Chapter 4

Bilbo felt annoyed every time he heard Eric's laughter; apparently it seemed to him very funny situation. Whenever he mentioned how much he resented the way the skin-changers looked at him he burst out laughing.

'Why are you complaining? You don't understand? Nobody will dare to hurt or bother you, because the skin-changers look after you very well.'

The human frowned.

'But they take care of me like I were an object! Something that belongs to someone else!'

Eric rolled his eyes.

'Many humans would do anything to be in your place.'

Bilbo crossed his arms and glared.

'Well, maybe there is a way to make him forget me...'

Eric snorted, but the sound was more like laughter. Bilbo turned to him.

'I do not think that could happen, he has made it quite clear that you are completely his. Bilbo felt his cheeks burning.

'The only way you could get rid of Smaug, it's if someone as powerful as him claim you as his but it's not...'

'But I do not want anyone else to reclaim me!' cried the human, desperate.

'Don't worry, that's not going to happen... do not think anyone would dare to lay his eyes on you, besides none of our leaders...'

'I'm not interested! All I want is to go unnoticed to do what I must... to find him' interrupted Bilbo.

Suddenly, Eric took his chin gently, the mortal looked confused.

'You can never pass unnoticed, not here,' he said. 'Sometimes I understand why they think you're one of "those" humans...'

But Eric was interrupted when he heard one of the skin-changers growling at him.

'Be careful what you do,' he warned, 'it is better that you unhand him right now.'

The bar owner stepped back and raised his hands to show he was no longer touching Bilbo. The mortal snorted.

'Even I can't be close to you, not so much' Eric smiled.

'Explain what you mean by "these" humans' said Bilbo, after a while, he was tired of not understanding what they wanted to say with that.

But Eric shook his head.

'It's silly, I told you already. It is simply a myth.'

'It doesn't matter, I want to know... He also thinks I'm like...

'Who?'

'The hunter who will help me to find Drogo, Tho...'

But Bilbo was interrupted when the entire bar was silent; Smaug had crossed the door that was on the side of Dol Guldul...'

'Come on, get out of here,' Eric said, pushing him gently to the other side of the bar. 'And tell him you want him to leave you alone, tell him you're tired of all the attention you are getting these days and you do not want to see him again...'

Bilbo shook. Of course he would not say that and Eric knew it very well. Suddenly he reminded that he was the only skin-changer who could turn into... a dragon. He was not even sure he wanted to get away from the bar, at least on the other side he felt safer, though he was not.

But when Smaug was in front of him and a smile played on his lips, Bilbo remembered another very important thing: he, much to his dismay, was attracted to him.

Smaug leaned forward and took the mortal's face in his hands. He was so close to him that Bilbo could see his green-blue eyes, they were so deep and fascinating.

'You have no idea how much I needed you' Smaug murmured near his lips. 'You have no idea what I wanted to do just to see you again. I never felt like that, Bilbo. I feel vulnerable... and I do not know if I like it or not.'

The human shuddered, without knowing what to say. He began to feel strange... suddenly he had a strange desire to see him transformed, he knew his dragon form probably will not fit in that place... but he wanted to see him in his hybrid form. He was very curious. Kili had mentioned that only the powerful skin-changers could do that and Smaug certainly had to be one of them. But it was something reckless to ask him that, he probably would enrage...

However, despite all the warnings that he told to himself, he could not resist to ask him.

'Smaug... could I see you in your hybrid form?'

The skin-changer looked surprised. And suddenly, the whole Bar was silent. Bilbo shuddered, thinking he had committed one of the worst mistakes of his life.

'He did not say it seriously! He just arrived here, he knows nothing of our customs!' Eric cried at that time. He looked worried.

Bilbo wanted to step back but Smaug took him by the waist.

'Do you really want to see me?' He asked, smiling. His eyes were shinning.

'I ... well... yes,' replied the human, feeling his face flushed.

Bilbo thought, when he turned and looked at Eric's expression, it would be best to apologize to him and forget about everything, but Smaug did not look annoyed. Bilbo did not even had time to open his lips again because the whole Smuag's body began to change, his skin burned like a bright flame and Bilbo wanted to move away, but the fire did not hurt him. And suddenly something occurred to him that made him close his eyes.

He felt the skin-changer's lips on his, but it was a quick kiss. He timidly opened his eyes and he saw that Smaug was not naked, as he had thought, he wore the same clothes he had when he entered to the bar. He spread two beautiful and red wings and from his head emerged horns... his eyes were now golden and the pupils were no longer circles but had become black lines... and a long tail with hard and cold scales was moving towards him and tangled around his waist. Bilbo flushed because, for some reason, that gesture seemed too intimate.

He was too fascinated to protest. Smaug leaned toward him and smiled, showing his gleaming and sharp teeth. But Bilbo was not afraid of him.

He reached out a hand to Smaug, but stopped quickly, knowing that it was too much. However, the skin-changer took his hand and kissed it gently.

'Please, Bilbo, touch me,' he said, his voice hoarse. 'Only you can do it.'

The human smiled, feeling his heart beating so hard that seemed to come out of his chest. Smaug leaned over and the mortal could slowly touch the skin-changer's horns and his soft dark hair. The tips of his fingers began to run down his face and he realized that Smaug had closed his eyes. Then his hands stopped on his ears, that they were now pointed; Bilbo was so fascinated... he did not even notice when his fingers reached Smaug's lips; he felt the dragon shudder. The skin-changer opened his lips and Bilbo could touch his teeth; he saw him smile before his tongue slowly caressed the human's fingers.

