Yeah, I'm going there. While I admit I never really cared for the movies of the Hobbit, the odd sort of mess that the Battle of Five Studios made it, I will admit there was great parts of it I did like, especially the relationship between Bilbo and Thorin, which I think a wonderful job was done on. Those two were great playing off of each other in the book, and the films did a wonder for that.

And… then I saw the ship art. Once again, I've found while canon can be a hard pill to swallow, fandom is a sweet land full of happy endings, and well, I just kind of wanted to make my own too. So in this we have smitten dwarves, clueless hobbits, and a hopefully fulfilling feel good story in which Bilbo accidentally asks a very important thing of Thorin without even meaning to but the King Under the Mountain accepts anyway.

Clearly, Middle-Earth is not mine. Belongs to the Tolkien Estate and some of the rights that are passed around to make cartoons and live action films. Merely borrowing.

Chapter 1: Family Ties

Bilbo Baggins had never once lived in anything but a hole in the ground, and it had been perfectly fine with him for half a century before a wizard had come along and started this whole affair. While outside of Hobbiton and more east in the Shire there were kin of his that lived in houses and near the river, he himself had always appreciated having a warm little bit of earth around him, comfy and secure. He loved the way the walls felt under his touch, the sureness of the tile under his bare feet, and the way it got so pleasantly warm in the summer that he could open the shutters to his windows and let in a breeze that drifted in over the hill and through the flowers of his garden to bring the delightful smells into his home.

Lonely Mountain was not in any way like his humble but comfortable little hobbit hole. It felt cold and dark, chilled him at moments and made him feel unbearably warm at others. On top of that while there should have been work on sorting the treasure to get it all split up among the dwarves, nothing of the sort was really happening. Between Thorin's madness and the threat of the two armies waiting outside to start war over the riches inside, Bilbo didn't even feel much of a want for the share of the gold. In fact, he was starting to wonder about perhaps just giving it up to the humans and elves outside just to stop all of this nonsense. Even walking around was difficult, sharp gems kept getting underfoot and while the bottom of his thick feet couldn't really get badly damaged by the edges, stepping around treasure only to get the pointed end of an emerald shoved right into his heel had caused him to pick up a piece or two and chuck it across the treasure room in frustration.

Yet when Thorin grabbed him to throw him from the mountain, tried to kill him, even as he climbed down as Bofur encouraged him to run for it, the hobbit's heart felt heavy. For all his intentions, for as sick as he was of the mountain and the suspicious people so eager to fly into violence for it, he could not help but feel as if he were betraying his company. Thorin was not his king, but he was his friend.

Giving up the Arkenstone was supposed to fix things, and yet in the ensuing mess, the fighting, the horrors, the reek of blood and the clashing of blades as the allied armies fought for their lives, he would have given just about anything to be in the mountain again with Thorin, to have proved the dwarf's faith in him right about being a true friend to him. He'd thought he'd done what was best, and yet everything was falling apart around him anyways.

It was why he ran to Thorin, had to warn him. The danger of losing him, of allowing him to fall into the trap and be killed was a weight on his heart he knew he would not be able to bare. When he felt an arm grab him and pulled him back, he thought it was Gandalf to stop him, and he pulled with a yell to try and get out of the grip before he was turned forcibly to see the face of a concerned elf in front of him, stooping down to look him in the eye.

"I'll help you. We can go there together," Tauriel assured him. "We will reach there faster on horse, little one."

Bilbo was sure it would be faster, but safer he wasn't sure about. With the ring he could reach the dwarves undetected, but would he make it in time? Would he be able to find them, all the terrain to climb before they were swarmed by the orcs?

"Alright," he said with a determined nod of his head. "We have to go now though."

"I have no reason for waiting," she assured him before picking him up with a surprising strength for her thin limbs and placing him on the large stallion, climbing up on top. "My Lord Legolas..."

"It is a strong horse, but it can not carry three," he told her, "but I will follow, I promise."

