The Miracle of Love
Chapter 18
Over the weekend everyone was really busy. They all had a lot of school work to do so neither of them left their own bedroom for long. The twins stayed with Bilbo in the mansion while Thorin 'moved' to Dwalin over the weekend to work on a project together. Bilbo didn't see him for two days so he was rather excited about Monday morning.
For once Bilbo didn't have trouble sleeping. He and Thorin kissed. Again. Well not really again because the first time Thorin kissed Bilbo and Bilbo didn't participate in the kiss while this time it was Bilbo who allowed Thorin to kiss him, but not because he felt bad for Thorin, but because he wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss him really badly. I didn't want to kiss him. It would be wrong if I didn't. He put a lot of effort into making me forgive him. But I didn't forgive him, at least not yet. You still have to admit that he was right. Everything he told you was the truth, even though you don't want to see it. Alright, alright… I don't want to see it. I have feelings too, you know. For Thorin. Nooo... I wasn't thinking when I kissed him. You never do when you are around him. Fine, stop talking. But- Seriously, stop talking.
Bilbo entered the kitchen like he did every morning to get breakfast. Fíli and Kíli were already there and so was Thorin. One could say that Bilbo was and wasn't surprised to see him there. For one part it was strange because Thorin never ate breakfast, but still it was expected from Thorin to show up in the morning, all happy and smiling. But that smile didn't last long.
"Morning," greeted Bilbo and sat down. He didn't ignore Thorin, but he also didn't pay any extra attention to him. He filled his plate and started eating without looking up again. Fíli and Kíli on the other hand kept looking up from their plate so see the awkward interaction between Bilbo and their brother.
Thorin remained still for a few minutes before reaching up for a glass and pouring some juice for Bilbo. "Here," he said and put it in front of Bilbo.
"Thanks," answered Bilbo and took a sip without looking at Thorin. He could feel his eyes on him and Kíli's too, but it was no one's business what happened the previous night. He knew that Thorin wanted to talk to him, more like do something else, but he wasn't ready for that yet. His heart made a decision long ago, but his head refused to follow.
"We'll wait for you in the car," said Fíli before the twins picked up their bags and left, leaving Bilbo and Thorin alone.
Bilbo pushed away from the table and put his plate in the sink, while Thorin took his bag. "Thanks," mumbled Bilbo and took his bag from Thorin.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Thorin asked as he stopped him. He was really concerned that something was bothering Bilbo. Bilbo looked him in the eyes, but said nothing. "Please tell me what's wrong and I'll help you fix it."
"There's nothing wrong," answered Bilbo and pulled away from Thorin, only to be stopped again.
"Let me drive you to school," Thorin offered.
"No need. I already have company."
"Bofur," stated Thorin plainly. He didn't like that, not one bit. "Let me guess, he asked you and you said yes?" Thorin was now really annoyed; one could say he was jealous.
"Why are you even asking if you already know the answer?" Snapped Bilbo.
"Why do you always have to say yes to everything he asks you?!" The way their conversation was going it will soon become a shouting match. "You cave to his every whim."
"As long as I don't cave to yours," spat Bilbo back.
"What's that supposed to mean? I didn't force you to do anything you didn't want to do."
"You being all nice, you greeting me in the morning, you offering me breakfast, you driving me to school… Do you ever do anything that doesn't benefit you?" Questioned Bilbo. "Everything you do always has a secret agenda. I'm only stupid enough to fall for your tricks."
"I don't understand…" said Thorin really confused.
"Why did you kiss me last night?" Bilbo's question was simple; Thorin's answer apparently not so much.
"To say I was sorry-"
"No," interrupted Bilbo. "You said you were sorry before. With words. You didn't have to put your tongue in my mouth to say you were sorry. Why did you kiss me?"
"Because…" Thorin knew the answer to that question, but that didn't mean he knew how to say it.
"Because…?" Encouraged Bilbo but Thorin remained silent. "And then you ask me why I say yes every time Bofur asks me out," laughed Bilbo.
"I asked you to go out with me!"
"Right… And a few seconds ago when I asked you why you kissed me you didn't know how to answer," Bilbo pointed out. "You know they say that actions speak louder than words. I completely agree. But sometimes when you want something you have to say it out loud. I'm going to ask you a different question. Why did you want to go out with me?" Once again Thorin remained silent. He wanted to answer but he just couldn't. Feelings, emotions… This was something he never before had to deal with before. "Just what I thought. I didn't want much from you. A word or two would be fine, but it looks like you are not ready for even that. And I don't want to suffer just because you don't know what you want. Bofur answered my question, that's why I agreed to go out with him." Bilbo looked at Thorin once again before he left.
