Thorin didn't like being told to leave Ali's room so soon after she had finally woken up. Honestly he believed that Bilbo was finally on his side in this whole situation, and then Bilbo had insisted on talking to her alone! Not only that, but Ali had agreed with him. How had they both teamed up so quickly, and with such a comprehensive strategy only moments after she had awoken. Something was going on between them that they refused to tell the rest.

"Bofur," Thorin called from his seat in the main room, starting the toymaker by the fire.

Looking around almost unsure Bofur got up and made his way over, "what can I do fer ya?"

"I want you to go see what Bilbo and Ali are talking about," Thorin said, keeping his voice in a quiet drawl.

Bofur hesitated, opened his mouth to protest, then closed it; turning unsurely he did in fact make his way to Ali's room. Thorin released a breath he had been holding and continued to watch the fire crackle.

"Is that really a wise move?" Balin asked, coming to take the seat next to him.

"Something is being hidden from us Balin," Thorin clenched his fist.

"Are you sure?" Balin huffed up onto the tall chair, shuffling loudly to get situated; Thorin ignored his old friend's ruckus.

"Before she woke Bilbo and I spoke for a long while, mostly of Ali. He seemed to empathize with my situation, as if he were attempting to comfort me. I believed that I had gotten him to join my side after that little outburst last night." Thorin continued to retrace the conversation, looking for signs that there might be something more between Bilbo and Ali.

"How does this conclude with something being hidden?" Balin asked again, Thorin rolled his eyes.

"Ali was only conscious mere minutes before they insisted on being alone, only two people who normally wish to spend time alone would be able to work together that quickly. No, something is going on behind that door, I just don't know what yet." Thorin was sure it would not be anything pleasant for him.

As Thorin began counting the seconds, Bofur and Bilbo walked back together, looking paler than usual. Thorin gritted his teeth, of course Bofur had been caught, he should have sent Kili.

"How is Ali?" Thorin asked lazily, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the questions whirling inside. What had happened? What did they need to speak about in private? Thorin was taken aback when the pair jumped at the sound of his voice.

"She's sleeping."

"Eating."

"Hidden you say?" Balin hummed, apparently coming around to agreement.

"What aren't you telling me?" Thorin stood from his seat, hoping to try and intimidate one of them into confessing something, really anything at this point. He was beginning to feel as though everyone knew something that he didn't. It was his fault for not attempting conversation, he accepted that now, but just barely.

"Not saying? Oh not saying a lot, for instance I stubbed my toe in the dark hallway but only yesterday, I found a pleasant patch of grass to sun myself on, oh and…" Bilbo was cut short when Thorin growled.

Were they trying to play him as a fool? Thorin pushed Bilbo out of the way, blinding determination filled him, he would just ask Ali directly.

"Thorin! Where are you going?" Bilbo darted up to his side, but Thorin paid him as much mind as if he were just a fly. "I don't think this is a good idea." Just a fly that he couldn't swat, lest he upset Ali. "Perhaps you should let her rest, she needs it." The most annoying fly in all of Middle Earth in fact.

None the less his steps faltered as he approached the door, palm resting gently on the handle. Now that he was here what would he say? Really for that matter what could he say? Could he just confess his feelings in haste as he had done before? It had almost seemed a blessing that Ali hadn't heard him the first time. Thorin knew he had not given her much warning about his sudden apparent switch of heart.

Bilbo shimmied between Thorin and the door, attempting to push the larger man away. Thorin snorted bitterly, he wasn't exactly sure what this pathetic show of force was supposed to accomplish.

"Ali has a lot going on right now and needs some time alone." Bilbo grunted, Thorin hoped he knew his efforts were in vain.

"And why is that?" Thorin began to turn the handle, though still hesitant. He was driven simply by the fact that the hobbit didn't want him to open this door.

"Because that's how Ali is used to being. She's been alone for so long, just as I have. Sometimes it's nice to have a quiet moment." Bilbo leaned into his push, still Thorin didn't budge.

"But she doesn't have to be alone anymore," Thorin lowered his voice. Surely if there was something between Bilbo and Ali then he would have just said something. Why suffer through all of this deceit when really the answer is a simple yes or no. Just then it dawned on Thorin, of course the answer is simple but only if the question is asked. "Bilbo, are the two of you lovers?" Thorin asked, stepping back finally.

Bilbo's eyes widened so much that Thorin feared they may just fall out of his head. The sudden change of topic and movement from Thorin caused the little hobbit to pitch forward onto his knees. Clumsily Bilbo caught the waist of Thorin's trousers as the door behind them swung open.

Thorin looked up to see Ali, dark hair mussed from laying in the hay, his blue tunic hung off one shoulder, swallowing up her small frame. Her eye's matched his tunic he noticed for the first time, though they were busy looking at Bilbo.

Slowly Ali leaned her good shoulder against the door, shaking her head, eyes snapping back up to Thorin. "You guys couldn't have found a better place to do this?"

Do this? Thorin glanced down, sudden horror filled him when he realized what it was that she was seeing. Bilbo's hand rested on his waist band still, kneeling down in front of him the hobbits head came just to level of Thorin's…

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Bilbo asked, his voice evening out to a gentle motherly tone.

How in the name of Mahal had he ever assumed something was going on between Bilbo and Ali? Now she assumed the worst of himself and Bilbo. Thorin wanted to defend himself but couldn't find the words. Bilbo only stood, head cocked to the side, he didn't even know.

"Sleeping or not a blow job is something two people should keep private." Ali snapped, "Outside my door is not private."

