Bella crawled into a small indent in the mountainside, hidden by leaves and vines so she was sheltered in a little cave of sorts. There she tried to catch her breath, one hand covering the wound on her side. She couldn't let them catch her. If she was found, she was dead.
This was the single most scary and intense game of hide and seek she'd ever played, and if she made it out of this alive she was sure to find a way to make it illegal.
Not that she was going to make it out of there alive.
The wound in her side made sure of that.
Bella heard shuffling outside as her pursuers came near. She sent up a prayer to the Valar that they wouldn't discover her. She'd rather not make a scene with the orcs, as it would most certainly catch the attention of the dwarves. All they'd see would be orcs surrounding this tiny cave and then they'd burst into the scene and discover her. She was already banished, no need to rub salt in the wound - literally and metaphorically. She pressed back further into the wall, hoping they wouldn't peek in.
Luckily, the Valar seemed to be on her side for now as the orcs and goblins ran by. A few minutes later she heard their screams and then silence. The screams had suddenly died down and Bella assumed the last of the enemy died and the battle was over. She sighed in relief only to grunt in pain as her side flared.
She heard more footsteps outside her little cave and held her breath, hoping whoever it was would leave her alone. She briefly considered putting on her little ring but decided against it. She was going to die anyway, whether from blood loss or infection or by the hand of one she had called friend. No point in making herself even more miserable by entering the ring's world to hear all of it's sinister whispers and be surrounded by shadows. No, she was going to die, and by golly she would do so with dignity.
Or as much dignity as she could while huddling in a not-cave on a battlefield surrounded by friends-turned-enemies and dead bodies. And intruders who were very much Not Welcome while she wallowed in misery.
Said intruder stepped up closer to the cave, parted the hanging vines and leaves, and peered inside her little cave. It was a dwarf, and Bella tried to push herself even farther against the wall, as if she could melt through the rock as she recognized the being in front of her. As his eyes locked with hers, he gave a sigh (was that relief? It couldn't be) and his shoulders slumped as though something was lifted from them.
"Found you."
Bella's heart hammered in her chest and she gave a whimper as she tried to stay away from her once-friend, and also as her side ached.
"Bella?" He called softly but she tried to push herself even further into the wall, eyes wide with terror and breaths coming faster. She knew she was panicking, she knew, logically, that she had to calm herself down, but her vision tunneled until all she could see was Nori's face. Her side flared in pain again and she sucked in a harsh breath, her hand pressing on the wound as if that would do anything.
Of course, Nori noticed this but didn't reach her before her body gave up the fight for consciousness. She heard a faint curse and then the blackness overtook her and she knew no more.
Nori cursed as Bella's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she sagged against the back of her little cave she found. It wasn't even so much a cave as a shallow indent in the mountain, covered by leaves and vines. He grudgingly admitted that the spot was a good one to hide in and not be found; if he hadn't seen the orcs hanging around this particular area, sniffing for something, he wouldn't have given it another thought.
That thought sent a shudder through him.
It was fortunate indeed that he had made his way over to this side of the battle towards the end. He quickly gathered the tiny hobbit lass in his arms, careful of her side where he could see blood seeping out, and crawled back out of the cave.
He had a hobbit to deliver.
Nori rushed across the battlefield, dodging the last remnants of the enemies who hadn't thought to flee yet, as if they could make a difference all on their own against the combined might of dwarves, elves, and men. He went as fast as he dared, trying to not jostle the hobbit to avoid as much pain as possible, and hoping to prevent more blood loss, but she was still bleeding out and very much unconscious in his arms.
A goblin appeared right in front of him before he had time to dodge and as one all three of them went down, the goblin at the bottom of the pile. Nori scrambled up and with one hand he drew one of his knives and killed the goblin before it could get back up. After that, he braced Bella closely against his body and ran as though fire were licking at his heels.
He didn't have time to be careful anymore.
Bella was bleeding out and he couldn't afford another run-in with a stray goblin or orc.
When he was close enough to the encampments, Nori sighed with relief and ran through until he was in the dwarven part. Some of the Company was there already. He wasn't sure where the others were but perhaps they hadn't made it off the field yet. He hoped they all had made it, of course, but he couldn't go look for the others to be sure. Not yet.
