Chapter Twenty- Three

Author's Note; Warning it gets steaming later in the chapter. Not too much for those wondering.

Destinyminy; I would love to thank you for the lovely review! It warms my heart! Yes, there will be more on Thremil, yes she's Frerin' lover and will she be for long?

Anyways. Enjoy the chapter.

It had taken three different sets of dwarves to convince the hobbit to leave Thorin's side and with great displeasure Bilbo finally relented. He had been escorted by the same elf that had taken him to Thorin's room the day before. As soon as he was alone Bilbo let his shoulder sag, he gave a weary look at his shared chambers. It was nothing like Rivendell. The room was surprisingly bright considering there were deep inside the kingdom, nestled on the right was a bed with flower petals atop and one other room. Bilbo eyed the bed that was his and then at the entrance to what looked like the bathing room.

With a relaxed sigh he let the warm water encapsulate him in its warmth, he could feel the last few days leave his body as he scrubbed the dirt away. It was already the second day in which Thorin's body would eliminate the poison that was running through his veins. He didn't much as know when in the day that would happen but he was positive it would be during the night.

After cleaning himself, Bilbo gathered his dirty clothes not knowing what to do with them. He looked around for anything to help in cleaning them and in one corner he spotted what looked like clothes draped over the vines of the trees that made his chamber. He wondered how he missed that. He walked over to them and with a shrug he put them on. The fabric was gentle against his skin, the light blue shirt underneath his dark brown vest was loose enough where he could move if there was trouble. The dark brown pants matched well with his vest.

"Excuse me." Bilbo looked up at the elf as he walked out of the bathing chamber. "You are requested. Follow me." The elf spun around not waiting for the hobbit. Bilbo ran out of the room and caught up to the elf.

"Where are we going?"

"To the arena." His steps faltered but he managed to not trip. Thoughts about an arena sent him back to the goblin's arena. Bilbo shook those memories away and silently followed. One of the hallways took them through a large water fountain, petals of all varying colors fell from the sky. Bilbo was in awe at the amount of plant life that littered the whole place. He would have to visit the place at another time. "This way." Having realized he had paused to admire the beauty, he gave the guard a timid smile before joining him again.

"What is your name? Bilbo felt guilt for not asking sooner. The guard gave no indication that he heard the hobbit. Bilbo was about to ask again but the guard peeked at him once and went back to looking straight ahead.

"Valen." he said no more.

The arena was sectioned off into various floors each with their own section of weapons training. The first level held young elves, Bilbo watched in fascination as they walked around the training area. They carried wooden swords while other held bows and arrows. As they descended down the twisting stairs Bilbo couldn't help but notice how the layout changed. Rocks and terrain now formed the rest of the scenery. "We are here." They had arrived two levels before the dungeons. . "You will be needing these." The guard handed Bilbo his two weapons and left back up the stairs.

The sense of familiarity warmed him. His blades feeling perfect in his hands.

Looking down at his two weapons, Bilbo lifted the first one, admiring the small sword for its efforts against the spiders. Speaking of which, he needed to give it a name. He thought back to the battle, the sting of the blade when it killed its target. How effortlessly it was to maneuver. Sting that would be his blades name. Reaching to take Silencer an arrow landed beside the sword barely missing his fingers. In one swoop Bilbo ducked out to the way, hiding behind a large boulder. His years of training had him looking above, eyes and ears trained for any unusual sounds.

He heard more than saw another arrow let loose. It missed him.

"You're getting worse." startled, Bilbo mentally cursed. His blade clashed against Nori's own. The guard smirked, a nod of praise before striking once more. The onslaught forced Bilbo out into the open. Tearing his eyes away for one second, he focused his eyes at his surroundings where he spotted Kili and what looked to be a flash of red hair cross behind a jagged formation.

"Is this punishment?" Bilbo huffed out. He sidestepped as he heard another arrow, this time it was two, by their positions he realized they were not aimed to hurt.

"Mayhaps, little hobbit."

Bilbo opened his mouth. He had thought about the spider attack, due to his foolishness a swarm of spiders had descended upon them. The guilt he felt about it made him worry. His standing with the Company and what they thought of him made him hide like a coward, telling himself that Thorin needed him more, although it was true, he had not gone to them to apologize.

Pain flared on the back of his leg, buckling underneath him. Spinning out of Noris's blade, Bilbo caught Dwalin's famous frown. "Get up." at the command the hobbit sprang up like a coil. The two dwarrows circled him, Nori spinning his blade in his hand as if no care in the world while Dwalin looked for a way in. Sweat dripped from his brow creating a small puddle, he glanced down and smirked up at the two guards.

