This story was written as Bilbo & Thorin friendship but you could read it as slash. There are deep feelings and ramblings due to "ring insanity".

The fire far below him burnt his eyes. It was hot, so hot and bright, and Bilbo was close to succumbing to exhaustion. He was finally here, at the end of it all, and yet he could not bring himself to part from the band of gold in his hand.

"You have to throw it in!"

It should have been Dwalin's voice, yet it sounded like Thorin. Bilbo didn't dare look. His voice had been there more and more often lately, and at times Dwalin had only been able to pull him out of his daze by shaking him.

"Why? It's mine! It's just a ring," Bilbo argued desperately.

"Remember the Arkenstone? Was that just a stone?"

"Drop it," another voice urged him, and Bilbo startled when he saw Kili standing right next to him, in his face, the way Thorin wasn't. He looked so real that Bilbo forgot that he was dead.

"How – Kili – but-"

"Remember what you told us? Hobbits value family, good food and comfort. You don't care about gold and jewels like we dwarves!"

"Remember the Shire!" That was Thorin again.

"Bilbo! Do it!"

And that was definitely Dwalin. He was wrestling with three orcs at once, but for a big, sturdy warrior he was a lot quicker than they. Suddenly, the creature Gollum appeared. He slipped past the fighting group and ran straight at Bilbo. His lips were pulled back in a furious snarl, and Bilbo drew Sting.

"Thief!" Gollum shouted.

"Don't become him. Don't become like me!"

Bilbo looked away from Gollum despite the danger to finally see Thorin. Like Kili, he might as well have been alive. Surely ghosts shouldn't look like they were of flesh and blood?

"You'll disappear," Bilbo protested weakly.

The dwarf smiled sadly. "As long as you remember me, I'll never be gone."

"Do it!" Kili pleaded. Gollum shrieked as a rock tripped him. Bilbo wouldn't look away from Thorin's eyes.

"For the Shire," Thorin prompted him.

"For Erebor," Bilbo replied. "For you."

The Ring slipped from his fingers and into the fires of Mount Doom.