The Miracle of Love
Chapter 24
"I need direction to perfection..."
"Thorin", Bilbo warned, probably for the fifth time in the last two minutes. "Stop it," he ordered and pushed Thorin's hand away.
"What?" Thorin put his best 'I'm innocent' look on his face as he looked at Bilbo.
"You know what. I have to finish this book." Thorin rolled his eyes before he rolled on his back. "You said you were going to watch the TV."
"Yeah, that was before I realized how boring it is when you're watching it on mute without the subtitles," retorted Thorin.
"I can leave if you want," offered Bilbo.
"No! Stay."
"Then stop reaching under my shirt."
"I'm bored," Thorin complained like a child.
Bilbo closed the book and looked at Thorin who was lying on the bed next to him. "You dragged me into you room after dinner. I was perfectly okay with reading in my room. It was you who insisted-"
"Yes, yes, I know. I promised I'd leave you alone."
"Thank you."
Thorin smirked before he spoke again. "Though I don't remember you complaining last night when I found you in my bed."
Bilbo's ears turned red. "I-I was…" stammered Bilbo.
"Nor do I remember you complaining when you woke up this morning snuggled closed to me."
"I fell asleep!" interrupted Bilbo. "I don't know when you came back! If it bothered you so much you could have just woke me up and told me to leave."
"I never said I didn't enjoy sleeping with you," corrected Thorin, "I just wanted to point out that this morning you weren't complaining about my hand under your shirt."
"Now I'm reading," Bilbo pointed out. "And it's quite… distracting, when you constantly try to get your hands under my shirt. Can I continue please, or are we going to discuss this further? If that is to be the case I'm going back to my room."
"I won't say another word."
"Thank you."
Thorin once again tried to focus on the movie, but it was pointless. The movie wasn't interesting when he had Bilbo on his bed. He once again looked at the younger teen and smiled before he spoke. "What is it with you and this baggy jumper? You have clothes that fit you perfectly but you still prefer to wear this old rag."
Bilbo sighed and put the book down. He knew that he wouldn't be able to read much more. "What's wrong with this jumper?"
"It's old and too big for you," pointed out Thorin.
"That's the point."
"What point?" Bilbo sent him a look and Thorin understood what he was trying to say. "Come on. You're in my room. I've seen you naked. I don't think it's a big deal."
"It is a big deal," argued Bilbo.
"You're pregnant. If you thought you wouldn't be showing, you were wrong."
"People stare at me when they see my belly. Even Fíli and Kíli. And I don't like it. It feels like they are stripping me with their eyes."
"Let them stare," said Thorin and sat up.
"No," protested Bilbo when Thorin reached for the hem of the shirt to pull it off.
"We're in my room. No one is going to see."
"You will," Bilbo reminded him and tried to push Thorin's hands away.
Thorin knew he was never going to win this way so he pressed a lingering kiss to Bilbo's lips. "For me?" he asked just above a whisper. And surprisingly Bilbo nodded and lifted his arms so that Thorin could pull the jumper off. He had seen Bilbo's belly many times, but this was still a sight to behold. Bilbo's pajama top was tightly stretched over his belly. Bilbo instinctively pulled a pillow close to himself, trying to hide away from Thorin's gaze. "Don't," said Thorin and pulled the pillow away before kissing Bilbo again.
"I know it's stupid," said Bilbo and Thorin couldn't help but chuckle as he got a better look at Bilbo's pajamas.
"Yes, having trucks on your pajamas is really mature," he joked and Bilbo slapped his arm.
"Don't be an ass. You wanted to see. I know it looks horrible, but-"
"You are still the most amazing thing I have ever seen," Thorin finished, not once breaking his gaze with Bilbo. "You are a miracle," he added before he reached toward Bilbo's belly, but stopped in the last moment. "May I?"
Bilbo bit his lower lip and nodded. "Here," he took Thorin's hand and placed it on his belly. "The last time it kicked I felt it here." They waited almost a minute, but nothing happened. "Sorry. It happens sometimes. Maybe it's just tired…"
"I guess…"
Bilbo couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Thorin, who still hadn't got to feel the baby move. No one did, except him. So he moved a little closer to Thorin on the bed and then pressed a quick kiss on his lips. Thorin couldn't help but smile at Bilbo's innocent kiss. He placed one hand on Bilbo's neck, gently lifting his head so that he could return the kiss, that wasn't so innocent. Bilbo shifted even closer and responded to the kiss with the same eagerness. They continued to kiss until they had to pull apart for air.
