Bilbo fell on his bed with an exasperated sigh. The hobbit was confused. Did Thorin Oakenshield reciprocate the hobbit's feelings towards him? Well, Bilbo thought that he did before what happened at the battlements.
He knew that Thorin wasn't in his right mind when he threatened to kill Bilbo. The gold sickness was influencing him. However that day still haunted Bilbo. He would wake up in the middle of the night sweating due to a nightmare. That nightmare was always Thorin attacking him.
After the battle he thought that Thorin had finally come to his senses. He managed to convince Thranduil to heal him but what happened when Thorin awoke… well he didn't know how to quite describe it.
Oin had approached Bilbo while the hobbit sat in a tent with Gandalf. Once there Bilbo had begun relentlessly questioning him due to the hobbit's anxiety. Well, it only took a single slap from Oin to silence him. Bilbo stood there in shock, unable to process what had just happened. Oin simply stood glaring at him and told him to take a seat. Oin then told Gandalf that Balin was looking for him and with that, Gandalf took his leave.
"It's over, laddie," Oin told Bilbo.
Bilbo just gaped at him, his heart breaking and the very fabric of his soul being torn apart at the revelation regarding the demise of King Thorin II Oakenshield. That is before Oin started guffawing like a madman. Bilbo looked at him aghast, unable to see exactly what was humorous about a death. That is until Oin cleared it all up.
"I mean he finally regained consciousness."
Bilbo all but yelled at Oin, "You think that's funny? You think tricking a hobbit about his love's death is a joke?" Before realizing exactly what he had said, "Not… I mean… it's just that… well…"
"Save it, Bilbo. I've known since the Carrock. After all I'm deaf not senseless and who do you think I am? Dwalin?"
"Not senseless?"Bilbo ignored the implied insult to Dwalin.
"Why, of course! Even a blind person could see it."
Bilbo decided to change the topic, unable to comprehend Oin's logic, "So Thorin's awake?"
"Yes he is. Ol' leaf tickler worked some magic and it took just a few hours for that Durin idiot to awaken. He wants to see you, laddie. I think it for the best if you do go meet him."
Bilbo got up and sprinted towards the tent accommodating Thorin before Oin's voice made him stop in his tracks. Looking back he realized that Oin was not done.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Just make sure that he doesn't exert himself too much. Oh, and Bilbo, we did it. We did it. I never doubted you. You see I always knew you would get the job done because unlike the others I was paying attention at Bag End and I heard you saying that you're an expert. I know from experience that experts always get the job done. Now go see that insufferable idiot and don't hesitate to knock some sense into him."
Bilbo felt himself swelling in pride at Oin's words. He remembered how Fili, Kili, Bofur and Balin had been the only dwarves whom actually befriended him. While Oin had not been at all open, Bilbo remembered that unlike the others Oin never criticized Bilbo and firmly believed him to be an expert burglar who was just pulling their legs with his mistakes.
But all those memories were lost when he saw Thorin. The dwarf lay on a bed looking like… well death. Slowly he opened his eyes and with much difficulty he focused them on Bilbo.
"Bilbo," his voice came as an unearthly rasp.
Bilbo expected him to apologize for his actions before the battle but he was not expecting what Thorin really had in mind. " Yes Thorin?"
"Marry me," Thorin drawled.
Bilbo looked at him thoroughly thoroughly unimpressed. "I beg your pardon?"
Thorin gave him a goofy smile, "Yavanna has blessed our marriage. Let us not linger. Call forth Balin and begin the preparations."
"Uh, Thorin are you feeling alright or more specifically are you feeling sane?"
"Will you Biblo Boggins do me the honour of accepting my marriage pvopoval?"
"Ok Thorin, firstly it's BiLBo not BiBLo. Secondly it's Baggins not BOggins. Thirdly it's proposal not pvopoval. Furthermore did you take a hard hit to the head? Or are you drunk? Did someone put your head in a bag?"
"I only want to be in one bag and that's Baggins."
Bilbo looked at Thorin scandalized, "Be that as it may," Thorin was busy making kissing noises, "Haven't you forgotten something?"
"Do not worry, my Halfling, you're not half of anything." He then began giggling as if Aule himself had descended and blessed him.
"I'm talking about what you did to me regarding the Arkenstone. I belive I deserve an apology."
That brought Thorin out of his giggling fit. "I'm sorry."
"That's it?"
"No I wrote a song for you."
Bilbo was now sure that Thorin had indeed lost his mind. That theory was only confirmed when Thorin began singing:
Far ovaaa the Missssty Mountains cooold
To valleys deep and Halflings old
I must awake my choice to make
To find my One beloved bowl
My heart was roaring for a fight
My hobbit was moaning in the night
His hair was curly it spread to his feet
Our love like torches extinguishing light
Bilbo stood listening to the deranged, inappropriate and rather poorly sung song that Thorin had composed. Once finished Thorin gave him a watery smile, "I vove youv," he said.
Now was not the time to reveal his feelings to Thorin, Bilbo realized and he wondered if everything Thorin said was genuine or not. Anyway now was not the time.
"Bilbooooo, do you vove me too?"
"Not now Thorin, you're not in you right mind."
Thorin's eyes began watering, not something Bilbo ever expected to see. "You hate me," he wailed.
Wailed. Thorin was wailing? What new devilry was this? "It's not that Thorin. I love you very much but I cannot marry you."
Thorin glared at him, "You're a hippo crate."
"A hippo? Crate? Oh you mean a hypocrite."
"Yes you twick me. I will get my vevenge. But more impotantly I will get you. Remember I know where you vive."
Bilbo decided to put an end to the madness and took Oin's advice to knock some sense into Thorin and smacked him on the head effectively knocking him out. Wow. What happened to the thick skulls of the dwarves? Whaa]t happened to we are made of stone?
On his way out he saw Oin and told him that Thorin had fallen asleep. That was how that day ended.
But ever since then Thorin had shown no interest towards Bilbo but Bilbo had caught Thorin stealing longing glances at him. Now he wondered how to inform Tgorin of his feelings. Should he be blunt and blurt them out before the dwarf? No subtlety was the answer. But before that he had to find out about Dwarven courting customs.
But who should he approach for help? Gloin and Bombur were the only married dwarves he knew. However Gloin instead of giving advice would launch into stories about his wife and son and he also had an unfortunate tendency to babble when drunk. Bombur on the other hand would encourage Bilbo to cook some delicious treats and grow a beard and eat. Not very helpful advice to be honest.
Bofur was quite taken with Caliuen. Bilbo didn't mind that, in fact he quite liked the dragon-daughter. She had good manners and well the list went on and on. However Bofur was taking him to Dale tomorrow and perhaps he could ask him there. Bilbo found it difficult to communicate with Bifur so that wasn't an option.
Dori would be a good source, but Bilbo was sure that Dori would be able to meddle out information about whom Bilbo loved if he didn't know already. Apparently Dori had given up his One to continue living and supporting Nori and Ori and Bilbo found that truly impressive. Nori was very agitated recently, perhaps that came with being Spymaster. But Nori frequently inquired about when the Lady Galadriel would arrive from Lothlorien. There was a story behind that, definitely but Bilbo had bigger worries.
Oin probably wasn't one to approach and neither was Dwalin. Bilbo was never going to take this to Fili or Kili. Balin was ok.
But Ori! Ori was perfect. Ori would tell him everything there is to know and would also find him some excellent books to refer to.
That left Bilbo with four options. Balin, Bofur, Dori and Ori. They would surely hold answers.