"Where is Bilbo?" Asked Kíli when his brother came to the car alone. "I thought he would be going with us from now on."
"He changed his mind," stated Thorin simply before started the car and drove to school.
:::
What Bilbo wanted was Thorin's simple answer. He didn't want a declaration of love or anything like that, but he wanted to know what was happening between them. How could he go out with Thorin if he wasn't ready enough to be friends with him? He had a feeling that Thorin liked him, or he at least hoped that to be the case, but he also knew that Thorin wasn't ready for anything like this. Thorin was never in a relationship. The closest thing to a relationship represented his brothers with whom he had to live every day. But even this was far from the real thing.
Bofur was his friend. They knew each other well enough and Bofur admitted that he liked him more than just a friend when Bilbo asked him about it. And Thorin? What kind of a relationship he had with him? They weren't enemies, they weren't friends, nor lovers. Nothing, to tell the truth. Bilbo wanted something more with him, but at the same time he didn't want to get burned. He had many bad experiences with Thorin as it is. He never knew what was on his mind or what his next move will be. Thorin was really unpredictable.
As always Bofur was waiting for him with a smile playing on his face. "I thought you won't come," said Bofur and offered Bilbo a warm smile. He offered Bilbo his hand, but his friend walked by it like he didn't see it. Bofur immediately knew something was wrong. "Is everything okay?"
Bilbo stopped and sighed. "No, everything is not okay. We need to talk." At his words Bofur's face lost its color. "This isn't easy for me…" Bilbo took another breath. "I'm sorry that I kissed you that day. You were angry and I just wanted to make you feel better but I unintentionally did something much worse. You are my friend, my best friend and I don't want to lie to you-"
"I know what you are about to say," interrupted Bofur a little hurt. "You want to tell me that you see me as your friend and nothing more." Bilbo just stared at him so Bofur continued. "I know that, but I also know you have a good heart and you are smart so you'll make the best decision for you. I know I'm not Thorin and there is no baby that would bring us closer, but I know you better than I know myself. No matter how many times you will tell me to stop I will always fight for you and your love. I believe that one day you will return my feelings and I will patiently wait for that day to arrive."
Bilbo was speechless. Bofur would do his best to win him over. "I'm still sorry about the kiss. I shouldn't have done that, because a kiss always means something more."
"I'm not sorry. I want to kiss you every day when I see you. I know you are not there yet and it may take a while, but I will wait. Until that happens I want us to stay friends."
Bilbo smiled. "I would love that."
:::
He spent the rest of the day at school with Bofur. Once his friend stopped trying to hold his hand or to kiss him the things between them quickly got back to normal. They talked about a lot of things but there were two topics that both avoided. The first one being Bilbo's baby and the second one was Thorin. Bilbo really missed the time when he could talk to Bofur about Thorin, but now it would just be awkward because in a way Thorin was Bofur's competition. The sad part was that he was already winning, without even trying.
After school Bilbo returned to the mansion. He was more tired than usual and all he wanted was to take a nap, but someone had other ideas. Not long after he returned Kíli barged into his room with heavy history books. "Bilbo," he whined, "I need your help."
"Again?" Asked Bilbo who was almost half asleep. "What are you doing to get so much history homework?"
Kíli remained silent because he really didn't want to answer Bilbo's question. Bilbo stared at him for a few minutes until he got the answer. "I fell asleep. To tell the truth I have fallen asleep several times during history class this week. But in my defense, it was really boring."
"So Master Elrond gave you homework to do what you could have done in school if you weren't sleeping." It wasn't a question, but Kíli still nodded. "Why can't you just stay awake and listen to his lessons," Bilbo complained.
"Because they are really boring. Who cares what happened it the past. What's important is the future," Kíli pointed out and sent Bilbo a look. Before Bilbo could say anything Kíli was already sitting on the bed next to him. "I saw you with Bofur today. Thorin didn't like that, not in the slightest."
"I don't care what Thorin thinks," Bilbo answered back and started going through the books Kíli brought.
"But you should. I don't know what happened this morning, but Thorin wasn't happy when he drove us to school. You were both so happy when you kissed. What changed?"
