Bilbo woke up again when the sunlight was already seeping through the curtains.

He felt warm and cosy and the smell that lingered in his nose made him at ease.

For a little while he kept his eyes closed, not wanting to let go of that peaceful feeling.

The warmth, the safeness, the way his head was rising and falling with every breath…

Bilbo's eyes flew open when he realised that this last one wasn't supposed to happen, only to find himself lying on the dwarven king's torso with his head, his arms loosely wrapped around him.

Carefully he removed himself from the dwarf, supporting his head with his arm as he watched a sleeping Thorin.

It was a rare view to see him so relaxed. No sign of troubles on the dwarf's face.

It made a wave of affection flow through Bilbo, one he hadn't experienced a lot before.

"Are you amusing yourself, master Baggins? It takes courage to hover over a sleeping dwarven king. Mahal knows what he might do to you."

"You're awake." Bilbo stated surprised.

Thorin smiled, yet he didn't open his eyes.

"Aye, just didn't want to wake you."

Bilbo felt his cheeks going hot. "You've been awake all along…"

Thorin, who had opened his eyes, noticed the halflings' discomfort.

"It's fine, Bilbo." He said, turning himself towards the hobbit. "I don't mind you snuggling up to me."

"I didn't intend to." Bilbo started, still flustered. " It just kind of happened."

Thorin chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Bilbo asked, confused.

"You." Thorin simply answered. "You're cute when you're nervous."

"And whose fault might that be?" Bilbo shot back as he sat up.

"I don't know, Bilbo." Thorin answered in an innocent tone, following the hobbits' lead. "How's your head?"

"It's fine. It doesn't bother me much." Bilbo replied. "What about you? Did you get your wounds tended to by Oin?"

"Not really."

"Thorin…"

" I couldn't really move for the entire night, Bilbo." Thorin said. "And whose fault might that be?"

Bilbo, who felt his cheeks flash red once more, took a pillow and threw it at the dwarf, making Thorin burst out into laughter.

"Blasted dwarf." Bilbo mumbled, as Thorin continued laughing.

The dwarf's laughter faltered as he started to cough. A cough that was painful by the look on Thorin's face.

"Maybe we should pay Oin a visit." Bilbo said, slightly worried. "You're in pain"

"I'm fine." Thorin said between coughs. "It can wait"

" No, Thorin. It cannot." Bilbo replied, getting out of the bed. "I won't ignore the fact that you are in pain. Get up, we are going to get you checked out."

Thorin sighed, but did what Bilbo told him, flinching again as he stood up.

Bilbo raised his brow. "Fine, you said?"

"I'm just a bit stiff, Bilbo." Thorin interjected. "Come on now, let's see if we can find Oin."

"What do you mean, he is not here?" Bilbo asked, agitated. "Where is he then?"

"Out. Tending to the wounded that are still on the battlefield." A startled Nori answered. " I don't know when he'll be back."

Bilbo shook his head in disbelief. "Then who is going to take care of Thorin's wounds."

"It's fine, Bilbo. I can wait." Thorin replied, trying to take the halflings' attention from the other dwarf. "There will be dwarfs out there who have worse injuries than I do. They have a right to treatment too."

"But, but…" Bilbo mumbled.

"Bilbo, enough." Thorin stated, a stern tone in his voice. He had been able to put up with the halfling's shenanigans for quite a while, but now he was crossing a line.

"I'm sorry." Bilbo said softly. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just, I'm worried about you."

The dwarf ruffled through the hobbit's curls. "I know that. But waiting a few more hours will do no harm."

"Will you let me take a look at them then?" Bilbo hopefully asked. "Maybe we won't need Oin after all."

Thorin looked at the enthusiastic hobbit, knowing that his intentions were good, yet he declined the offer.

"It's better you do not. If something doesn't go as planned, you might make things worse instead of better. Besides, I'd like to go out and see the damage that's done for myself."

"No, you're not." Bilbo, who couldn't believe the stupidity of the idea, interjected immediately. "You are injured."

"I'm their king. To show my face would increase their stamina." Thorin spoke. "It is my people who are out there, the least I can do is check on them."

"Much of a king you'll be if you end up dead." Bilbo replied irritated. "But knowing you, you will go out anyway."