Bilbo did not understand the look between the two elves, or the soft smile that graced her features, but there was no time to question it. Understanding the urgency of the situation, she set the horse off into a gallop to get to Ravenhill, urging the creature to move with all speed possible to get there in time. He pushed his back into her frame and clutched anywhere he could in order to find a holding, desperate not to fall but not daring to ask her to slow down either. Fear of falling was nothing compared to what could happen if they wasted even a moment.

Later on, he might think something was out there, looking over him, ensuring his luck. It could be the only thing that would save him at this point, he was sure.

"THORIN!" he called, the sight of the dwarf king with Dwalin getting swarmed by goblins caused his heart to seize in pure terror. He felt him nearly flung off the horse as Tauriel suddenly leaped off of it, blades drawn as she gave a warrior's cry the hobbit never would have thought he'd hear from an elf of all things. With no hesitation she threw herself into the fray and began cutting into the monsters, slicing them down with a rage and determination of a woman possessed. Bilbo himself drew Sting, and while his show of jumping down from the horse was much less graceful, he was just as determined to help.

"Bilbo!" the king called back, taken by surprise to see the burglar there. There was a clarity in his eyes that the hobbit had not seen for days, no longer clouded by the sickness that had wormed it's way into his mind. He surely had to be shocked by the company of an elf side by side with him, and yet he said nothing and only rushed to the hobbit, cutting down goblins at all sides to reach him. "What are you doing here?"

"You have to leave here, now," he said quickly. "Azog has another army, attacking from the north. This watch tower will be completely surrounded. There will be no way out."

"It's true," Tauriel agreed quickly as the last goblin was felled, having no chance against the skilled warriors they'd been facing. "We'll be alone up here. No one will survive this if we don't do something."

"We are so close," Dwalin protested. "That orc scum is in there. I say we push on."

He moved forward but Thorin caught him by the chest, alarm clear in his face.

"No," he ordered. "That's what he wants. He wants to draw us in. This is a trap."

"Wait… where's Kíli? I thought he was with you?!" Tauriel suddenly demanded. A look of anger crossed Thorin's features as he looked at her, opening his mouth to no doubt ask her how it was any of his business to ask where his kin were before the sound of drums interrupted him. All four turned slowly to see the highest point of the watch tower, Fíli being drug across the stones as Azog shouted threats to them in his foul language.

"Oh no. No, no, no," Bilbo breathed out. He watched the sword embedded in Azog's arm rise up, ready to plunge into the defenseless dwarf. Time seemed to slow down as horror gripped him. He could do nothing to save them, even with the ring, could never get there in time. How could this happen? To have saved them in from the spiders, from the prisons of Mirkwood, only to lose someone like this?

Tauriel moved fast, suddenly drawing out an arrow and shooting. It did not find its mark in Azog's skull like intended, merely slicing into the side of his face as it past him, right by the eye, but it was enough. He gave a howl of pain and Fíli took the opportunity to turn, grabbing the arm of the orc and began to wrestle with him, trying to push him back in a desperate battle to win, even with no weapon of his own. Tauriel quickly drew another arrow to try to assist, but it was too late, the young dwarf being shoved forward and falling to the stone bellow.

"Fíli!" Thorin yelled as he gripped the stone wall before them. He suddenly took off, running as fast as he could, Tauriel springing like a gazelle onto the ice to follow, running to the dwarf's crumpled body.

"Thorin! We can't split up!" Bilbo yelled after him, but it did not matter. He was going too fast to chase after him, and before long he found himself surrounded by orcs himself with only Dwalin left. His mission to find Thorin and save his life was quickly looking like it would end his own. In the ensuing chaos of the battle, try as he might, as worried as he was, all too soon it was fading to black as he was struck and went down, unconscious before his body even fell to the ground.