Bilbo licked his swollen lips as his breathing evened out. "I could do this all night," he admitted out loud.
"You sure?" Thorin apparently took it as a challenge.
"Mhmm," smiled Bilbo before Thorin kissed him again. The kiss even more demanding than the previous one and Bilbo couldn't help but to moan as he felt Thorin's tongue on his lip, requesting permission to enter, which Bilbo granted immediately. He felt tingles down his spine as Thorin pushed his tongue in his mouth. First just lightly teasing, but when Bilbo buried his fingers in his hair and pulled him closer their tongues battled for dominance. Bilbo let out a needy whine as he tried to pull Thorin even closer.
He completely forgot about Thorin's hand still resting on his belly, so when he felt the baby move he ignored and focused all his attention on Thorin.
"Why…" he all but whined, when Thorin pulled back, their lips swollen and red, both breathing heavily. Thorin's eyes dropped to Bilbo's stomach. "Don't worry about it, it happens all the time," Bilbo assured him and pressed a kiss to Thorin's lips, only to realize in that moment that something was different. He pulled back and looked at Thorin, who had his eyes glued on his belly.
"I felt it move…" Thorin gasped out. "I felt it…"
Bilbo couldn't help but to laugh a little at Thorin's surprised expression as he stared at his belly. "I figured," laughed Bilbo.
"It's amazing," said Thorin in awe as his hands roamed over Bilbo's belly, hoping to feel it again. Bilbo took his hand and pushed it lower on his belly and watched as Thorin's eyes widened as he felt it again. "A miracle," Thorin almost exclaimed and Bilbo couldn't help but laugh as he leaned back down and allowed Thorin to kiss his stomach through his shirt. "You. Are. Amazing," said Thorin between kisses and Bilbo couldn't help but laugh at the attention Thorin paid to his belly.
He had to pull him up so that he could kiss him. "I'm offended that you like my belly more than you like me," Bilbo pouted.
"I like your belly because it's a part of you," answered Thorin before kissing Bilbo's cheek and lying down on the bed next to him so that they were facing each other, his hand still resting on Bilbo's stretched middle.
They stayed quiet for a couple of minutes before Thorin spoke again. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Tell you about what?" asked Bilbo, surprised by the sudden change of topic.
"You know what."
"Oh… It wasn't important." Bilbo looked away and did his best to avoid eye contact with Thorin.
"Still, you could have at least told me about it." Thorin watched as Bilbo did his best to do everything else except make an eye contact with him. "Bilbo," warned Thorin, "You can't ignore me forever. Why didn't you tell me?"
"What's the point?" asked Bilbo, a little annoyed that Thorin still didn't let go. "Ori asked if we would go-"
"And you told him no, before he even had a chance to finish," interrupted Thorin.
"We're not dating!" And once again they were wrapped in the uncomfortable silence. "It's just… It's… He asked if we would like to go on a double date… And we are not dating, and it would be awkward because you know how they are now that Dori knows, and I, I mean we can't just go with them and…you know…" Bilbo trailed off. "I didn't want to say yes because I know you, and I know that you don't do things like that, and then if I said yes, Ori would be all excited, and then I would have to tell him later that we-"
Thorin silenced him with a kiss, so that he would finally stop talking. "I know I'm don't excel at this, but give me at least some credit. I'm trying," Thorin said before he reached for his phone and dialed a number.
Bilbo just stared at him, not knowing what Thorin was planning.
"Yes?"
"Hey," greeted Thorin, "You two still want to go out?"
"Let me check…" Thorin heard Dwalin talk to someone, most likely Ori before he spoke to him. "Yeah, we're still on."
"Excellent. I'll see you in twenty."
"We'll be ready," Dwalin answered before the call ended.
"What was that about," asked Bilbo as Thorin got out of the bed.
"We're going out. Now hurry up and get dressed, we're picking Ori and Dwalin up in twenty minutes."
Bilbo just stared at Thorin, completely in shock. "I'm not going out," he protested, "It's already past nine. You can't just tell me what to do."
"You can go change, or I'm taking you out in you pajamas. It's your choice."
"I told you: I'm not going."
