters but this is getting us a long way to there. Enjoy...

/ / / Clearing The Air \ \ \

Thorin woke to Bilbo's lips on his shoulder, then moving in along the line of his collar bone. Thorin remained still but ran his fingers down the dip of Bilbo's spine glad that the hobbit never slept with a shirt on.

"Bilbo," Thorin said and turned to meet Bilbo's mouth with his own.

##Other Story – Emotion In Motion## #Chapter 3 – Making Up Is Better With Love #

There was a knock on the door and Bilbo pulled himself away from Thorin to answer it, he returned moments later with two pieces of parchment in his hands.

"Who was at the door?" Thorin asked.

"Your sister," Bilbo said. "This is a list of people you should apologise to for your behaviour yesterday, and this," Bilbo looked at the longer list. "Is a list of topics we should discuss before leaving the room…"

"What is on it?"

"Bonding Ceremony, my responsibilities as the King's Consort, the upper Royal Chambers, whether I want to return to the Shire before the bonding ceremony. This is not all written in one hand."

Thorin took the piece of parchment. "Dís, Fíli and Kíli, and…Balin."

Bilbo climbed back into bed and looked at the list over Thorin's shoulder. "That elf, my plans in the forest and the Men's farms."

"I do believe," Thorin interrupted. "That they would prefer it if there were no more understandings."

Bilbo kissed Thorin. "I would prefer it if there were no more misunderstandings. I do not like to be angry with you. I much prefer to miss you terribly when I am out of the mountain and look forward to coming back to you."

Thorin threw the parchment over his shoulder and pulled Bilbo closer.

"They are going to lock us in here until we will admit to having discussed everything on the list." Bilbo informed him.

"Good."

"So, should we begin talking?" Bilbo asked even as Thorin's eyes darkened.

Later, they had both bathed and were sitting before the fire eating the meal that had been left outside of their room, Bilbo knew it was time.

"We should talk," Bilbo said.

Thorin nodded.

Bilbo found the list and put it on the table in front of them. "The bonding ceremony."

"You wished to wait for the last of your hobbit courting rituals to be complete."

"I think," Bilbo said. "That they wish to us to be sure that the bonding ceremony is what we both want."

Thorin took the quill that was on the table and wrote yes beneath his sister's writing. He held the quill out to Bilbo who beamed at him and wrote his own yes below Thorin's.

"Your responsibilities as my consort," Thorin said. "Are to sit in on council meetings, to be my advisor, to attend Open Courts, to help me in running this mountain. You will be expected to give me your opinion on all matters however you are never to openly disagree with me."

Bilbo laughed. "I have to give you my opinion but I cannot disagree with you?"

"You are not allowed to turn around and say – you are wrong. You can offer me other suggestions and make arguments against my decisions."

"But telling you that you are being silly and wrong is against your traditions?"

"Yes."

"And if I do?"

"I shall lose standing with the members of my council and any foreign dignitaries that are within my halls."

"It is that important?"

"I am the King."

Bilbo stared at Thorin for a long time. "It is not the hobbit way to hold our tongue with those we share our lives with even though we are polite beings. I do not think I could live a life with you where I could not tell you that I believe you to be wrong."

"Could you live a life with me where you are not allowed to tell me I am wrong in public if I learn to accept it in private?"

"Would you be able to learn?"

"I can try," Thorin said. "I was raised to be King. I was raised to believe that my word was always going to be right and that all others under my rule should accept what I decree."

"I cannot be your subject," Bilbo said. "That is what happened yesterday. I need you to accept that I am more than a subject and I need to be able to talk to you without you telling me what I have to do. I need you to listen to me."

Thorin nodded. "I agreed to try last night and I mean it today. We shall have to meet in the middle but I will do the best I can."

Bilbo reached out for Thorin and slid one of the King's braids between his fingers. "I am willing to accept us both doing the best we can."

"I do love you, Bilbo," Thorin said very quietly. "I will try to do what I can to keep you here for the rest of your days."