Tauriel soon lost sight of Thorin, even her elven eyes unable to pierce the thick fog and snow of the watch tower, but it didn't matter. The dwarf was running ahead, no doubt for revenge. She could not fault him, the sight would have been enough to drive anyone insane with grief, but she had a different goal in mind. The fall had caught her attention of where the body had landed, and who else had seen it. She reached the spot, running across ice and climbing up rocks as fast as she could, just as Kíli had moved to run from it. Like the king, he was surely going for revenge, just as she was able to reach him, grabbing him and holding him back.

"Don't," she gasped as he tried to tug free of her grip. "Kíli, stop, please!"

"I'll kill them! I'll kill every last one of them!" he yelled angrily, struggling to get out of her embrace, and it was a fight he was winning. Smaller that he was, he was stouter and stronger, pulling free with her scrambling to keep him close. She was sure he would break free and run from her, go to die against impossible odds before the pained gasp of his brother stopped him short.

"Fíli!" he breathed in shock as he turned to his brother. His body was twisted at a horrible angle, the fall having broken his leg and arm on the opposite side, but he was alive. "Oh heavens to the west, Fíli you're alive! Tauriel! Help!"

She nodded quickly and helped him drag the dwarf inside of the tunnel, out of sight of any of the orcs. A trail of blood followed, the copper smell hitting her nose as she saw the red matted in the blonde hair. He'd had to have hit his head, and who knew how long his mangled body would last at this rate.

"Heal him, like you did for me. Tauriel, please!" he begged.

"I've no herbs or bandages on me. I can only do so much," she admitted, but went to work anyway, using her knife to slice away at one of her sleeves and bundled it up. "Put this to his head, stop the bleeding as much as you can."

She began to do what she could to set his bones, but with no wood as splinters or anything else to use, she could only move the bones in place of where they should be and chant as she worked. Poisons and antidotes were more her specialty, but she had to do what she could for him, to try and save him.

"We'll never get him off the hill like this," Kíli breathed out, holding the clothe to his head and gripping the hand of his brother tightly. Fíli wasn't even conscious, slipping in and out as he groaned in pain. "He won't be able to crawl, much less walk or run."

It was true. They would need a miracle to get out of this. Any moment they could be found, and she was not sure if just the two of them could defend him alone.

"I'll take him back," she said quickly. "Away from here I can get supplies, heal him, at least keep him alive."

"Tauriel, no. It's too dangerous," he said, gripping her hands in his own. "You'll be surrounded before you could even get out of here."

"I have a horse on the other side of the ice. If I don't make a break for it now we'll lose him," she insisted. Just as he opened his mouth to argue, she surged forward, kissing him suddenly. He was momentarily stunned by the action, and though he did not kiss her back, she was sure there was still affection for her in his heart. "You promised you'd make it back to your mother, Kíli. Surely she would want the same of both her sons. I will not fail you, I promise."

"Tauriel..."

"Thorin made way for Azog. He needs your help more than I right now. I swear on my life, your brother will not pass on my watch," she promised him. "The hobbit is here as well. Regroup and escape this place before reinforcements of orcs arrive. Meet me at the camps when this is over. I will be there, no matter what it takes."

He gave her a look of anguish before nodding. He could see the fear in his eyes, fear for her or his brother she could not tell, and she did not want to be presumptuous to think she was the same in his eyes as his kin. With his help, she hefted the blonde dwarf onto her back, slipping a little on the ice under the weight, but making her way as fast as she could back to her horse. The brave beast would be waiting for her, would not bolt in the battle. It was her only chance of escape, and she knew the steed would not abandon her to her fate. She spared only a moment to glance back and see Kíli take off to find his uncle, and she prayed he would be able to keep his promise to return safely.

When the world returned to, pain throbbed in the small hobbit's head. For a long moment it was hard to even think through it, and he was slow to move and push himself up. He heard the cries of the eagles overhead, bringing him to slowly.