"For the last time, Bilbo, I'm fine." Thorin stated. "And you are right. I will be going out anyway."

"Can we at least get something to eat first?" Bilbo asked. "I'm pretty hungry."

Thorin chuckled. "That'll explain your irritable behavior."

" Beg your pardon?"

"Nothing, Bilbo. Let's go eat."

Thorin didn't know what he expected to find outside the halls of Erebor, but he definitely didn't expect this.

In the daylight, the ravage of the battlefield became very clear. Bodies still shattered everywhere, although multiple piles of burning dead were still ablaze.

The dwarf carefully made his way through them, trying not to step on any of the fallen creatures. Bilbo following right in his footsteps

His heart ached for the many fallen dwarves and men, even a bit for the fallen elves he saw here and there. It made him wonder if all this bloodshed had been worth it.

They walked further onto the battlefield, the dwarfs face getting grimmer the further they got.

More bodies were scattered across the grass, grass that had turned rusty red by all the blood that was shed. The injured were sitting between the bodies, some of them still trying to help with healing others or putting bodies on one of the countless piles.

His heart cried for all the lost souls and to his surprise, tears fell from his eyes too.

When he couldn't find the strength to go any further, the dwarven king simply lowered himself onto the ground, pulling his knees against his chest in an attempt to find some comfort.

"Thorin?" Bilbo asked hesitantly, placing his hand on the dwarf's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

Thorin shrugged the halfling's hand away, not wanting his sympathy.

"Thorin." Bilbo tried again, sitting down next to the dwarf. "I know it's all a bit much to take in and that the events that took place here were horrific. You could say the evidence is hard to look at, but in the end it's not your fault."

Thorin looked at him with dismay. "Is it not, Bilbo? Wasn't I the one who hid behind the walls of Erebor? Forbidding my kin to go out and help. Wasn't I the one who turned my back on them in a time of need? I left them to this fate!"

"It was impossible to know that the army of orcs was marching upon us." Bilbo interjected, not wanting the dwarf to take the blame for everything. "And in the end, you went out, with your kin, you did help."

"If it wasn't for me, they all wouldn't have been here in the first place." Thorin snarled, gesturing to the bodies around them. "If I hadn't been so infested with dragon sickness, if I hadn't lost my mind, all of this could have been prevented!"

" That's the thing, Thorin. You weren't in your right mind." Bilbo softly said, scooting closer to the dwarf. "So will you stop blaming yourself."

Thorin shook his head. "You, out of everyone, are telling me I'm not to blame. Have you forgotten how I've treated you? Did you forget I wanted to throw you over the wall? For a damned piece of jewelry nonetheless. Mahal knows why you are still around… but I surely didn't treat you like I should have."

" Because I forgave you. Yes, you've hurt me. But then I came to realize, that dwarf wasn't you." Bilbo replied. "Not the real you at least. I'm not holding you accountable for the things you said or did while your mind was clouded by the dragon sickness, neither should you."

" I don't deserve your forgiveness." Thorin mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm very capable of deciding for myself, who I want to give my forgiveness to." Bilbo interjected, getting to his feet. "Come on, get up. We can't keep sitting here on the cold ground."

Thorin let out a big sigh. "Much of a king I am. And at what cost it has been for me to become it. I'm not worthy of this title. Just leave me here."

Bilbo crossed his arms over his chest, getting tired of the dwarfs' self-pity. "Thorin Oakenshield, you stubborn dwarf. I know you are grieving. But now you are going to listen to me. Yes, you made mistakes and you paid the price for it. But for the love of Mahal, enough with the self-loathing"

The dwarf looked up at Bilbo in wonder, not sure how to react.

"Can't you see, Thorin." Bilbo continued as he crouched down in front of him. "It's the fact that you care… that you feel defeated by the fate of the fallen ones, that makes you worthy of being king. Now get off your ass and show them you care."

"And how exactly am I going to do that?" Thorin asked as he got to his feet.

"By helping them." Bilbo announced. "Let's help them take care of the wounded or with salvaging the dead."

Without saying another word, Thorin pulled Bilbo into a tight embrace. Taking in the warmth and the smell of the smaller being as Bilbo placed his head against his chest.

"Thank you." Thorin whispered into the halfling's ear. "For still standing by my side."

The sun had already set before they returned to the misty mountain, both exhausted by the day they had.