"I am pleased about that." Bilbo moved forward and kissed Thorin. Then Bilbo decided to change the topic. "Do I ride next to you into battle?"

"If you chose to."

"I…am scared."

"As is everyone who rides into battle and yet we do so to protect our dwarves and our mountain. I would prefer you to remain here where you can protect my dwarves in my absence."

"And where you will know I am safe?" Thorin did not say anything but Bilbo could see it in his eyes. "Do you think they will accept me?"

"You are Bilbo Dragonthief."

"And I am a hobbit."

"Who saved us all," Thorin said. "Do you not see how they follow you, how they listen to you already. They know you will be my Consort and they have already accepted you."

Bilbo let out a breath. "I want to have a hobbit wedding in the Shire when we return. Hobbits, as far as I know, have never married outside of our own race and they may not be as accepting as your dwarves have been, but it is important to me."

"Very well."

"I will wait until you are ready to leave Fíli in charge to go back," Bilbo said reminding Thorin of the promise he had already made.

Thorin nodded. "I do not like keeping you away from your home."

Bilbo smiled, just a little, and something in it made Thorin hopeful. "I am making a new one here with you…are we not?"

"Yes," Thorin said firmly. "We are making our own."

"And I am helping," Bilbo said. "In the ways I can. Down at the farms of Men and in the forest with that elf."

Thorin scowled at Dís' list. "Why would Kíli insist on including that elf on the list?"

Bilbo smiled. "Because, he is helping us and Kíli has seen him helping us."

Thorin scowled harder. "Why do you believe he is helping us?"

"From what he has told me," Bilbo began settling back down into his own seat. "The elves believe that we are good for this area. They are pleased that we stopped Smaug and that the Men are reclaiming their land. They are helping us because they believe that having the dwarves and Men in this land will be good for it."

"That does not sound like Thranduil."

Bilbo looked down at his hands. "I have never seen Thranduil, only Legolas and some of his elves. But…"

Thorin frowned when Bilbo drifted off.

"But, I think they are using their magic to encourage the forest to grow even during winter."

Thorin scowled harder.

"I have mentioned that before."

"I shall never be happy to be in debt to the elves."

"Legolas is not his father."

"He is an elf and they are all beings that tell half-truths and will happily stab you in the back when you are staring straight at them."

"Or," Bilbo said. "Thranduil is that type of elf and his son simply wants to help."

"Only until he grows bored with us."

Bilbo thought about the way that Kíli and Legolas had been looking at one another whenever they were in the forest and he had difficulty believing that Legolas would grow bored with the dwarf. "You promised to come with me when I go into the forest next time."

"I will, I trust you and I trust Kíli but I cannot promise to ever trust Legolas."

Bilbo beamed.

"What?"

"You called him Legolas."

"So?"

"That is a positive step up from that elf."

Thorin nodded. "I will try."

"Thank you."

"Are you going to keep going down to the farms?"

"Yes."

Thorin closed his eyes and let out a deep breath and Bilbo decided to try and explain, really truly explain it all. It might hurt Thorin but he needed the dwarf to understand if he would ever agree to accept this part of Bilbo.

"I need to help."

"You help."

"No," Bilbo said. "There is nothing I can do within this mountain that cannot be done by anyone else."

"There are several things that no one else could do. You saved me from death."

"But, I cannot save people when no one is sick. Your healers are excellent and I cannot help in the kitchens or with reclaiming the mountain. But I can help in this way."

"You help me on the council and you help me by simply being here."

Bilbo just wanted to kiss him. He simply wanted to reach out and wrap himself around Thorin and be here with him. Thorin had never looked so vulnerable. However, if Bilbo did not take this opportunity that Dís had given him then he was not sure if he would ever get another chance. Bilbo knew he needed to take this chance for himself and he needed to explain it to Thorin for the dwarf's sake. Bilbo took a deep breath and reached out for Thorin's hand.