"The… the eagles are coming..." he breathed out, hope filling him, but only for a moment before he remembered why he was even here in the first place. "Th-Thorin… Thorin!"

He pushed himself up, ignoring the pain swimming inside of him, pushing past it to scramble around and try to find the dwarf. He was not far off, laying out on the ice, Azog dead a good twenty or thirty paces away from him, and Kíli by his side. He was applying pressure onto his uncle's stomach, even as he had a gash on his own arm and head.

"Bilbo!" Kíli called as he saw him. "Thorin, Thorin, Bilbo is here. He's safe. Everything is going to be alright."

He rushed to the pair, falling as he reached the dwarf and ending up on his knees at his side. The smell of the blood nearly made him retch.

"Bilbo," Thorin breathed, a smile forming on his lips even as blood dribbled past them and bubbled as he spoke.

"Don't move. Don't move," he said as the dwarf reached for him. "Stay still."

"I'm glad you're here," he said regardless, seeming to pay no mind to his nephew trying to stop his bleeding. "I wish to part with you in friendship."

"No," Bilbo objected, not wanting to believe what was in front of him. Not after all this, no. He could not lose Thorin like this. He wouldn't allow it. "You're not going anywhere, Thorin. You're going to live."

"I wish to take back my words and deed at the gate," he said regardless. "You did only what a true friend would do. Forgive me. I was too blind to see it. I am so sorry… that I have led you into such peril."

"No, I am glad to have shared in your perils, each and every one of them. It is far more than any Baggins deserves," he said as he gripped his hand in his own. He felt hot tears stinging at his eyes before going to push with Kíli, trying to stop the flow of blood. The younger dwarf was not doing much better, sorrow filling him as he tried to keep his family alive.

"Farwell, Master Burglar," he breathed out happily. "Go back to your books, and your armchair. Plant your trees, watch them grow. If more people valued home… above gold, this world would be a merrier place."

"No! No, no, no Thorin! Don't you dare!" Bilbo sobbed out, shaking his head as tears fell down from his face and splashed onto the dwarf. "Don't… don't die. The eagles are coming! It'll be alright… please… please Thorin..."

The dwarf moved no more and an anguished cry escaped the hobbit, shaking the dwarf. He was fading fast. There would be no time to save him! He would not lose him now! Not after all of this! Despair filled him even as the shadows of the birds overhead landed down, washing over him in darkness for a brief moment. It felt like everything around him was consuming him, that the blackness would take him and cause him to drown in it. He raised his head, to curse the bird for not coming fast enough, knowing even with their speed it would not be soon enough to get Thorin to help in time before he saw who was astride it.

"Gandalf," he gasped out between his tears. "Galdalf, he's going to die. Please..."

The wizard rushed forward, laying hands on the king. The mere moments Kíli had been able to buy to slow the death of his uncle had been enough, and twice now Bilbo watched as the magic of the grey wizard seeped into Thorin, brought new life into him as he gasped out, the very last breath that would have ended him instead bringing forth more time. The hobbit didn't even wait for him to finish before he was surging forward and hugging the dwarf, sobbing uncontrollably now as he buried his face into his clothes matted with blood and not caring at all of the mess it made on his face. Thorin was alive, spared by mere moments, but alive nonetheless. He could have sworn he felt an arm wrap around him weakly, hugging him back, but it was so faint he would never entirely be sure before it fell away again.

Perhaps it was only a hope in his head and heart, that the King Under the Mountain truly had forgiven him, that it was not simply words spoken when he thought he would die. Perhaps he only imagined the return hug and refused the reality that even healed by magic, Thorin was probably too weak from his wounds to move so. Still, he welcomed and embraced the thought that this was the second hug they shared, that it was another moment of being accepted by the dwarf just like on the rocks seemingly so long ago in their adventure.

"The worse had better be over now," he almost laughed. "I think I am done with perils, even shared ones, for a while."