Thorin got back on the bed and leaned over Bilbo, their faces only a few centimeters apart. "And I told you to go change. Now hurry up," he smiled as he patted Bilbo's butt.
It took him a few minutes to get dressed, but when he came back, Bilbo still hadn't moved from his bed.
"I'm not going," Bilbo repeated firmly.
Thorin rolled his eyes before he lifted him up bridal style and carried him out of the room. Bilbo had just enough time to wrap his arms around Thorin's neck.
"Let me down!" he ordered. "I'm not going!"
"You are," answered Thorin and carried him down the stairs. Only then did Bilbo realize that Thorin was serious when he said he would take him out in his pajamas.
"Thorin! Let me down."
"I'm sorry princess, you had your chance to go change, but you refused."
"Thorin," whined Bilbo. "Fine, you win," he gave up and Thorin stopped. "I'm going, I promise," assured him Bilbo when Thorin looked skeptically at him. "Please allow me to go change."
Thorin agreed and put him down. "If you're not back in five minutes I'm coming to get you."
"I'll come," assured him Bilbo before he hurried upstairs to change.
:::
"I'm so happy you two changed your mind," Ori said happily as he and Dwalin joined them. "I was really disappointed when you said you didn't want to go."
"I didn't have much of a choice. Thorin practically forced me come."
"There is no need to complain. You need to go out sometimes, besides it will be fun," Thorin assured him.
"Where are we even going at this hour?"
"He's joking, right?" asked Dwalin and Thorin shook his head. "At this hour? What are you, ten?"
"What…" said Bilbo in his defense.
"It's nine thirty on Friday," Dwalin pointed out. "With other words: time to go out and have fun. It's still too early if you ask me."
"So you go out at midnight or what?"
"Usually at one," commented Ori dryly, "When I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open."
"Why do you even go with him?" Bilbo asked.
"Because it's fun. It's always fun to go with these two. The only problem is that at five in the morning they are too drunk to even know what they are doing and I have to get them home."
"So your idea of fun is babysitting them, while they drink copious amount of alcohol?"
"I'm not always drunk," argued Dwalin and Ori sent him a look.
"It's not that they always get drunk-" Ori tried to explain.
"It was only a few times," interrupted Thorin. "And it was mostly Dwalin."
"Hey! Like you never got so drunk that you couldn't even stand."
"It happened one or two-"
"Or three."
"Fine!" growled Thorin. "It happened a couple of times. But the point is that it was never only alcohol, there were always some other substances involved. While you," he said and looked at Dwalin in the rear mirror, "Somehow always get drunk when Ori is bringing you drinks."
"Excuse me!" interrupted Ori angrily, "it happened only once that someone put something in my drink."
"Yeah, and that bastard lost his tooth because of it," Dwalin announced proudly.
Thorin could help but smile at the memory when Dwalin drank the drink that was intended for Ori and then passed out. It was hilarious to watch him slowly lose his balance and then collapse. Luckily he was completely sober so he hadn't had any problem getting Dwalin home that night. Though he did have a problem next morning when Dwalin didn't stop complaining about his headache.
"You took drugs?" asked Bilbo in disbelief.
"Yes…" answered Thorin rather unsure. "But only a couple of times. You know how overbearing my father can be so I needed something to take the edge off."
"I-I…" stammered Bilbo, "I just can't believe you are so stupid."
"Believe me, he is," interrupted Dwalin.
"Shut up!," snapped Thorin and then spoke to Bilbo again. "It happened only a couple of times. I haven't done it in ages."
"That's not important. The thing is that you took them, even when you knew how dangerous it can be. And what if someone gave you something else and you died?"
"I know the people who deal with this-"
"Okay, change of subject," interrupted Ori, knowing that if he didn't interrupt they would start fighting. "As always I'm playing with Thorin and you, Bilbo, can play with Dwalin."
"I still don't know where we're going," Bilbo reminded him.
"Bowling, we are going bowling."
:::
"This should be fun," commented Dwalin, dryly.
It was Bilbo's turn, and as expected Bilbo had never played before. "So, uhm, how do I do this?"
"Take one ball and throw it. None of us is a professional."
"Thorin," said Ori quietly and pushed his boyfriend's best friend to help Bilbo.
"Take this one," said Thorin and gave a ball to Bilbo.
"Why do I get number seven? You used sixteen."