"Oin, I need Oin!" He called out to the Company as he neared, and the other dwarves parted as he ran through. Good. He really couldn't afford more delays. "Where's Oin?" He asked as soon as he got to the Company.
"He went in there about ten minutes ago." Bofur pointed to the large tent beside them. "He's in there with Thorin and the boys." Bofur looked abnormally solemn as he intoned what Nori was dreading to find out. "They're not looking so good. They may not make it due to their injuries." He looked at Bella with sad eyes. "Although, it looks like our lass may not make it either if she doesn't get help."
"What happened to Bella?" Ori's voice sounded from behind Nori, and a weight he didn't realize he'd had lifted from him as he heard his younger brother's voice.
"I don't know. I found her right before she fell unconscious, and her wound looks severe enough that if we don't get her to Oin, or somebody right now, she's not going to make it. For the love of Mahal, somebody find me a healer!"
Oin's head popped out of the tent right at that moment and his grim face only seemed to get darker as he caught sight of Bella in Nori's arms.
"Well, bring her in then; somebody grab an empty cot for you to set her on. No time to waste if we want to save all four of them." His gruff voice pierced through whatever haze the Company was in and they all scrambled to get the supplies Oin needed as he barked out orders. Nori thought he heard a muttered, "it'll take a miracle to save these blasted fools, Mahal help us", but he kept it to himself.
Everyone was thinking it, but there was no reason to voice it all out loud.
As soon as Bifur and Dori dragged the cot in (another weight off his shoulder now that he knew both his brothers were safe) Nori set Bella down as gently as he could, and Oin immediately got to work. There were two other healers in that were working on the royals under Oin's command and he left them to it while he started working on Bella.
Her clothing was soaked through with blood, and Nori has a suspicion that not all of it was hers. Some of it was noticeably darker than the rest, and he shuddered to think that she had been out on the battlefield, without any armor. Sure, she'd had the mithril shirt from Thorin, but Thorin had ripped it from her before nearly throwing her from the battlements. She was without armor, and all she had as a weapon was that letter opener.
And she'd still gone out there.
Nori wanted to say he didn't know why she was out there, fighting, when she could've, should've, ran far away from there, but he knew better. Their hobbit lass was fierce, and loyal beyond bounds. She was definitely more loyal to Thorin and his Company than she probably should've been.
And Nori had a sneaking suspicion that that unwavering loyalty was what drove her to the battlefield.
Bella's jacket was ruined; there was no way they'd be able to save it. It was in tatters and Oin barely had to spread it away from her body before it fell apart completely. Once it was gone, the wound on her side was in full view, and Nori heard a hiss from somewhere behind him. He stiffly nodded along with them - if Bella made it through this, they were going to wrap her up in so many layers and then keep her surrounded by a full army, always. Their hobbit sister was never going to be in danger and alone ever again, they'd make sure of it.
"Alright, the lot of you, out!" There were a few protests (and by a few, I mean everybody) from the Company about leaving their hobbit (and the royals, of course, but details, details) but Oin was her healer, and they trusted his judgement on these things above anybody else, so they grudgingly left the large tent to take up shifts as well as other duties around the camps and on the battlefield.
As they all shuffled out, a silent prayer was sent up to let the four (foolhardy) injured Company members live.
Nori only hoped he had found Bella in time.
It was a very gradual thing, yet it seemed so sudden as Bella came from the depths of unconsciousness. She wasn't sure of anything, really, but her brain was so muddied it wasn't really a surprise, as she couldn't even remember what she'd had for breakfast.
Pain registered on her left side and for a moment it seemed that was all she knew. Pain, and the inky black in her mind being whited out. Her breathing was labored, she could hear it from the sound filtering through her ears. She could hear something else, almost like a voice, and then the cool wet of water was poured down her throat. She whimpered when it went away, but her limbs were heavy and her side was still on fire so there wasn't much she could do.
But that wasn't right. Why was she hurting? And why was there that voice again? There shouldn't be anybody else nearby. Bag-End had been empty for years aside from herself. Nobody should be inside her smial with her.
Bella's side throbbed again and then there was liquid going down her throat - a broth, this time - and she remembered suddenly the mountain and Thorin going crazy and then the battle and then her injury and-
Oh, that's right. She hadn't had time to eat breakfast this morning. No wonder she couldn't remember it.