"What I need you to realise," Bilbo said and then took another deep, fortifying breath. "Going out there and helping makes it easier to live here under a mountain. I love you and I do not want to leave but it is strange to live here so far below the ground. And your dwarves do not like to be out there, not like I do. I want to help and I can do this. I love to be here with you but I miss the sunlight and I love to have my hands buried in dirt and be helping things to grow and to be feeding you all. That is the hobbit way, to help things to grow. By doing this, by helping the Men I can help you and I can get what I need as well."

Thorin narrowed his eyes and watched Bilbo carefully.

"I do not want anyone else and I would not change you or living in this mountain," Bilbo continued. "I never thought I would ever find someone that I would love. I am an older hobbit and I had resigned myself to living the rest of my days alone in my hobbit-hole with my books and my garden but then you and your quest and your company came and everything changed. Then I fell in love with you and I thought; what would a King, and a dwarf, want with me?"

"Bilbo."

"No," Bilbo said. "Just wait. I, I love you and I was never expecting this so I want you to know that I am here, in Erebor, for you. Not for anyone else so you do not need to worry about me leaving or changing my mind because that is not what hobbits do."

Thorin pulled Bilbo into his body and held him tightly. Then he began to speak into the soft skin of Bilbo's neck. "I never believed I would have another to share my reign. I named Fíli and Kíli as my heirs the moment they came of age because I knew I would never meet a dwarf that would give me what you have. I know you want me and it is my intention to bond with you, before every dwarf, Man, elf and hobbit who cares to know about it and-"

Bilbo stopped him with a kiss. "I accept."

"What?"

"Forget the cake and the traditions and everything else. I would very much like to marry you. Whenever you would like to have the bonding ceremony."

Thorin smiled broadly and shook his head. "Now that I know, I do not care to rush. I want to wait until your traditions are filled like mine have been."

Bilbo smiled and then poked Thorin on the shoulder. "You distracted me."

"I am sorry," Thorin said though he did not look it as he kissed Bilbo again.

"I need to help the Men of Dale because it helps me, just as much as it helps the Men and your dwarves. I want to do it because I enjoy it and I know that one day those farms shall feed Dale and Erebor and I will have been a part of it. I need to help because I know how. The Men have worked farms but there are not many of them and the farms of Lake-town also suffered damage during Smaug's last flight. I want to help them; I want to help them for you just as much as for them. The town of Dale is on your doorstep and it cannot hurt to have your dwarves, and I, helping them. And lastly, I want to do this so that your dwarves will see me helping, will know that I want to help them, and will accept me not for what I did against Smaug or on our journey but simply for the hobbit I am."

"That hobbit who journeyed with me was you."

"I wish that were true but I have never been that type of hobbit until you came into my life."

"And just as I changed you, so you have changed me." Thorin said. "So very much."

Bilbo wrapped his arms around Thorin and pulled the dwarf into a hug. Hard and warm. "I love you so much, Thorin. Can you understand why I need to help them and why I want to?"

Thorin nodded into his neck. "I understand that you need the sunlight and the earth and the plants to be happy. I would give you anything I could. In this I shall give you my support though I cannot promise to always find that easy. I want to protect the things that I love and I do not know how to protect you out there."

"Is that not why you have Gani and Kíli out there with me?"

"I do not trust anyone but myself to protect you."

Bilbo pulled back from Thorin only far enough so that he could look him in the eye. "Do you trust me to protect myself?"

"Yes."

Bilbo smiled. "Then I will be back here every night."

Thorin kissed Bilbo and pulled back completely. Bilbo settled back next to him again. He could not help but feel like that was Thorin's way of pulling away from him again. Bilbo wanted to reach out for him but Thorin had given way a lot today and he was worried that if he kept pushing Thorin would shut him out completely.

"More tea?" Bilbo asked and stood up with the teapot. He did not wait for a response simply headed to the kitchen. He slowly, meticulously, began preparing the tea leaves for steeping. He took his time before he had a teapot on the tray ready to take out to Thorin. The King was standing in front of the fireplace when Bilbo made it back out into the room. Bilbo set the tray on the table and Thorin turned around.

"When we go down to the forest will you also show me what you have done at the farms?"