The timing had to be right. Placing Sting into his left hand he ran toward the two guards, keeping his body low, his right hand skimmed the dirt ground, fingers digging in. Gathering enough dirt, Bilbo feigned left, glad that Nori and Dwalin had taken the bait. One big step to the right and twisting his body, Bilbo sent the handful of dirt flying. Not waiting to see if it hit its mark, Bilbo ran around. A large smile painted hi face as the pained shouts of Dwalin reached his ears.

The hobbits' triumph was short lived. Fili's feral smile and twinkling eyes made the hobbit gulp. Cautiously looking over to his left Bilbo found the floor empty except for Fili and himself. Nori and Dwalin nowhere to be seen.
"I won't go easy, Uncle."

Time was irrelevant. Bilbo guessed it might have been days for all he knew, it felt like it. His body ached, blood flowed freely from his cheek thanks to one of Kili's arrows. He had fought every single member of Thorin's Company except for Gandalf, the wizard had sat by the stair watching with amusement. If this was his punishment they had gone too far.

"I relent," the whole Company except for Thorin stood around the hobbit in a circle. Ori fidgeted in place, his brown eyes darting around. "I apologize for the attack." cringing at the bark of laughter that soon everyone joined in, Bilbo weakly gazed up in confusion.

"Lad, why are you apologizing for?" a bemused Balin stepped out and brought his hand out for Bilbo to take.

"The spider atack, it was my fault."

"Ah. you think its punishment?"

"Yes" Bilbo said, placing his hand onto the older dwarrow. With shaky legs and with the help of Balin, the hobbit finally stood with his own two feet. Balin stood by incase he needed assistance.

"This is not punishment, this is your training. Did Nori not tell you?"

Dumbfounded, Bilbo narrowed his eyes at the sneaky guard, the urge to throttle the guard was strong but not as strong as the pain that flared the moment he took one step toward him. As the feeling subsided he shook his head a smile playing on his lips. "So you're not mad at me?" fear of rejection gripped him, he dare not look at anyone for he feared their reactions.

"We enjoyed the fight. It has been too long since we have taken arms." Too long? Bilbo swore it had not been long since their last fight, he felt phantom pain coming from his wrists. Shaking unneeded thoughts away Bilbo realized that the dwarves of Erebor were bred to fight, it was in their blood, the heat of battle was like a drug they could not run away from.

Bilbo had no such needs for battles, he was a hobbit, quiet consevative creature. He snorted at his own thinking. He was no longer such a hobbit. Bringing his eys back up he looked around the smiling faces of his companions, eyes twinkling as they recounted their versions of the fight.

"It was rather fun." Bilbo confessed his expressions matching the others.

"What's this? I have missed something fun?" strong arms wrapped around the hobbits midsection, pulling him flush against an equally strong chest. "What have you been doing without me, Bilbo?" whispered the king to be. His teeth finding Bilbo's pointed ear and giving it a gentle nip before stepping away. Not only had Thorin reduced Bilbo to a blushing mess, his presence was a balm to the hobbit. The worry he felt was gone, heart had settled unless you counted the way it fluttered when his eyes landed on the King.

His stomach flipped when he touched his ear, a shot of pleasure gathered itself in the pit of his stomach, or was it hunger? It was most definitely hunger or so the hobbit told himself. Bilbo found himself observing the Company surround their king, clasping his back with face splitting smiles. Kili and Fili's faces buried in their uncle's chest, bodies shaking with remnants of fear. Thorin stroked their hair in assurance something Bilbo had come to realize he loved watching.

Thorin had not shown much of who he was, he was cold to those that looked down at him and his kin. He refused to back down even when outnumbered, he cared for those he called family and would not hesitate to protect them even if it cost his life. Not only was it frightening to the hobbit to know. Thorin was capable of it which strengthened his already grown attraction.

After greeting everyone, Thorin looked up and over to the hobbit standing a few feet away, he sent him a wink as he pushed his nephews away. Without being told the Company shifted away, each to their own. Bilbo could not break away from Thorin's gaze, the dwarrow was at his side, hands cupping his round face. Heart beating, he let Thorin raise his head, his lips parted on their own accord. It was all the permission Thorin needed, he dipped his head and met Bilbo's lips in a chaste kiss. It ended too quickly. The sensation was back; the pleasure making him raise his hands, tangling into Thorin's dark locks and pulling him back.

He was lost in the feeling of Thorin's mouth, his tongue that expertly entered his own, the way he took charge without being too dominant. That pleasure turned into anguish and fear. Parting, Bilbo couldn't hold back the sob. He buried his face in Thorin's silk covered chest, hands wrapping around his waist bringing him closer. He needed to assure himself that Thorin was there with him, alive and well and not a vision from how exhausted his mind and body were.

"Are you here with me?"