Bilbo kept going through the book and ignored him until Kíli stopped him. He let out a breath before speaking. "I asked him why he kissed me."
"And…?"
"What do you think?" Asked Bilbo a little annoyed. "He just stared at me like I asked him a super hard question."
"Well for Thorin it probably sounded like that. He knows what he wants but for the first time in his life I think he is scared that if he makes a mistake you will never speak to him again." Bilbo raised an eyebrow. "I talked to Ori. Apparently my brother and Dwalin had a long discussion over this. And you know how Dwalin is, he can't say no to Ori."
"What are you trying to say?"
"He is worried that if he answers your question differently that you would want him to, you won't speak to him ever again," explained Kíli.
"That's absurd. I have forgiven him for everything he ever did to me," reasoned Bilbo.
"And yet when he asked you out you still didn't give him an answer," reminded him Kíli. "So in his eyes you still haven't forgiven him."
"I won't go out with him. We are not even friends." Stated Bilbo firmly.
"You never gave him the chance to be your friend," Kíli pointed out. "I know you were angry at him and he was angry at you too, but every time he tried to approach you, you found a way to make him go away like you don't want him near you. I'm not saying that this is all your fault because I witnessed most of my brother's reactions, but you also can't blame him for everything. When Thorin was nice to you, you accused him of different things and because he didn't understand the subtext of your words he yelled at you and then you two had a fight."
Bilbo stared at Kíli for a minute, thinking of what he said. He was right; he never gave Thorin a chance to be his friend. He claimed that he has forgiven him, but he still found an excuse in his head every time Thorin did something nice to him. He was the one that made Thorin the 'bad guy', not Thorin. Now when Kíli pointed this out to him he finally saw that he wasn't fair to Thorin. "Maybe it is my fault. But-"
"Stop," interrupted Kíli, "Once again you are trying to make Thorin the bad guy here. Why don't you just give him a chance? He will do his best to make you happy, I can assure you that."
"Why?"
"Because I have never seen my brother look at anyone like he looks at you. Give him a chance," encouraged Kíli. "It may be hard and he will probably make a lot of mistakes, but if you help him a little you two can be happy. You'll need to be patient because Thorin has no idea what the word relationship means," laughed Kíli, "But I'm sure that for you he is prepared to learn. For both of you," he added.
:::
Bilbo spent the rest of the day helping Kíli with his history homework. He didn't mind helping him, but he was having some trouble concentrating on the given task. He kept thinking about Kíli's words and he couldn't stop feeling bad about the way he treated Thorin. Part of him was convinced that the bastard deserved the way he was treated, but the other part of him disagreed. The only problem was which side of him will win.
As if the day wasn't long enough, Thráin decided to have dinner with his family. Nor Kíli nor Bilbo wanted to go downstairs but neither of them had much of a choice regarding the matter. They could only hope that Thorin and Thráin will remain civilized.
"As you all know in three days we will celebrate Durin's day," announced Thráin during dinner.
"Durin's day?" Whispered Bilbo.
"Our New Year," explained Kíli. "We don't celebrate it like we used to." Before he could say something else Thráin continued.
"I and my wife will be going away for a few days like always. I deserve some vacation as well."
"With all the hard work," muttered Thorin under his breath loud enough for his father to hear him. Luckily Thráin was in a good mood and decided to ignore his son.
"You on the other hand will be staying here. Before you start complaining let me that everyone is coming back home."
"Everyone?" Asked Kíli with excitement.
"Yes," confirmed Thráin. "Our house is big enough so you are going to celebrate New Year here. Thorin, you are in charge. No wild parties or anything, the house must stay intact."
"Great," muttered Fíli. The last thing he hoped for was for Thorin to be left in charge.
Bilbo stayed quiet for the rest of the dinner. He didn't understand who's coming or why, but he decided to wait until he and Kíli could talk alone. "So let's see if I got this right. You will be celebrating New Year in the middle of October?" Asked Bilbo after dinner when he was alone with Kíli and Fíli in his room.
"We don't really celebrate it anymore," explained Fíli. "Now it's just like one of our holidays."
"Oh… And who is coming back?"
"Balin, Óin and Gloin," answered Kíli.
"And Daín," added Fíli. Kíli immediately sent him a look. "Don't look at me like that. Dad invited him so he'll be staying with us."