Was it even still this morning? No, probably not. The battle itself lasted for so long, and then she was injured and had passed out in that cave and Nori had found her-
Nori.
Bella's breath shuddered and she forced her eyes open. It didn't matter how heavy her eyelids were, she had to find out. She had to know. If Nori had found her, why was she still alive? She was certain she was going to die from one of her dwarves if they found her, yet here she was, still alive. At least, she thought she was still alive, if the burning on her side was any indication. If she were dead she was pretty sure she wouldn't be feeling this awful.
Then again, she'd never died before, so Bella couldn't be certain.
And she was getting off track.
As she looked up, she saw a tan fabric overhead. Maybe some sort of tent? Her eyes drifted lazily across it and to the side, where she saw somebody looking down at her. It took her a few seconds too long to recognize one of her dwarves, but as soon as she did her eyes opened wide in a panic and she tried to jerk away, as if a few inches in physical distance would do something to stop him from using his bare hands to choke her out.
She could barely hear Ori's words over her breathing, but then there was a rumble from her other side and she caught a glimpse of a tall pointed hat and grey robes. It was as though a fresh breeze blew through her mind, and she relaxed enough for her breathing to calm down and to hear what was being said by both Gandalf and Ori.
"-elax, my dear. Nobody is going to hurt you in here, I can guarantee i-"
"-m so sorry, Bella! I didn't mean to startle you! I promise, I was only trying to help yo-"
"-ave no worries, you are safe no-"
"-ould I go get Oin? Are you in any pain? Hang on, I'll be right bac-"
"Rest now, little one. Your body is healing now. A battle is no place for such a small, gentle creature. I will watch over you and will keep the darkness at bay as best I can."
At Gandalf's reassurances, Bella's eyes began to drift close once again.
"You were so brave, my dear hobbit. You deserve this rest."
Bella's eyes shut and her mind knew no more.
Then next time Bella woke, she was still in pain, but considerably less so. She slowly opened her eyes and groaned as she tried to shift. There was a rustling to her right and then there was a face above her. Even if she couldn't hardly remember anything at the moment, the hat he was wearing was recognizable and she tried to smile at Bofur's friendly face.
At least, until her memories came back and her smile(?) slid off her face as she tried to not panic.
"Easy lass, easy. I'm not going to hurt you. None of us are." He was trying to calm her down, and his face was so earnest and pain-filled that Bella couldn't help but to believe him.
She took deep breaths, a little shakily, and winced as her side throbbed, but after a few minutes she was able to calm down.
"That's a good lass. We almost lost you, and none of us were sure when you might wake up, but we kept hoping you'd come back to us soon."
"How long," Bella had to clear her throat, which resulted in a coughing fit, and had to be helped with a cup of water by Bofur before she could speak again. "How long have I been out?"
"It's been a week since you last woke up. That was two days after Nori found you and brought you back. You gave us a mighty big scare there." Bella wasn't sure if Bofur could see the questions burning in her eyes or if he just knew her that well, but he held up a hand as he stood up. "I'm going to go grab Oin to let him know you're awake, and then we can answer some of your questions. I'll be right back."
Bella nodded and tried to adjust to get comfortable without jarring her side more. She tried to look at what they did with the bandages she could feel there, but she found her limbs too heavy still, so she gave up with a mild huff. She resorted to just looking around as best she could, and found that she was in a tent still, in an area sectioned off by the rest with a curtain. Bella frowned as she strained to hear the low murmur of voices on the other side, but soon enough the curtain parted and Bofur was back with Oin and suddenly she couldn't see anything other than the two dwarves standing above her.
"Glad to see you awake and coherent lassie. That's a good sign of your recovery." Oin's words were straight to the point as he gave her a rundown of how her body was. Despite the ill news and long recovery process she now faces, Bella had to smile at him. Same old Oin. No time to mince words as a healer, although she doubted he would even if he wasn't one.
"Thank you, Oin. You didn't have to, and I know you were in your right to leave me to fend for myself, all of you were, after what I did. I am in your debt, and as soon as I am able I will be at your service." Bella would've bowed, had she been able, but as such her current condition she had to settle for a slight nod.
