A/N: Well, now Bilbo is found. Now what?
For a moment, Thorin could not think. His mind was a jumble of relief, anger and bewilderment that he could not sort out. He could only stare dumbly at the unconscious face of one Bilbo Baggins, stealer of his clothes and the cause of all the unwanted excitement in the Mountain at the moment.
Then, anger winning over his other emotions, he reached out to yank Bilbo out from under that bed. "BILBO!" he roared, "Do you know how worried you've made everyone!?"
It was only after those words had been said that he noticed that Bilbo was entirely limp in his hands, not even flinching at Thorin's roar. An icy chill passed over the dwarf. "Bilbo?" he murmured, worried again. Gently now, he moved to cradle Bilbo in his lap, gathering the quilt and cloak as well. The halfling still didn't so much as twitch an eyelid.
Heart in his throat again, Thorin brought trembling fingers to feel for a pulse, only to jump and curse at how cold Bilbo was. The cursing grew worse when he realized that, though the halfling had a pulse, it was very faint, and beating so rarely that the dwarf almost missed feeling it.
"Damn it all, Bilbo, if you die, I will never forgive you," Thorin muttered frantically, gathering the hobbit up into his arms, and then taking off at a run, shouting for Óin.
"I don't understand," Óin muttered fretfully, "he seems perfectly healthy, apart from being too cold, the slow pulse and the unconsciousness…"
"You said you found him under the bed?" Fíli asked, peering worriedly at Bilbo over Óin's shoulder. At Thorin's nod, Kíli continued,
"But if he was under the bed the whole time, how could he have gotten so cold? The Mountain isn't that cold inside!"
Thorin paused and frowned. Now that was a good question, he had to reluctantly admit.
Suddenly, the door to the Healer's quarters burst open, admitting a very flustered looking Gandalf. "What is all this I hear about Bilbo being dead?!" he shouted. "I swear, Thorin, if you have let any harm come to him-"
There was an uproar coming from the Company clustered around Bilbo's bed.
"Watch who you are accusing things of, Wizard!"
"He wouldn't!"
"Dead?!"
"Hey, now that's not-"
"Shazara!" Thorin roared. He shoved Dwalin aside to face Gandalf. "I found him underneath his bed, too cold and barely breathing. If you can tell me what is wrong with him, do so!"
"Ah!" Gandalf came to an abrupt stop, still several steps away. "Oh dear."
Thorin peered suspiciously at him. The wizard seemed abruptly a great deal calmer, as well as amused and a bit… sheepish? Some of the tension inside his chest dissolved at seeing this, for surely Gandalf would not look so calm if the hobbit was truly in danger?
"Gandalf? What do you know?" he asked sharply.
"Well, now…" Gandalf cleared his throat. "Did I forget to mention the fact that hobbits hibernate?"
The whole room came to a standstill as everyone looked at each other incredulously.
"You're going to have to speak up, Gandalf, I can't hear you!" was Óin's comment, raising his hearing horn pointedly.
"Hobbits hibernate?" Kíli exclaimed loudly, thus making it unnecessary for Gandalf to repeat himself.
"Is that why he's so cold and still? Is that normal?" Fíli continued the question.
There were loud agreements to Fíli and Kíli's questions, while Thorin sank into a chair at Bilbo's bedside, trying to hide the fact that his knees were about to give way from relief. It was all fine, it was normal…
Gandalf stepped up to the hobbit's bedside to poke and prod at him gently, even as he hummed affirmatively at the boys' questions. He lifted Bilbo's wrist, counting under his breath, then put it down gently and stepped back again. "Well, it seems all quite normal to me. The situation is under control after all, good, good. Well, if you have no need of me, then-"
"Wait," Thorin managed to find his voice again. "Perhaps there is something you can clear up for us, Wizard." He got to his feet again, trying to even out the height difference between himself and Gandalf a bit. Mahal, but the wizard was unnecessarily tall. "Why did the Burglar steal my clothes?"
"Bilbo was the one who was stealing your clothes?" Balin looked surprised, Dwalin equally so.
"I knew he looked a bit shifty when we were talking about that!" Glóin exclaimed smugly, Nori and Óin nodding in agreement.
Gandalf stroked his beard, looking a bit amused beneath his moustache. "It is called nesting, Thorin. Hobbits surround themselves with the scent of their loved ones when they are about to go to sleep for the winter. It improves the quality of their rest and helps them save energy to survive the long sleep."
"Ha!" Kíli exclaimed. "I knew it!"
"No, you didn't," Ori grimaced at him. "You had no idea what I was talking about when I brought it up!"
"Brought what up? Knew what?" Dori asked curiously.
"Well, that there is affection between our Burglar and our King, of course," Óin said, bringing down his hearing horn to polish it.
"There is what?" Thorin didn't manage to raise his voice to anything higher than a murmur, stunned as he was. Well, well… This day was full of surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant ones.
"Indeed," Gandalf looked amused. "Well, Thorin, the way I see it, you have a choice. If you care about Bilbo's welfare at all – and I suggest that you do, for you may find the consequences quite unpleasant if you don't – " (Thorin bristled at the implication that he might willingly allow harm to come to his hobbit) "you may either allow him to keep your clothes and quilts to sleep amongst, or you can put him in your bed and allow him to sleep there. Your bed would be healthier for him, quite frankly, as your scent would be stronger there, but it is, of course, your choice."
A good bit of the Company wolf whistled at that, while Dori looked scandalized at the idea. Thorin glared at them all. Nevertheless…
"My bed is big enough," he said stiffly. "I am well willing to share it."
"Good. Good!" Gandalf clapped his hands together. "Well, if there is nothing else, I believe I will take my leave. Have a good day!" And he was out the door before anyone could say anything, leaving the Company standing in the Healer's quarters, wondering if that conversation really did just happen and cursing themselves when they realized that, in all the excitement over the revelation of Bilbo's feelings, they had forgotten to ask the wizard if he knew why Bilbo hadn't warned them about the upcoming hibernation.
Thorin, meanwhile, needed a moment to digest the news of Bilbo's affection. He had known that they got along, and the halfling really had seemed to have forgiven him for the Arkenstone incident (Thorin had to hold back a wince at the memory of that), but…
"Well," Dwalin slapped his king on the back. "Are you going to carry him or shall I?"
A/N: I honestly didn't mean for this to take so long, but RL happened and my muse deserted me for a bit. Ah, well. I did actual research on hibernation for this chapter! One more and then we're done!