Kíli buried his face in one of Bilbo's pillows. "What's wrong?"
"Daín is an ass, that's wrong," grumbled Kíli. "You'll see once he gets here. He thinks he is the smartest one in the room and he'll do his best to annoy Thorin."
"Then why has your father invited him?"
"He is our cousin," explained Fíli. "It would be rude not to."
"Then maybe I could go home for a few days if you'll have visitors. I don't want to intrude."
"Are you crazy? You are staying here," ordered Kíli. "I want you to meet Balin, Óin and Gloin. I'm sure you'll be friends with them because they will love you."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," confirmed Kíli. "They are all smart like you are; I can assure you that you'll find something to talk about. They all go to the best Universities around here so maybe they can help you find a way to get in. They have a lot of connections."
Bilbo only nodded in response. He could only hope to go to university but he knew the chanced were slim. He made a decision and now he'll have to live with it.
The next morning Thráin and Valla left. Bilbo had no idea that happened up until lunch where Kíli happily announced that they were once again home alone. He didn't talk to Thorin much, because there was never the opportunity to. He would swear that Thorin did his best to stay out of his sight. Whenever they saw each other he said hello to him, but that was basically it. And Bilbo very quickly learned that he was starting to miss having Thorin around him. Not that he would admit that to anyone.
The days went by quickly and before he knew it he was sitting in the living room with Fíli and Kíli waiting everyone to arrive. Dwalin and Ori arrived first because they wanted to get some time together before Dori would join them. Luckily for both of them Thorin offered to get Balin from the train station.
"When do you think everyone is coming?" Asked Kíli, impatiently.
"I don't know," answered Dwalin and pulled Ori in his lap closer to him. "The longer they take to come here the better for me."
"So you still haven't told Dori?" Asked Bilbo.
"Don't start," warned Dwalin, but I was already too late because Ori turned around to face Bilbo.
"No we haven't. And it's not my fault. Every time I bring the subject up he finds a way to distract me," complained Ori.
Dwalin smiled before placing a few kissed on Ori's cheek. "It's not really hard to find a way to distract you," he purred.
"I did not need to know that," complained Kíli. "Just tell Dori already and be done with it."
"I wanted to do it," started Ori, "But he refuses to talk to my brother. Now I will have to avoid him because my brother doesn't know."
"Dori would kill me," reasoned Dwalin. "He thinks I'm too old for you."
"I don't care what Dori thinks. I just want to tell him so that we won't have to hide anymore. I have enough of this. I want to kiss you whenever I want and my brother will just have to live with it."
"I repeat, if we tell him he will kill me. Then you can forget about kissing me."
Ori was able to place one last kiss on Dwalin's lips before the heard the front door open. This meant only one thing. Daín was here.
"Is anybody home?!"
Dwalin was the first one to get up to greet him. Beside Thorin he was the only one who could control Daín when he became really annoying. "Daín, welcome."
"Thank you," smiled Daín. "Fíli, Kíli, Ori…" He greeted until his eyes met Bilbo's. "I don't believe we've met before."
"Nope. I'm Bilbo," he introduced himself and offered Daín his hand.
"So, who are you dating?"
"Excuse me?" Asked Bilbo.
"Well I think it's normal to assume you are dating someone I know since you are here and I've never seen you before."
"I'm not dating anyone," answered Bilbo, confused.
"Interesting…"
They all returned back to the living room and waited for everyone else to join them. It didn't take long before Óin and Gloin arrived and Bilbo had to admit that they were much better company than Daín. Óin was studying medicine so Bilbo wasn't really surprised when after a few minutes of talking with him Óin was able to figure out that he was pregnant. His large shirt did a very good job of hiding his belly, but not good enough for a trained eye of a doctor who was able to connect all the facts rather quickly.
Soon Dori and Nori joined them and with their arrival Dwalin and Ori started avoiding each other. They did a very good job but Bilbo had a feeling Nori knew that something was going on. A part of Bilbo couldn't wait for Thorin to come back. He was hoping to at least exchange a few words with him, not just pleasantries. It didn't take long for Thorin to arrive with Balin. Balin was very polite and he knew his way with words. Bilbo immediately liked him. He had a feeling that like his brother, Balin was one of Thorin's oldest friends and his confidant.
