Hi,
It's been a while for this story too.
But for the ones still reading, enjoy.
Bilbo had a bad feeling. The kind of feeling something was about to go wrong. Like bad news would come to his ears at any given moment. He was worried. Worried about the safety of Thorin, worried about the safety of all the dwarves whom had become family to him in the last few months. The noises of the raging battle going on outside didn't make it easier either. He didn't know how long he had been waiting. It could have been five minutes, it could have been hours. Time became surreal while he was waiting and he didn't like it at all.
But it wasn't only the waiting that bothered Bilbo. It was also the fact that Thorin had kissed him before he left. Just a small, tiny kiss on the lips, only lasting for a few seconds. Still it had made Bilbo's mind foggy, making it impossible to think straight. That damned dwarf knew well enough he would catch him off guard and seemingly he had taken advantage of it. Then there also was the problem that they never got the chance to talk. Everything that had happened in the last couple of days lay between them, unspoken. And maybe they would never get the chance.
Bilbo couldn't take it anymore, the waiting, the over thinking. He wanted to go out there so badly, but he knew he couldn't. He would be like a mouse to a cat. A bunch of cats actually. Then he remembered the mythril vest. He was still wearing it and Thorin said no blade would ever pierce it. A smile appeared on Bilbo's face, he could go out and he would be perfectly safe. Without giving it a second thought, Bilbo walked out the gate.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he would see the moment he left the safe walls of Erebor. It was worse than he had ever imagined and he knew the images that now were burned into his memory would haunt him for a very long time. His stomach turned at the sight of decapitated limbs and heads. Bodies of the fallen ones spread over the field. Bilbo felt relieve once he saw the bodies belonged to orcs. Not dwarves, not humans, not elves. Still, he just made it out of the gates and the possibility of seeing something worse was very real. He took a deep breath before he moved on. Carefully dodging the enemy while searching for Thorin and the others. He didn't find them though and it didn't take long before he was captured in the centre of the war. Desperately Bilbo started to search for a way out, while bodies dropped on all sides of him. He struggled through the fighting bodies, not caring any longer if it was an orc, dwarf, elf or man. He had to get out of there, the sooner the better.
Why did he even go out in the first place? What had he been thinking? He got startled when the hem of a sword got in his sight. It was clearly coming towards him and there was no space to get out of it's way. Bilbo felt it collide with his head, then everything went black.
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Thorin walked back into Erebor, being supported by Fili and Kili. The battle was over, they had won and now it was time to get his wounds tended too and rest. He was a little surprised when Bilbo wasn't waiting for them at the gate. He had expected him to be there when they got back. Then again, they had been out there for hours. He couldn't blame the little being for finding something to distract himself. " Can someone go find Bilbo and tell him we are back?" Thorin asked as Fili and Kili put him down on a chair. " We'll go find him, uncle." Fili said. " He's probably at the library." Kili added. The two of them took off, making place for Oin who came to attend Thorin's wounds. " I don't know how you've been able to walk back here." Oin said as he eyed the multiple wounds on Thorin's body. " It's a mystery to me." Thorin smiled. " Must be the adrenaline. Now fix me up before it wears off." Oin started to clean out Thorin's wounds, bandaging them as soon they were done. Thorin closed his eyes while Oin did his work, enjoying the victory they just had. His peaceful bliss didn't last long though. Soon enough Fili and Kili came back, without a hobbit. " Uncle, we might have a problem." Fili started. " We can't find Bilbo anywhere." Kili continued. Thorin opened his eyes again. " He should be here somewhere. Where else could he possibly be?" " We don't know." Fili said. " We looked everywhere." Kili added. Thorin thought for a moment, then jumped out of his chair when realization hit him. " Outside!" He thundered, panic taking over. " That blasted hobbit went outside." Thorin was already going for the gate when.Oin stopped him. " You should rest, Thorin." Oin said, giving Thorin a warning look. " You're wounds are bad enough as it is." " I'll rest once I found that bloody hobbit!" Thorin roared. " All of you, help me find him!" He didn't wait for anyone to follow though, he just ran outside. Thorin nearly got a heart attack when he saw they were gathering the bodies. Piling them up before setting them ablaze. " Stop! Stop!" He yelled, running towards the pile of bodies. " You have to stop! Someone's missing!" " We're only burning the orcs." A man said. " There are no dwarves on these piles, neither are men or elves."
" The one we're missing isn't a dwarf. He isn't a man or elf either. He's a hobbit." Thorin quickly explained. " Small being, bronze curly hair, pretty big feet. Has anyone seen him?" The men all shook their heads. " We didn't see anyone who fits your description." " If you find him, could you please bring him to me?" Thorin asked. " We will." The men promised. Thorin continued his search, looking through the bodies, which still were scattered everywhere. " Bilbo?!" He called out as he walked up and down the battlefield. There came no response, making him fear for the worst. " Bilbo?!" He tried again. Still there came no answer, but he wasn't going to give up. He would find his hobbit, no matter how long it would take.
