A/N: a new installation. Bilbo is faced with himself and some Thorin's hair

Beta-ed: nanasawayuri

Bilbo was just about to move back satisfied by his own composure when Thorin suddenly pushed him to the ground and ushered them into some bushes, which left him lying on the ground with his face all covered with cascade of Thorin's hair. Bilbo cursed his luck inhaling Thorin's scent, but then things got worse as Thorin wiggled closer almost ending up on top of Bilbo. Bilbo wanted to run but the beast beside them sniffed loudly on the ground. All that was left to do was to lay there and withstand Thorin's closeness. The hardest part of it was to keep his hands glued to the ground, to prevent them from venturing into Thorin's hair and down his back. That would surely be greeted as something strange and unwanted.

He was determined enough to keep his hands steady, but Thorin's head kept moving and his hair started to tickle Bilbo's face. That was the reason, the only reason, he finally lifted his hand to remove Thorin's hair. Remove, nothing more. But when his hand touched Thorin's hair it got a mind of its own. There was nothing left but the desire to pull Thorin by his hair and draw him near. To make him look at Bilbo, and then…Bilbo was too horrified by himself to continue that thought but just in that moment Thorin turned towards him, his face just an inch from Bilbo's, his piercing eyes upon him, and Bilbo felt the tug on his hand as he didn't let go of Thorin's hair. Thorin pulled again and Bilbo let go. Luckily it seemed that Thorin didn't notice anything strange. He signalled for Bilbo to move. Bilbo complied and soon they were crawling through the bushes away from the beast.

"What was that?" asked Bilbo when they were finally far enough.

"A boar," growled Thorin. "A bad token."

"A boar?" Bilbo couldn't believe it. "We crawled all this way over a boar," he noticed that they were still crouched down.

"Not any old boar," Thorin scorned him. "The boar of all boars, Enormous Krill, they say he can talk on the full moon, but those are just children's tales. The truth is, that is a huge boar, huge enough to slay us both and feed us to its cubs."

"I doubt that it would…" Bilbo started but was stopped by loud growl that was far too close.

"Quickly," Thorin crouched and grabbed his foot. "Up, up and quiet."

Bilbo obeyed, climbing up.

"Stop," Thorin pulled his feet and he froze. He stopped breathing as he waited for Thorin to remove his hand, but he didn't. Bilbo cursed his luck as the heat from Thorin's hand started to climb up his leg and caused him to squirm.

"Still," ordered Thorin and he forced himself to stop squirming as the growls, creaks and cracks started to rise below their tree.

Thorin's grip on Bilbo's foot tightened and Bilbo experienced a strange itching on his skin that caused an almost unstoppable desire to tear his clothes off and melt down into Thorin's arms. Bilbo started to blink rapidly trying to get himself alert and sane. He was a respectable hobbit, what nonsense thoughts were those? Then Thorin finally let go of his foot but only to climb up and stand uncomfortably close to Bilbo.

He leaned in to say something and Bilbo had a hard time concentrating for he watched only as Thorin's lips moved. Bilbo blinked again.

"Stuck," was all that he heard.

"No we're not" he said forcing himself to unglue from the tree. "At least I'm not."

With that he launched himself off the branch and walked to the next tree finding safe path among the branches. Luckily this was entangled forest with tree's branches hugging each other, it was like they didn't sought out light, but closeness, embrace.

"I can bring others…" he turned to say that he'll call for backup but Thorin was right behind him crossing over same branches as he did. "How did you…"

"We dwarves aren't as heavy as we may seem," he grunted. "Besides I won't stand here and wait to be saved. Lead on, I'll follow."

And they moved between trees, sometimes higher, sometimes lower, and soon all the grunting and scratching was behind them.

"Maybe now we can make run for it," said Bilbo.

"In a moment," Thorin looked thoughtfully at the ground, listening.

"Maybe you just overreacted over this boar thing," Bilbo decided to poke some. "I mean as a wood dweller, I never feared boars too much, but as cavers, you dwarves might find wood creatures intimidating."

Thorin stared at him.

"I'm not afraid of the boar," he growled. "I just didn't want you to get squashed when you fell behind, you run slow."

"Now it's my fault?" Bilbo raised his eyebrows. "First, I wouldn't run. You just don't run from a boar, you walk away slowly, backwards, keeping the eye contact so you can jump to aside. Boars aren't so smart. Secondly, it's not shameful to be afraid, everyone is afraid of something. I, for one, don't appreciate snakes much, I don't care for them at all. And after visiting goblin caves I won't care much for dropping water either."

"Water Master Baggins?" Thorin looked amused and Bilbo shrugged his shoulders. "It's not fear, or superstition. I wandered these plains when I went in search of my father. I've met this boar before. I would kill it but the word is, men of this land would avenge such act, they worship that boar. But I met this boar and it's a vicious beast that preys on the weak and unprotected. They feed it with children, it's used to hunt two legged creatures."

Bilbo felt somber now.

"And I look like a child," he said evenly. "Well…I appreciate it…I wouldn't want to get…"

Thorin lifted his hand and put it on Bilbo's mouth. Thorin stared at Bilbo signalling to stay still and Bilbo looked back at him, sensing more than seeing the giant shadow beneath them, and finally admitted to himself that he yearned for Thorin. Despite Thorin's harsh and demanding posture Bilbo wanted to crawl beneath that shell and find a warm space where Thorin lives, that smiles, hugs and protects.

The boar finally passed them by and Thorin removed his hand from Bilbo's face suddenly jumping down. Bilbo's heart leapt with him but he held himself up on the tree.

"Come," Thorin ordered and Bilbo descended carefully to avoid the need for assistance.

They ran back in silence while Thorin examined their surroundings. Bilbo thought how he called himself a forest dweller, thinking it would be flattering, because Bilbo was the creature of the tame forests of Shire, not a wild creature like Thorin with the ablility to survive.

"Move," Thorin whispered the order when they finally reached the others. "We're on Krill's territory, and it looked hungry."

They all jumped.

"A boar," Gandalf looked weary towards the forest. "That's not a very encouraging omen. Luckily it's alone, and the white deer isn't with him."

"Actually," Bilbo said quietly so the others wouldn't hear him. "There was a white deer towards the west. I saw it from a tree."

"Bilbo my boy," Gandalf looked him with concern. "Too many magic creatures roam your way. We better hurry. Fili and Kili are headed towards the deer's way. I hope they won't be so foolish to try to kill the beast."

With that they ran forward. As they ran Thorin kept looking back at Bilbo checking on how he was keeping up. Bilbo ran faster.

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