Things got a little awkward when Bofur, Bombur and Bifur joined them, but they quickly forgot about everything since Bilbo ignored them both Thorin and Bofur. This wasn't a party, per say. There was food and drinks, but it still wasn't like a party Fíli and Kíli managed to organize. The only one who thought this was a party was Daín, who was the only one who consumed enough alcohol to get drunk.
"So what do you want to study?" Asked Balin once he got a few minutes alone to talk with Bilbo. Ori, Fíli and Kíli were once again playing games on the TV so most of the guests were focused on them.
"Me? I wanted to study literature. I wanted to go to Rivendell. They have a large library so I would be able to do some research there," answered Bilbo and nervously played with the empty glass in his hand.
"You said you wanted to go. Does that mean that you don't want to do it anymore? Did you change your mind?" Asked Balin.
"No, no…" quickly said Bilbo. "I still want to go, but I accepted the fact that it's not happening… So, why dwell over something that will never happen."
Balin was silent for a few moments. "So what are your plans for the future? You must have thought about that."
Bilbo was a little embarrassed to answer all of Balin's questions, but he didn't want to hide it. Sooner or later everyone will know so what was the point. "Once I'm done here-" started Bilbo with a lump in his throat.
"You mean with the baby?" Interrupted Balin and Bilbo nodded in response.
"Once I'm done here I will move back to my parents and finish high school," he continued after he cleared his throat.
"And then?"
"I already worked in the grocery store nearby so…" Bilbo looked away for a second. It wasn't easy for him to talk about these things. "If you'll excuse me for just a moment," he said before he disappeared into the kitchen. He pretended that he wanted to get something to drink, but in reality he just wanted to get away for a few minutes before he would start crying. He accepted the things as they were and he decided not to cry over them so for these tears that escaped his eyes only his hormones could be blamed.
"Interesting…"
Bilbo jumped with surprise when Daín spoke. He quickly wiped his tears away before facing him. "I didn't hear you enter."
"Of course you didn't. You are so busy with yourself," Daín continued. "So tell me, what are you hiding?"
Bilbo just stared at Daín. "What makes you think I'm hiding something?"
"You are definitely hiding something," continued Daín and looked at Bilbo as if he was the hunter and Bilbo the game.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," insisted Bilbo.
"The way he looks at you. Like he actually cares. He watches your every move only to make sure you are happy. And the other one, whose feelings you'll most likely never return, is still hoping for his happy ending." Daín was obviously a really good observer, but he was also very creepy and Bilbo started to feel uncomfortable with Daín standing so close to him. "You say that you are not dating anyone, yet here you are. There has to be a reason for that." Daín reached toward Bilbo's shirt and automatically Bilbo took a step back. Daín grinned because he guessed right. "Let's see what you're hiding."
Bilbo had no other option but to try to back away from Daín, but unfortunately he quickly felt the kitchen counter blocking his exit. Now he was trapped. Once again Daín reached for his shirt and this time Bilbo slapped his hand away. "No!"
"Come on, let me see…" Daín managed to grab the hem of Bilbo's shirt and tried to pull it up while Bilbo did his best not to let him win. Unfortunately for him Daín was much stronger than him and was easily winning the fight.
"Let go of me! Let go of my shirt!"
"I just want to take a look."
A moment before Daín would get his way someone pulled him back. "He told you to let go!" Growled Thorin and pushed Daín into the wall. He turned back to Bilbo who was breathing heavily. "Are you alright?" Daín used his lack of focus to push him away and before Thorin even realized Daín's fist connected with his face.
"Thorin!" Gasped Bilbo.
It took him only a few seconds to realize what was happening before he once again pushed Daín into the wall. He would probably beat him beyond recognition if it wasn't for Dwalin who ran into the kitchen the moment he heard Bilbo's cry for help.
"Thorin," said Dwalin and pulled his friend away. "Stop!" Daín would probably try to attack him again if Dwalin wouldn't release his friend and pull him away. "You are drunk," he stated firmly and dragged him from the kitchen.
"Come with me," ordered Thorin and pulled Bilbo out with him. The younger boy couldn't do much but follow him. Thorin led him to the bathroom and closed the door behind them. "Are you alright?" He asked as he cupped Bilbo's cheeks to force him to look him in the eyes. "Are you both alright?"
"I'm fine, Thorin," said Bilbo and pushed away from him as if Thorin's touch has burned him.