"Now hold on there, lass-" Bofur's words were cut off by Oin's outrage.
"You don't owe us anything, lass. What you did earlier was the best you could come up with, and it us who should be in your debt." By earlier, Bella knew Oin was meaning the Arkenstone debacle on the battlements. "And I know you were out there on the field, protecting us still-" Bella tried to protest, but was silenced by the Look that was levelled at her by both dwarves.
Bofur chimed in with his own piece.
"Aye, we all heard you at one point or another, warning us of an enemy coming, and once or twice we'd turn around and there'd be a dead goblin or orc that was sneaking up on us. Don't think we didn't notice."
"And even if that, combined with all you did on the quest to save us, wasn't enough for us to help you, I am a healer, and I would not be worthy of my craft if I did not help all wounded, regardless of any opinions on them."
Bella opened her mouth to say something else, but thought better of it and just nodded after a minute. Oin smiled down at her and gave her a light pat on the shoulder.
"We're glad to help you, lass. You are more than worthy of it anyways. Now, those other fools who are listening in, on the other hand…" There was a thump on the other side of the curtain and Bofur drew it back to see the rest of the Company on the other side, the royals still in their cots and the rest standing around. Some had the decency to look sheepish, at least. Oin gave a heavy sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Your side is healed enough that with help we can sit you up and then you can see everything better. Are you up for that?" Bella nodded, and Bofur and Oin propped her up using pillows. She looked over and saw that the royals were sitting up using similar methods. She gave a sheepish smile.
"Hi guys."
Just like that, it was as though a dam had split and everybody rushed forward, talking over the other and reaching out to touch her, to make sure she was real while simultaneously keeping their distance, as though she might break if a breeze so much as blew the wrong way.
Bella laughed as they all regaled her with some story or another, barely keeping up with anything and she was sure she wouldn't remember any of what was said. It felt good to laugh, and she realized she hadn't for quite some time. Not since before they entered the mountain, at least.
She laughed again, just because she could.
Let somebody else be bothered with saving everybody. Her friends were all here, they were alive, and she was fit to sit back and relax as she tried to heal.
Nothing could bother her.
Everything was bothering her.
The novelty of sitting and healing had worn off about 2 days ago, and she was antsy to get up and do something again. She couldn't even begin to imagine how it must feel for the Durins, who were in the same boat as her, only they were awake for longer.
Oh wait.
Yes she could.
Because she was actually losing her mind, just sitting here, she was sure.
One of the healers would come in the morning and help her sit up if she wanted, if not they'd do it later. Somebody would bring her food. Except it was still broth because she had to work up her way to eating like a real hobbit again.
("And don't think we won't be getting you back up to seven meals a day, lassie. You're much too thin for even a slightly-less-than-healthy hobbit. We'll make sure you get back to your plump self again." Bombur had been strict about that when she had accidentally let it slip that hobbits ate seven meals a day. It was surprising, but then as she thought about it, not so much considering his love for food would rival any hobbit's. Everyone had been promptly horrified at the thought that they had accidentally let their hobbit starve along the journey, and she tried to reassure them that she was okay. She knew the consequences of not telling them, and she knew she would rather starve than make anybody else go hungry all for the sake of propriety.
She then chuckled at that. When had she stopped worrying about propriety so much? She didn't know, and honestly she didn't care.)
Then one of the others would keep her company in the tent. Of course, others were there too; the Durins shared this tent with her, after all, but it was nice that somebody came and sat with her, specifically, as well. There would be meetings with the leaders that she pretended weren't happening on the other side of her partition, because of course they demanded she not be present for them. Oin laughed in their faces and then reiterated how she was not fit to be moving anywhere, even for the sake of their "meetings". They grumbled, but did not defy his orders as the head physician for those currently waylaid in the tent.
Bella got to stay.
After those meetings were done, it was usually fairly late and the Durins could hardly keep their eyes open. Still, they tried valiantly to stay up with her and keep her company until they could no longer do so, and then she'd be left to her own devices until either she tired out or a healer came and forced her to sleep. Whichever came first.
And then she'd sleep, and when she woke the cycle would start all over again.