"Bilbo...I'm here." Thorin rested on hand on the hobbit's neck, thumb rubbing soothing circles. He planted a kiss atop his head then said, "A little poison won't-"

"Don't. You could have died, Thorin!" the hobbit prince ripped himself away, pushing Thorin's hands away from trying to reach him. "I was afraid!" His anger laced with worry surfaced. Couldn't he see or think how terrified he had been. To think that he wouldn't survive the night. To be able to say goodbye if things got complicated. The unscheduled training had temporarily distracted him, as welcoming as it was his mind would often stray back to Thorin.

A look at his surroundings told him they were alone, but Bilbo knew better, Nori was somewhere hidden in the shadows.

Something in Thorin's eyes flashed, his eyebrows knitted in worry and then his shoulders slumped in defeat. So oddly out of character. Bilbo felt the despair coming out of Thorin in waves, he was not the only one feeling the same. Around his kin he was strong, reliable like nothing could deter him from his path. Now, he looked as bad as Bilbo felt. The king to be left hand trembled, pain could be found in those blue eyes like the sky. Here stood an aged dwarf, the after effects of the poison had not been kind to Thorin.

"I apologize that my state of being had caused you grief."

"Thorin-"

"Come to me, please." And so he did. They held each other, both easing one another's pain.

Bilbo whimpered, feeling Thorin move away, the king to be chuckled and placed a kiss to Bilbo' head. " We must leave. It's getting colder the longer we stay." A chuckle left his lips once more feeling Bilbo kiss his way up his neck. Embolden by the response, the hobbit continued his ministrations, the heat urging him for more. He nipped at the skin, eliciting a groan from the dawarrow.

"Bilbo." Thorin growled. His hands moving down the hobbits body and resting on his hips, fingers digging one when another moan left his lips.

"There are other ways to warm each other up." Not sure what made him whisper that, Bilbo licked his lips, eyes lidded as he let Thorin move him away.

"Bilbo." It was a warning. One that he should listen to but it only made the want so much stronger, Thorin's voice sending tingles down his spine. By the look on the dwarves face, he wasn't faring too well either. A blush dusted his face as blue eyes regarded him, an emotion flickered but before the hobbit could think upon it, Thorin had yanked him forward, their lips crashing.

Bilbo could only register the feelings that swelled inside him, how Thorin's gentle minstrations sent him close to the edge. Trying to find the release. He found himself grinding against Thorin, a moan of pleasure ripped through him. In an instant his back hit a wall, hands traveled down the length of his torso then down his leg, they squeezed his thigh before bringing it up, Thorin gave a thrust of his hips. "Thorin!" Bilbo's eyes shut at the pleasure, his head hitting the wal exposing his neck. Thorin gave an appreciative grunt before descending upon it.

"Are you warm enough, Bilbo?" Another thrust. Thorin dropped Bilbo's leg, he tore away and placed his hands on either side of the hobbit. Exasperated, Bilbo openly glared. Before he could try anything, Thorin pressed his hips against Bilbo's own; halting any movements. "We cannot continue," Thorin placed a quick kiss to Bilbo's lips before continuing, " not here, in my chambers." He raised and eyebrow loving the way Bilbo blushed only to be replaced with desire.

"This way." Thorin took a hold of his lovers smaller hand and guided him away. Bilbo expected to go up the stairs but was dragged away from them. Confused, he turned to Thorin pulling his hand. The king looked down at him and raised an amused eyebrow. "They have tunnels, one of those connects to my chambers."

"Oh," There was a nagging feeling in the back of his head telling him something about his statement was important. But what was it?

They made it to Thorin's chambers in no time. After moving a series of vines out the way, Bilbo found himself facing a bed. He could hear the rustle of fabric coming from behind him but he dared not look. The courage he felt in the training room was gone, replaced by nervousness. Like before, Thorin took him into his arms, heat radiating from behind him made Bilbo sigh in relief.

"Join me in bed?"

"Bed? I...I don't - Thorin I'm not sure if- "

"We will only be sleeping." The king to be said. Pressing a kiss to Bilbo's neck.

"Oh. Of course. You can have the bathing chambers first if you like."

"Only if you join me."Teased Thorin.

"Thorin!"

Thorin stepped away with a smile on his face. He took the hobbits face into his hands and kissed him before moving to the chambers. Bilbo shook his head not quite sure what to think of Thorin's new side.

His thoughts were cut short, he spun around hands going to his person in search of a weapon only to find nothing. fisting his hands he took a stance ready to attack the intruder. At the door stood Thremil, wide eyes that looked far too practiced to be genuine.

"It's true, you are breathtaking up close."

"Excuse me?" asked Bilbo. Remembering his upbringing he relaxed his body and gave a courteous nod to the female. She in turn did the same, bowing far too low than what was necessary.

"I've heard the rumors of the Hobbit Prince that was to marry my Frerin. I can see why you were chosen. And I can see why Frerin wants you."

Author's note :Whelp. No excuses, hopefully for those still following the story thank you and I hope you enjoyed it. Until the next one which I will do my best to get it up as soon as possible. Adios!