Smaug's tail tangled tighter around his waist and pulled him closer to his body. However, the skin-changer did not open his eyes at any moment. Then Bilbo began to touch his wings and smiled because he wonders how it feels to fly...

And he remembered something very important, they were not alone, they were surrounded by many skin-changers and hunters who were watched them with surprise in their eyes. Bilbo, too embarrassed, tried to get away from Smaug.

The skin-changer opened his eyes.

'What is it?' he asked, taking the human face in his hands.

'Nothing, I just... I have to go back to work' he said, but the tail of Smaug did not permit him to move.

'Kiss me first.'

Bilbo felt his face began to burn.

'I transformed for you, the least you can do is give me a kiss in return,' he said.

'But they will see...'

Smaug's wings covered them; suddenly everything became much darker and intimate.

'They won't,' said him.

And even Bilbo knew that was wrong, he knew it was making him forget the important things, he could not resist to put his arms around his neck and kiss him on the lips. Smaug kissed him passionately; his tongue slowly explored every corner of Bilbo's mouth.

'You just have to say yes and I'll take you to my house,' said Smaug over his lips, 'and I will make you completely mine.'

Bilbo groaned when he heard his words and the possessive tone he had said them. Only then he realized that everything was out of control. So he finished the kiss and took a few steps back; Smaug's wings spread.

'Sorry, I can't...'

But Smaug did not seem upset, but sad; the lonelyness in his eyes that had accumulated for centuries inside him reflected in them. He became into his human form.

He leaned over and kissed him on the nose.

'I could give you everything you want, everything...'

Bilbo just wanted one thing: to find Drogo. That was all he could ask Smaug, but he was still not sure if he was in Dol Guldur and he did not want to risk; he knew that everything in that place had a price.

'All right,' the skin-changer sighed after Bilbo did not say anything, 'I can wait.'

The mortal thought that there would not be opportunity to that; he had to find Drogo and return with him, but he thought it was better not to say that.

Smaug gave him a kiss on the hand and said goodbye to him. Bilbo, still a little stunned by what had happened, returned to the other side of the bar.

Eric looked at him with an expression of surprise.

Bilbo frowned.

'What?'

'Well, I did not expected that he transformed infrot of you...'

'Why? I don't understand... Why did you think that would bother him?' said Bilbo, remembering what Eric had said.

'You never understand anything of what happens here, Bilbo' snorted his boss, but I guess that's because you are a foreigner... See, what you asked for was an incredible lack of respect, especially for someone like him. The skin-changers only use their hybrid form to fight and... well...'

Suddenly, Eric looked uncomfortable.

'It's like if you wanted to see him naked, if you get what I mean...'

Bilbo blushed and covered his face with his hands.

'Calm down, Bilbo... Maybe I said it wrong, but the skin-changers only transformed when they needed, not when someone else ask them and that's why your request was very inappropriate.'

But Bilbo could not stop thinking about that, not even the next day when he had to leave the apartament again to go to Noctem.

However, not long after he left his apartment, someone came knocking on his door.

'What are you doing here? Oh, sorry lord Thorin!' Greg bowed slightly when he realized whom he talked to.

Thorin looked uncomfortable.

'Where is the human who lives here?' he asked as if he doesn't care about it.

'He works at night.'

'Where?' asked the leader of the hunters, losing his control.

'Noctem'

Thorin's expression changed completely, his face was covered with a shade of concern.

'That's the worst place for a human like him' he muttered angrily, as if he were talking to himself. 'I warned him that he should not risk...'

Thorin left without saying goodbye, leaving Greg quite confused. Although he knew it, he was sure since he saw that little human, he knew he would cause many changes in the city. He returned to his own apartment and locked it. He was quite cheerful he was not on Eric's place, he was sure that the bar owner would have many problems soon...

Eric did not have to talk to Thorin to know that something was wrong. First of all, he almost never went to the bar and, secondly, his scowl given him a bad feeling. Suddenly, he realized that his gaze was fixed on someone: Bilbo. Eric rolled his eyes and walked away from the bar as quickly as he could, quite glad that his employee was busy serving customers.

He managed to get in the way of Thorin before he approached to the human.

'What are you doing here?' he asked, to get his attention, because his blue eyes remained fixed on Bilbo.

'Get off my way' growled Thorin, 'this is all your fault, too.'

'What are you talking about?' Eric gave him a confused and exasperated look.

'How could you give work to Bilbo? How could you risk him that way knowing what he is?' snorted the hunter.

Eric rolled his eyes.

'Do you also believe in such nonsense? I'm tired of telling everyone that Bilbo is not...'

Thorin 's expression suddenly changed, Eric noticed it.

'I did not think so until I met him' he blurted awkwardly as if he could not speak.

'These humans do not exist' Eric insisted.

'Then why do I feel this way?' Thorin muttered, as if he were talking to himself.

Eric looked at Thorin intently, trying to find something that would take away the bad feeling he felt.

'Kili!' the two of them heard Bilbo's voice, happy. But neither of them had noticed when Thorin 's nephews entered the bar.

Then Eric saw with horror that the youngest of Thorin's nephews leaned down to kiss the human's forehead, Bilbo tried to move away, but failed to do it on time. And suddenly a group of five furious skin-changers, with exposed teeth approached the brothers.

Thorin walked to them, angry, ignoring all warnings that Eric gave him.