Thorin nodded before he turned around and searched the cabinet for the medical kit. Daín's fist still managed to cut his lip. It wasn't bad, but Thorin still wanted to take care of it. Bilbo immediately realized he did something wrong. Again. Thorin tried to help him and he once again pushed him away.
"Here, let me help," said Bilbo softly and pushed Thorin to sit on the edge of the bathtub. He gently lifted his chin up to get a better look. As expected Thorin hissed in pain the moment Bilbo touched his lip. "Sorry." Thorin's hands slowly reached toward Bilbo's belly, but Bilbo slapped them away. A minute later Thorin automatically did the same when the pain became unbearable. "Thorin no!" Said Bilbo and once again slapped his hands away from his belly. He didn't want anyone touching him, not after Daín wanted to do the same.
"Why did you keep it?" Asked Thorin after a few minutes of silence.
Bilbo looked him in the eyes for a moment before he focused back on his lip. It took him a few minutes before he spoke. "I worked very hard for everything I earned in my life," he started slowly. "All my grades, my toys, my presents, books,… I had to help someone to get them. I didn't mind because my parents told me that was the right thing to do, but I still couldn't help but feel that nothing was really mine. Most of the clothes I got from my cousins and later Frodo got them. Small gifts for my birthday weren't really for me because I have a little brother so he didn't understand that they were meant for me. I had to share everything I got, because nothing was really mine. I tried to do good in school so that I would get a scholarship, but I still knew that my parents would have to pay some of it and that meant that my brother would be left out. No matter how much I wanted certain things I knew I couldn't get them. And then I found out I was pregnant. The first thing in my life that would belong to me, only to me. I was happy and terrified at the same time because I wasn't sure how things would work out, but I still decided to keep it because it was mine. I've never imagined for things to go the way they did."
Bilbo took a deep breath before he spoke again. "A part of me was happy because it was also a part of you. I wanted to keep a part of you for myself. I know I was selfish but I just couldn't let go."
"Yet you still decided to sell the baby to my father," said Thorin once Bilbo was done. The moment he said those words he knew he did something wrong because Bilbo left the bathroom before he could say another word.
:::
It took Thorin almost half an hour to find him. Bilbo was standing in the garden looking at the full moon.
"It's a beautiful night," said Thorin.
"It is." Bilbo could feel as Thorin put his jacket on his shoulders to keep him warm. He was so upset he ran outside wearing nothing but his shirt. "I'm sorry about what I did," apologized Bilbo. "But I was trying to do what I thought was the best for my baby. We are not in the best financial situation at home and your father threatened to get this baby one way or another. You don't know how it feels not knowing if your parents will still have a job next month. Your father promised me to take good care of my baby. My baby will have everything. A roof over its head, food, good education, carefree life… I was never going to pass on the opportunity like this." Bilbo turned around to face Thorin. "I'm sorry," he said, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Thorin cupped his cheeks and wiped them away. "I'm not angry about what you did. I just feel betrayed that you did this all behind my back. If you would just have talked to me, maybe things would be different."
Bilbo couldn't hold back anymore. He wrapped his arms around Thorin and started crying into his chest. No matter how much he tried to deny it, he needed him close. Thorin wrapped his arms around him and allowed him to cry for a few minutes. "Everything is going to be alright, you'll see," soothed Thorin. "We'll get through this together."
Bilbo smiled through his tears before getting on his toes and pressing a kiss to Thorin's cheek. Thorin smiled before he leaned down and gave Bilbo a kiss on the lips. They both pulled back immediately. Thorin's hand went on his still sore lip, while Bilbo's hand went on his belly.
"Is everything alright?" Asked Thorin, worried that something was wrong.
I felt my baby. That was definitely my baby. "Everything is perfect," smiled Bilbo, a hand still resting on the swell of his belly.
"Let's go back inside. Everyone is probably wondering where we are," said Thorin before he led Bilbo back in the house while holding his hand.
Author's notes:
All mistakes are mine.
I absolutely hate Bilbo's whining. Seriously, it's getting annoying.
So, did you like this chapter? We are slowly getting somewhere. Really slowly. But you know, things can change. Judging by the ending, things are looking really good for the two of them. Are they really?
I want them to be together already, but at the same time I don't. But we have to make some progress with them before certain someone can screw things up once again. Don't you agree? I'm not doing this on purpose, but if you'll read the next few chapters carefully you'll quickly realize that something is wrong. I'm not telling you what. You'll just have to wait and see.