They had helped tending to the wounded for the entire day, only stopping for a little rest every now and then.

They walked up to the dwarven king's room in silence, both too deep in thoughts to make conversation.

"Bilbo." Thorin started after they entered the room. "Thank you for today. You didn't have to stay with me, or to help for that matter. But you did and it means more to me than words can describe."

"Of course, Thorin. It was the least I could do." Bilbo replied, rubbing his temples. "I'm happy I got to help you and your kin."

Thorin smiled. "You're to good for this world."

Bilbo huffed. "Nonsense. I'm just a simple hobbit, who happens to care about you lot. Nothing more."

"Still, it meant a lot to me." Thorin replied, moving closer to the halfling. "It's good to know, that after everything that has happened, you still care."

"I never stopped caring, you silly dwarf." Bilbo stated. "I know it didn't always seem like it and I for sure did some things that weren't very convincing to prove it to you and the others. But everything I ever did was in your and your kins best interest."

"If you mean stabbing me in the legs and such, that indeed was a bit confusing." Thorin spoke, laying his hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "But the reason behind it was genius, if I might say so. I won't hold it against you."

"It isn't only that, Thorin." Bilbo sighed, stepping away from the dwarf. "But could we please discuss this another time? My head hurts and I'm tired. I'd like to go to my room and get some sleep."

"Your room?" Thorin asked surprised, feeling a bit disappointed.

"Yes, my room." Bilbo answered, making his way to the door. "Can't expect to be allowed in the king's bed every night now, can I."

"I'd like you to stay." The dwarf blurted out, grabbing Bilbo by the wrist. "Really, I don't mind. Also, it gives me the chance to keep an eye on you."

"Why would you want to keep an eye on me?" Bilbo asked confused, nevertheless he didn't make an attempt to break free out of the dwarf's grip.

"Because you just said your head hurts and you've been rubbing your temples the entire time we've been here." Thorin replied, gently leading the hobbit to the bed. "Sit, let me check your wound."

"Speaking of that, you still have to go see Oin." Bilbo pointed out. "You should be more worried about your own wounds then about mine."

Thorin chuckled while he carefully removed the bandage from Bilbo's head. "I will Bilbo, but I'm feeling fine. There's no need to rush… Let me clean out your wound first."

The dwarven king took a piece of cloth from one of the drawers, then dampened it with some water.

"I'm sorry, this could hurt a bit." He said before he started to clean out the wound. "But as we're still busy now, would you care to enlighten me with what else is bothering you?"

"I stole the Arkenstone from you." Bilbo softly spoke. "I lied to you and I betrayed you. Because I couldn't stand the thought of losing you to the dragon sickness."

" You did that to protect me." Thorin pointed out as he placed a new bandage on the halfling's wound. "I didn't see it that way back then, but I know now."

"Still, Thorin. You considered me a friend. You trusted me and I betrayed that trust."

"Bilbo…" Thorin sighed as he sat down on the bed and pulled the smaller being onto his lap. "I was sick, the Arkenstone would've only made it worse. You did the right thing."

Bilbo looked up at the dwarf, who was watching him with pure adoration in his eyes.

He felt how shivers went through his body as their eyes locked, every breath drawing their lips closer together.

Warmth spread through his body as their lips finally came together, the dwarf's fingers locking themselves in his hair as his own arms made their way around Thorin's back.

Butterflies swarmed through his stomach, sending pleasant tingles trough his entire body.

Eventually, it was Thorin who broke of the kiss, leading to multiple displeased mumbles from Bilbo.

"It's time to sleep, little one." Thorin softly spoke. "We're both tired. For now, let's just enjoy each other's warmth as we rest next to one another. Tomorrow is another day."

Bilbo snuggled closely to the dwarf once he laid down, wrapping his arms around the dwarf's torso. And although he didn't expect it, sleep overtook him almost immediately.

It was still dark when Bilbo was awakened by a loud rumble, startling him as he didn't know where the sound came from.

The rumble came again, followed by a deep cough that arose out of the dwarf laying next to him.

Alarmed, Bilbo sat up in the bed, watching a sleeping Thorin, who's face looked awfully pale.

Carefully Bilbo placed his hand on the dwarf's forehead to check his temperature.

"For the love of Mahal, Thorin. You're burning up."