Bilbo flinched as if he had been struck; Thorin had to admit that it was unnerving seeing Ali upset. He almost missed the realization fall on Bilbo as it had on himself.

"Oh nonononononononnono, that was an accident, I slipped trying to push Thorin away from your room when he asked something strange." Bilbo waved his hands in the air as though he were trying to convince Ali and Thorin that it wasn't his intention.

Finally Thorin found his voice, "it seems as though there have been quite a bit of secrets recently. I think it's time we cleared the air." This was it, Thorin was generally a dwarf who spoke his mind, he had been trying to walk on egg shells up until now and that wasn't working one little bit.

"I haven't kept any secrets," Ali grumbled, looking up at Thorin. Mahal take his heart now or he would be lost in those deep blue depths.

"Really?" Thorin snorted, "What would you call not telling us about your shoulder?"

Ali opened her mouth, and then closed it, he got her with that one. "Fine, you want some truth, Thorin I love you."

Ali reeled back, her surprise mirroring Thorin's. Instantly one of her little hands flew up and covered her mouth, the other slammed the door before Thorin could say another word. What could he say though? This was one of the few times in his life that he blanked entirely. Those same words were on his tongue, those same feelings in his heart. He just never assumed they would spring out of Ali as suddenly as they had.

OOOOOOOH SHIT, generally Ali found ways around cursing, but this was an exception. As her confession escaped her lips Ali wanted nothing more than to grab those traitorous little escapees and put them back where they belonged.

It was just that when she opened the door to the noise outside she had been shocked at what she had seen. Ali had actually felt sick at the thought of Thorin doing that with someone else. A blaze of heat splashed across her face, she shouldn't feel embarrassed about what was going on in her mind. As long as thoughts stayed in your head, she realized, snapping her hand to her lips, making sure they were still, hers had a nasty habit of not staying so secret.

The pacing started back up when she heard low muttering outside the door start up again. One thing at a time, Ali reminded herself, how could she smooth this over? Could she blame the meds? They hadn't knocked her out like she had wanted them to, or at least thought they were supposed to. She did find a pleasant numbing sensation in her body, not enough to rid herself of all the pain, but enough that it wasn't distracting.

No, that simply wouldn't do, if anything else Oin would know she was faking it and might tell Thorin. Oh buttery biscuits, what would Thorin think? Would he be mad? She was after all a nobody and he was a king. A king, Ali spun in place covering her still burning face with her hands, how could she keep forgetting that he was a king!? Being a king wasn't something that you put down in the 'other' section of a resume next to being a fairly good ventriloquist. 'Hey I can make this doll talk with my mouth full of water, also I'm a king, but seriously look at this awesome doll.'

"Ali," Thorin rumbled from behind her little rant. Ali jumped about a foot in the air before she was able to spin around and face him, hand clutching her heart. Thankfully it was just him, standing there, looking confused. "Why are you talking about dolls?"

Ooooof course she said that out loud, Ali wanted to crawl under the table and hide. If it was possible for her face to get any redder than it definitely would have lit up like Rudolph's nose.

When Ali didn't respond Thorin must have taken that as a sign to continue. "Ali, I know we haven't always gotten along well. Which I'm ashamed to say has always been my fault. I thought at first that if I pushed you away then these feeling's wouldn't develop. I was wrong, Mahal knows I have been wrong so many times with you, but that's done now. Ali I love you."

"You don't love me," Ali clenched her free hand in front of her chest, the words slipping out faster than she could think. "I don't know if this is some sort of joke or if you really think you do, but you don't."

"Joke?" Thorin looked as though Ali had reached out and slapped him. Slowly his face darkened, a shimmer of anger and rejection glimmering in his eyes. "There is no joke Ali, you are my one, the one Aule destined for me to be with, these feelings are not false."

"No, no nonono, shhh," Ali stepped up to him as Thorin tried to stop the shaking in his limbs, "I didn't mean anything by that." Thorin took a deep breath. "It's just that, you don't love me, you may kind of like me, but really, you don't even really know me, so how can you know you love me." Then again just now in the hall she had told him the same thing, yet what did she really know about him? Ali was all sorts of a hypocrite when it came to feelings apparently.

"I know when I see you in the morning it's your smile that lights the sky for me in place of the sun. I know that the sound of your laugh is the symphony that plays in my heart. I know that when I watched you draw that last breath I would have given all the gold in Erebor for you to take my breath as your own, as you have done so every time I look upon you." Thorin circled his arm around her waist and pulled her against him despite her squeak of surprise. "I know that when you talk of things I don't understand, I don't care as long as you keep speaking to me. I know that when you are near I feel so weak yet strong, as though somehow you bring out the best and worst of me all at once."

Gently Thorin brushed the hair away from her chin and leaned down, placing the softest feather kiss against Ali's lips. She wanted to say something poetic as well, something downright beautiful, but it felt as though he had taken all her words.

"What do you say to that?" Thorin's lips turned up into the most beautiful smile Ali had ever seen. She could hear the challenge in his words though, daring her to denounce his feelings again, as if she would be able to after hearing that little speech.

"The medicine has made my lips a bit numb, I think you might have to kiss me again," Ali breathed, surprising herself for a second time that day.

Well aren't they all sorts of cute :)

Thanks for everyone who commented, trust me if you leave a suggestion I do my best to make it a reality.

Stay tuned next week for the trip to Mirkwood and a conversation about Batman!

Dun Dun Dun

Have a great week, MUAH!