Bella was tired of sitting and laying down, tired of the monotony of the healing tent, and tired of hearing the same apologies over and over and over again. She was just… tired.
It was now day five of the same cycle, and Oin was currently looking over her injuries behind the curtain. After he was done, he muttered to himself, frustrated, and Bella silently agreed with him. She was frustrated too.
"I don't get it, lassie. You've been resting well enough, and your wounds are healing, but they're not healing as well as they should be. Now, I know there are a few differences between our physiologies, but from my experience on the journey, hobbits heal faster than us dwarrow, so you should be healing faster, not slowing down."
Bella frowned. "I actually have no idea why I'm not healing, although I have noticed that I'm always tired nowadays. I thought it was just a side effect of my injury."
"Ah, to that, my dear hobbit, I may have an answer." Gandalf suddenly appeared, drawing the curtain back for her to see the rest of the tent again. Oin grumbled, and tapped his foot impatiently.
"Well? You know more about hobbits than I do, wizard. Why is she not healing as fast as she should be?"
"That, my dear Oin, is a very simple answer. Hobbits are very social creatures. They thrive off of large families and close environments. They also thrive off of the energies of the ground, and in turn, help the land to grow, but seeing as how the land around here is desolate, that's certainly not helping anything. Why do you think she healed so fast on the journey here? Any injuries she sustained were gone quickly because of her constant close contact with all of you."
"But, Gandalf," He turned his focus to Bella. "Why am I not healing? Ever since I've been awake I've had plenty of company, and there are always healers in here to help should anything go wrong. Wouldn't that be enough contact for me?"
"If you had been injured much the same way back in the shire, you would not be doing so well as you are now." At Bella's questioning eyes, he elaborated some more. "You had been alone for so long back in the Shire, all but isolated in Bag-End without your parents there. Even with the contact of your relatives and healers, you are not so close with them as you are with your dwarves. You would heal, but it would take nearly double the time as it is now."
"But still, why is it not enough here?"
"You are being tended to in this tent with the others, yes. But you are always in the back, ready to be separated by this curtain if needed. If you truly are to heal with any great effort, you need to be nearer to the others. You need to feel included by those you care about the most, my dear. Not just pushed in the back corner like a discarded toy."
That last sentence he directed more towards Oin, but Bella still felt it keenly.
"It also helps," Gandalf continued with a twinkle in his eye, "if a hobbit is near the one they love. Much like how dwarves heal faster near their Ones, a hobbit will heal the fastest surrounded by the ones, and One, they love the most." Bella turned red at his implication, but he was up and out of the tent so quickly he didn't see her reaction.
That, or he simply ignored it.
Rude.
Oin eyed her critically, and then called to the others in the tent.
"Well, you heard the wizard, lads. Let's get her moved closer to everybody else. She needs to heal more before we can move her into the mountain, and it's getting close to time to move everybody in for the winter." Dwalin, Bifur, and Dori came over at Oin's call. Dori picked her up gently, and the other two lifted the cot to bring it closer.
"Don't you worry, my dear. We'll make sure you're right as rain in no time." He told her as they got her cot situated. She noted, with growing embarrassment, that they put her cot next to Fili's. Seeing her increasingly red face, Dwalin grinned at her, and Dori huffed as he set her down.
"Oh, we all know how close you two became over the quest. Even if you don't feel the same way as Gandalf implied, he's still your best bet for healing the fastest." Dori set her down and fussed about her, making her comfortable before backing up finally and giving her his own critical eye, much like Oin was doing earlier.
Bella couldn't even look to her right, her face was so red.
Bifur rumbled something in Khuzdul, and Dori tutted at him about propriety while Dwalin roared with laughter. Bella just sighed in consternation. She was never going to live this down, not if everybody noticed her slow descent into love with the blonde dwarf beside her.
She'd been hired to burgle from a dragon, and did that along with tricking trolls, riddling with creatures in the dark as well as the aforementioned dragon; she'd even burgled a group of noisy, clanking dwarves from the Elven King's dungeons, for Yavanna's sake! And somehow she wasn't subtle enough in her feelings that even these hard-headed fools she adored had managed to figure it out.
She should be fired.
Actually, she almost was, literally, by Smaug, but she was trying not to think about that little factoid.