"Sixteen is heavier and it's best if you start with light ones. Just try it. Once you get the feeling you can use other balls too."
"So I just throw it?"
"Yes."
"Alright then," silently added Bilbo before he focused on the pins. "Here goes nothing."
Dwalin muttered something under his breath and Ori slapped his arm as a warning. "You paired him with me so that we would lose." Ori offered him a warm smiled before he looked back at Bilbo. He always played with Thorin so that they would win. He loved Dwalin, he really did, but he also loved winning and if that meant that Dwalin would be in a little sour mood for the rest of the night he could live with that. He planned to make it up to him later.
"Thank you," smiled Dwalin and pressed a kiss to Ori's cheek as Bilbo threw the ball and managed to knock down all the pins.
Ori's jaw dropped. That wasn't supposed to happen.
"What does that mean?" Bilbo asked as he stared at the display.
"It means that you had a strike and that the next round you get double points," explained Dwalin. "And it also means that we are in the lead." With Thorin's nine, and Ori's eight points, they were still two points behind them. And Bilbo would get double points in the next round. This was very promising.
"Beginners luck," argued Ori and pouted.
"Or we are just better than you two," smiled Dwalin and watched his boyfriend stride to the balls, determined to win this game.
Half an hour later Dwalin's smile was even wider than before. "And another strike for Bilbo," he announced happily as Thorin and Ori sulked in the chairs. "And that means we won by 79 points. Beginners luck, huh?"
"My fingers hurt," complained Bilbo. "Is that normal?"
"Yup," answered Dwalin before he offered a high five. "You sure you never played this before?"
"Yes. This was my first time. It was fun."
"Of course it was, we won!"
"Beginners luck," smiled Bilbo.
"I'm going to get us something to drink and then we can start the next round," said Thorin.
"Okay."
"I'm going with you," said Ori and went after him.
"Thank you, but I'm not Dwalin. I don't need you with me all the time." Ori decided to ignore Thorin's rather rude comment and followed him to the bar where he ordered drinks. "Why do I have a feeling you are here to give me a speech about something."
Ori scowled before he spoke. "Because-"
"I knew it," Thorin sighed.
"No, please, hear me out."
"If this is about Bilbo-"
"Of course it's about Bilbo. Who else would it be about?"
"It's none of your business," Thorin reminded him sharply.
"It is my business, because Bilbo is my friend," Ori answered back. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do, you already know that. Just…" he looked at Bilbo and his boyfriend and it looked like they were having a serious conversation about something. "Just don't give him false hope. Tonight was amazing and I'm happy that you two are getting along, but when I asked him today if he wanted to come he said no because he didn't want to put you in a situation where you don't have a choice. He knows what he wants, the problem is that you're not completely sure of what you want." Thorin wanted to say something, but Ori was determined to finish before he let Thorin speak. "You have to decide. If you want to be with him then tell him so that you can both be happy, if not, you have to stop giving him false hope, because it will destroy him."
"You don't understand. This is not the same as it was with you and Dwalin. Bilbo and I are not in the same situation."
"It's almost the same."
"When you and Dwalin broke up, it wasn't that hard for you because you had all your friends and you knew that there was still a chance that you would get back together-"
"We never broke up," interrupted Ori and Thorin sent him a look.
"With Bilbo it's different. He's pregnant, and once that baby is born… There is no way that it could work between us after that," Thorin added quietly. "It's not worth it. I can't cause him so much pain."
"And do you think you are not hurting him now? I know that look. I know it better than you can imagine. That's me, before me and Dwalin finally started dating. I can tell you that, that look hurts as much as a breakup. When Dwalin and I broke up-"
"I thought you said you didn't," Thorin tried to be funny.
"When we broke up it hurt. I didn't know if we would ever get back together. But it hurt less than looking at him every day, knowing he would never see me the way I wanted him to. You say you only have a few months with him. I would always take a few months with the person I love, over being alone. A few months of love is a lifetime of memories. Don't throw that away just because you're scared you'll hurt him. You love him," Ori stated simply. "Even if you deny it right now, deep down you know I'm right. Take a leap of faith Thorin; it just might turn out better than you think."
:::
"Everything alright?" Bilbo asked when they returned with drinks.
"Yeah, everything is perfect," smiled Ori and allowed Dwalin to pull him in a loving embrace.
Author's notes:
It is quite boring when Bilbo and Thorin are not fighting.