Bilbo smiled, he felt like the weight that had been slowly settling over his heart for weeks was lifting. "I would love to."

Thorin smiled and there was a knock on the door.

"Emergency," Thorin said and his face dropped into his royal countenance. He strode to the door only to find Biorn standing on the other side.

"We wanted to give you both something," she said. "I hope I collected everything that is needed."

"What?" Thorin asked.

"They have asked a lot of you both today," Biorn said looking past Thorin to Bilbo. "I thought you might like to spend the rest of the evening with something else to enjoy."

Bilbo walked over and accepted the basket from her. He looked through the ingredients and looked up at Biorn in surprise. "How did you find some of these things? Are they not needed in the kitchen?"

"Bofur procured them for me," Biorn said. "They are for you, Bilbo, and our King. Enjoy." With that she turned and walked away.

"What is it?" Thorin asked turning around to look at Bilbo when the door was closed.

"Everything I need to make scones."

Thorin grinned. "Fíli chose well."

Bilbo laughed. "Come into the kitchen while I make them?"

Thorin nodded and collected their tea before he followed Bilbo into the kitchen.

"Here is what I do not understand," Bilbo said unpacking the ingredients. "I understand why we had to talk about everything else but what do the Upper Royal Chambers have to do with us?"

"They are an idea I had." Thorin admitted. "Though I had not intended to mention them for a time."

"Why?"

"They are closer to the top of the mountain and to the air," Thorin said twisting his teacup. "I thought you may like them better than these royal chambers. I thought they may make it easier to deal with life below the mountain."

"Why did not you want to mention them?" Bilbo carefully focussed on measuring everything and allowing Thorin to avoid looking at him while he spoke which was obviously what Thorin wanted.

"They cannot house my dwarves. I have decided not to send anyone up there until every room is cleared and the dwarves have their own chambers again."

"That seems most sensible."

"But, I know that you would be happier up there than you are in these rooms."

"I do not think I would be," Bilbo said. "If we got them when your dwarves are still attempting to find homes for themselves then I will not be happy there."

Thorin turned Bilbo around. "It would get you closer to the sun and to the air."

"But it will not help your dwarves get to their homes faster and that is why we are doing all of this. I want your dwarves settled and then we can talk about those chambers."

Thorin curled his hand around Bilbo's cheek. "Thank you."

"You do not need to thank me for that," Bilbo said twisting to kiss Thorin's palm. "But you can thank me for the scones later."

Thorin smirked at him. "I can do that."

"Good," Bilbo said. "Now kiss me and tell me why you are apologising to Griumma while I cook."

Thorin kissed him and watched Bilbo bake while he told him about the meeting with Griumma.

"You are going to have to apologise to her."

"I believe some toy for her kitchen should ensure she will not hold a grudge."

"Probably a good idea," Bilbo said. He smiled at Thorin as the dwarf opened the oven for him and he slid the first tray of scones into the oven. "I will find out what she needs or wants."

"Thank you, and if you could…"

"Put in a good word for you with her?"

Thorin sighed. "I should not ask. I am the King and I should not need you to put in a good word for me."

"No," Bilbo said with a smile. "However, and I mean this with true respect for you, Griumma is worth it."

"My mother always told me to ensure the respect of my head cook, my head of security, and the person in charge of writing the history of my reign."

"Good thing that Ori and Dwalin like you then."

"And I shall have Griumma's respect again."

"Good."

"Would you like to practise your Khuzdul?" Thorin asked changing the subject.

"Yes," Bilbo said. "I have a while before the scones will be ready. I would like to be able to say something in Khuzdul next time I am at a council meeting."

"That would be appreciated by my council."

"Are you sure? Calia seemed quite annoyed that I knew Khuzdul."

"Calia has no bearing on what my council, or I, think and we want you to know all of our customs. It is your home now too. And you shall need to know our ways so that you can be my Consort."

"Then teach me everything you know."

"That is an awful lot to teach you," Thorin said with a smile. Bilbo returned it and sunk down next to Thorin.

/ / /