"Oh, leave her alone. I'm sure you can find somebody else to torment for a while." Fili called out from beside her. She still couldn't face him.
"Alright, we'll leave you be, but don't get too mushy, your brother and Uncle are still in here across from you, y'know." Bofur threw right back at him. Footsteps came around her cot, and suddenly Nori was there, crouching in front of her turned head. He took her hands in his while he made direct eye contact with her.
"If you get uncomfortable, or need any help at all, just give a call and we'll come runnin'. And Fili," he paused while he waited for some sort of acknowledgement on Fili's end. Nori must've seen what he wanted, though, because he continued, his back on Bella's once again. "If you hurt her, our namadith, you will pay. Each and every one of us will make sure of that." Nori squeezed Bella's hands before standing back up and leaving the tent.
A few minutes passed in silence, and she resolutely ignored the others she was now nearby as well as her flaming cheeks. She heard Kili sigh dramatically.
"Oh, get on with it, already. If it'll make you feel any better I'll be plugging my ears so I don't have to hear anything, and I will most definitely not be watching." Dwalin re-entered the tent just then, announcing Dain's arrival.
"Ah, Cousin! I see you are doing well." Bella looked over to the entrance to see Dain walking in to greet Thorin with a wide smile. She caught a glimpse of Fili watching her, a mix of hope and concern in his eyes. Her face flushed red again and she quickly turned her head back.
"Actually, this would be a great time to start my training as a prince of Erebor, wouldn't you agree Uncle?" Kili looked pleadingly at Thorin and Bella couldn't help but to chuckle a bit. Dain looked between the four of them curiously, noticing Bella's flushed cheeks and the way she avoided looking at Fili, Fili watching Bella, Kili anxious to leave the tent, and Thorin looking… well, like Thorin, but with an amused expression on his face.
"Ah, I see. Well, I am sure we can go start another round of negotiations with that poncy Elf king, and that leader of Men." Dain went over to Thorin's side and started to help him up before Oin noticed and started making a fuss.
"Normally I don't allow for this, but Thorin and the boys are well enough they can start moving around again, albeit very slowly, and with assistance. If their wounds open up again they can get infected and I'll not be having their recoveries set back any more than they already are." Oin looked back between Bella and Fili. "Best get it over with now; I'll not letting these two idiots be doing this more than once and it'll be easier on everybody's recoveries if there isn't any underlying tension between the four of you."
Dain chuckled at Bella's squeak, and Kili nearly jumped out of his cot if it weren't for Dwalin very carefully helping him up.
And just like that, with one last check-over by Oin, the tent was emptied of all but two.
"Bella…"
Fili started speaking and Bella stiffened.
"Bella, will you at least look at me?"
She was so not ready for this conversation.
"Bella?"
In fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready for this conversation.
"Bella, amralime, look at me." There was a touch on her shoulder and she nearly jumped out of her skin. The resulting hiss had nothing to do with the dwarf beside her, and everything to do with her side wound.
That still would not heal.
"Bella, is it true? Do you really feel the same for me as I do for you?"
Sweet Yavanna, she was tired. Did she ever mention how tired she was all the time anymore? She just wanted to be better already; she wanted to be walking around in what little sunlight she could get before it turned to true winter. She wanted to be healed and she wanted to be warm, and she wanted her family back - not just her parents, and her cousins and distant relations (barring the Sackville-Bagginses), - but her dwarven family as well. She wanted it to not be so awkward between them, she wanted the Arkenstone debacle to have never happened at all, and most of all she wanted Fili-
"Bella." She didn't realize she was crying until Fili turned her head gently and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "Bella, what's wrong?" She looked into his beautiful blue eyes, seeing the concern there as well as something else. Love, she thought, and suddenly the tears wouldn't stop flowing.
"I'm so sorry Filli, it's all my fault you're injured and I can't do anything because I'm helpless in my situation and I think you might be better off than I am but I don't know because I can't actually do anything on my own and you deserve someone better than me for your One but I know I couldn't possibly do any better than you and I just want to be someone you can proud of for your One but you're stuck with this useless spinster hobbit from the Shire and-"
There was something on her face. Her brain registered it as someone actually, that someone being Fili, and she suddenly realized that it was Fili kissing her - when did he get so close? - and sweet Yavanna Fili was kissing her!