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Bilbo woke up with a raging headache and a bad case of disorientation. For a while he just lay there, not capable to move, not even able to open his eyes. He wasn't even sure what had happened. " Bilbo!?" He heard someone call in the distance. He knew that voice, he only could not tell whom it belonged to. Slowly he started to open his eyes, making his headache worse. But still he persisted. It was getting dark, so it had to be evening. And it was silent, which meant the battle was over. Bilbo shifted his head a little, which made him see stars before his eyes. Then he noticed the bodies that were scattered all around and on him. He shuddered out of horror, but at the same time he was relieved he got away with only a bad headache. He could have been killed. " Bilbo!?" He heard again. Now he remembered who the voice came from. It was Thorin! Thorin was alive! Thorin was searching for him… And probably very angry at him for going out. " Thorin!?" Bilbo tried, but it came out hushed. There was no way Thorin could have heard it. Bilbo cleared his throat, then tried again. " Thorin!?" It came out harder this time, still Bilbo wasn't sure he had heard him. " Bilbo? Where are you?" He heard Thorin ask, closer this time. " Thorin, I'm here!" Bilbo called, trying to squirm out from underneath the bodies. He heard footsteps coming his way, then the bodies started to move. " Bilbo. Are you alright?" Thorin asked, his face appearing in Bilbo's view. " My head. It hurts." Bilbo replied, staring up at the dwarf. " I'm fine though." Thorin sighed as he picked him up and positioned him in his arms. "Bloody hobbit. You could have gotten yourself killed." Thorin scolded as he started back to the gates of Erebor. "What were you thinking!" "You." Bilbo mumbled, snuggling closer into the dwarfs chest. " I was thinking of you." Thorin felt a wave of affection washing over him as he watched the smaller being.
Bilbo looked perfectly content being in his arms as he marched through the field of bodies. "You're impossible." " I have a strong feeling you are talking about yourself." Bilbo softly interjected. Thorin snickered. "Hush now, little one. Rest."
It didn't take long before they arrived back in Erebor and Bilbo was kind of reluctant when the dwarf put him down. "Oin, tend to his wounds." Thorin called out, as he sat down next to Bilbo. "He's got a nasty wound on his head that needs attention." "So do you." Oin commented as he walked up to the pair. "You reopened some of your wounds, which was to be expected as you wouldn't take the rest I recommended." Thorin sighed. " Take care of Bilbo first…Please." "See, impossible." Bilbo mumbled, earning him an annoyed look from Thorin. "Let me see, master Baggins." Oin said as he started to move aside the hobbit's hair. "It doesn't seem too bad, but it needs to be cleaned out. This could hurt a bit." Bilbo let out a small whimper when Oin started to clean out his wound. It hurt more than he had expected, but he didn't want Thorin to see in how much pain he really was. "All done." Oin eventually said as he put the bandage in place. "You should come and see me every day to replace the bandage. And for the next 24 hours I recommend bed rest." Thorin was already on his feet again, on his way to pick up the halfling. "Your wounds, master Oakenshield." Oin stated, as he saw the dwarf wasn't planning on staying. " I'll come back for them later." Thorin answered, cradling Bilbo in his arms. "First, I'm going to put Bilbo to bed." "Fine." Oin sighed as he gathered his equipment. "But make sure you get back to me today, otherwise taking care of these wounds will be rather uncomfortable." "Aye." Thorin answered before he walked away.
Bilbo wasn't really aware of where they were going. He was dozing off as the dwarven King carried him in his arms. It was only when he got layed down on a bed that he opened his eyes. "You're still awake." Thorin noted. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to take off your filthy clothes." "Let me do it." Bilbo muttered, trying to sit up. It was of no use though, dizziness overtook him immediately, making him fall back down on the bed. "I see you are very capable of doing it yourself, indeed." Thorin snickered. "It's ok Bilbo. I'm glad to help." Bilbo looked around the room while Thorin changed his garments, only then noticing it was not his own room he was in. "These are not my quarters." He stated. "No, they are mine." Thorin answered as he placed a blanket over the hobbit. "I'd like to keep an eye on you for tonight." Bilbo smiled up at the dwarf, who sat down on the edge of the bed. "You should go to Oin, let him take care of your wounds." "Later." Thorin simply answered, laying down next to the halfling. "I don't want to leave you alone just yet."
"I'm fine, Thorin." Bilbo tried to reassure him. "Hush, Bilbo. I'm not going anywhere." Thorin said, staring at the ceiling. "Get some rest. You'll feel better tomorrow." Bilbo let out a big sight, but did as he was told. It wouldn't help to argue with Thorin now, so he closed his eyes instead and stayed silent. As he drifted off to sleep, he half consciously snuggled up to Thorin and as the dwarf didn't seem to mind, Bilbo fell asleep like that.