Her brain shut down.
As Fili pulled away he gave her a smile that made her insides go all squishy while simultaneously soothing her.
"Are you done talking now?"
Bella nodded.
"Good. Now I'm going to do my best to make sure you know exactly how I feel about you being my One. Step One to my master plan: this."
He kissed her again.
"Do we need to go to Step Two?"
He looked into her eyes, and Bella felt as though he could see into her very soul. She shook her head, still a little shaky at this new development, and Fili grinned. "You don't look too certain. Here, let's try Step Two." He leaned in and this time Bella met him halfway.
He was still healing, she reasoned. Best not to make him strain himself.
"I love you, Bella." He breathed out once they pulled apart again. "None of this was your fault, and the fact of you being 'helpless' is our fault, actually. We should've made you stay in the mountain, where it was safer. And, I may be better off than you right now, but I don't think I can be moving around between cots like this so I think to progress my healing I'll have to stay on this one, with you. It's like Gandalf said, we dwarrow heal better and faster when we're with our Ones, and I thought he said something similar for you hobbits."
"So, you're not upset that I'm your One?" Bella looked up at him nervously. He looked slightly offended at her question and quickly put that thought to rest.
"I couldn't have done any better than you, Bella, even if I could choose my One. There is literally nobody else I would rather have than you, and I couldn't be any prouder of you for all you've done for us, and for me." He made himself comfortable on her cot, pulling her against his chest while being careful of both their healing wounds. Then he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head, humming a bit as he thought. "They may have claimed you as a spinster hobbit back in the Shire, but that proves all the more that they are fools. You are beautiful, and brave, and whoever claims that you are useless, including yourself, will face my wrath, along with the other members of the Company." He was serious about this, so for now Bella only nodded along to wipe that look off his face.
She could always argue with him on that point later.
And she would get back to it later, because she was going to be staying in Erebor at least until she healed, although probably for longer based on her current position in her dwarf's arms.
"Will I be able to stay? With you? In Erebor?" She shifted until she could look timidly into his eyes. He nodded, a soft smile on his face as he gazed down at her.
"Amralime, you can stay in Erebor with me for as long as you want. And if you decide to go back to the Shire, we can go there too, together. I'll be with you forever, or for as long as you'll have me." Satisfied at his answer, Bella lifted up and nuzzled him on the chin with her nose, before giving him a quick peck on that same spot and settling back down again, her head resting against his neck with his chin on top once again.
"That sounds nice." She yawned. "I'd like that, Fili." Her eyes started drooping, and she felt something press against her curls for a moment, but it was so brief she felt she had merely imagined it. "I love you, Fili. I'll never part from you… ever… again…" She drifted off to a rumble in his chest as he started humming a familiar tune.
Far over the misty mountains cold…
Nori paused in front of the tent, listening for the murmur of voices inside. He didn't hear any, so he slipped inside. He grinned at the sight in front of him.
Bella and Fili were sharing Bella's cot, the lass using the prince for a pillow while he had his arms gently around her, and both were fast asleep. Bofur was going to have to pay up, and that thought alone made the scene even better.
"If you guys are snogging I'm going to gouge my eyes out; that is definitely not something I want to see!" Nori rolled his eyes at Kili's childishness, and shushed him and the others as soon as they opened the flaps.
"Well, it's about time." Dori muttered and Nori had to hide his snicker. Who knew that his overly protective, fussy older brother would agree to 'such an open display of affection between two youngsters who weren't even courting yet?' (Nori was quoting word for word, here.)
"Aye, and hopefully this will help them heal faster." Oin muttered under his breath about "hardheaded youngsters who dilly-dally too long until it's nearly hopeless to save them." He adjusted a few pillows here and there, and then gestured for Thorin and Kili to be helped back into their cots. "Alright, and that's enough excitement for you two today, as well. I'll not be allowing for anymore excursions from this tent until you must or you're healed. Everybody else, out. This is a healing tent, not a communal meeting area."
There were a few grumbles at this, but everybody shuffled out nonetheless, Dwalin taking up position as guard right outside. Nori waited until everybody was outside and the flaps were closed for him to call out.
"Bofur! Pay up!"
Overall, it was a good day.