The cleaning up, while certainly not as dangerous as the battle, was every bit as weary. Bilbo did his best to stay out from underfoot during all of it, not much he could really do anyway. A large amount of tents were set aside for seeing to the wounded and Bilbo would not be moved from Thorin's side as he laid in a bed and rested. Well, actually, not true. He was moved by force a few times, but so determined was he that he simply slipped on the ring while no one was the wiser and only slipped back in to be near the dwarf. After getting tossed out only to come back in about a half dozen times the dwarven guards gave up and let him be. He would be rather proud to have proven more stubborn than them of all people, but he was too wrapped up in his friend to feel much of anything.

Thorin slept long hours and woke rarely. In his stead, his cousin Dain had taken charge for the time being. Money was divided fairly, given out to the men and elves, gems parted with and others went on in peace. Bilbo wished such things could have come sooner, but he supposed even he was not clever enough to fix every problem, try as he might to be.

He was promised reward as well, but the hobbit only agreed to two chests, unwilling to hear anything of taking more. The treasure was more trouble than it was worth in his mind, and he was sure if he tried to carry back a hill worth of golden trinkets it would only end with him getting waylaid by every greedy being between the mountain and the Shire. No, a payment of his services was enough and that was all he needed.

Besides, there were others who had much less than him…

He often saw Tauriel fretting outside, her shadow on the tarp of the tent as she walked around. Kíli and Fíli were inside with Thorin, and while Kíli was in better shape it was only just barely. He'd been ordered on bed rest until he could move without his stitches tearing, even conscious while his family slept away most of their injuries.

"She's waiting for me," he breathed out one day, pain in his voice that Bilbo was sure did not come from his wounds. "I want to see her."

The dwarves would not allow it. Even fighting side by side, there was too much animosity between the two peoples. Bilbo supposed it would take a long time to mend, with more than just gems as well. He also supposed it was lucky she was even allowed by the tent, and while the hobbit did consider going out to tell her Kíli's words… he just couldn't find it in himself to leave Thorin's side.

It felt selfish, putting his friendship above the love and adoration clearly shared between the two, but he supposed even he could be that way some of the time.

When Thorin was awake, Bilbo felt less guilty about his own fortune of being able to stay close. The first time he'd opened his eyes, the dwarf had looked confused, not sure what was going on. The hobbit was sure to take his time to explain, going over his words slowly and carefully. He'd expected the anger to be back, for him to surge from his bed at the news of the treasure being shared and try to reclaim it, but a calm only came over him as he nodded his head at the news.

"A wise decision," he breathed. "The crown needs such wise choices to always come from its king."

"You've learned from your mistakes," he assured the dwarf. "You'll make many wonderful decisions in the future, I'm sure."

Thorin just stared up at the canvas of the tent before closing his eyes again and spoke no more on the matter. At the very least, Bilbo knew he was truly forgiven and that all was as well as it could be considering the circumstances.

Time passed and he knew it was time to leave. The magic that healed Thorin had saved him, and though his second recovery was slower than the first, much closer to death's door this time Gandalf had explained, and would need more time to work properly, there was no doubt the king would live. Already merriment was spreading in the mountain as the treasure was cleared and put back where it belonged, and the halls were made livable again. Feasts were promised and the king left his bed to join his people while Bilbo found himself pushed back in the crowds. He understood it, a living legend walking among them all, but it felt like a pit in his stomach nonetheless. He wasn't sure the feeling of unease that crept inside of him from it, maybe seeing the dwarves in their home at last had him aching for his own. The last couple of weeks had been a tumbling mess of emotions, and he would be glad to be back home again before much longer.

He was leaving things unresolved as he left the gate quietly, his stomach protesting at missing a feast but still willing to forgo it. Home was awaiting him and he missed it terribly. It was time for him to go. Kíli and Fíli were even on the mend, hobbling around though with smiles at their good fortune of surviving such odds. He was sure they would understand his departure as it was intended.

"So the buglar thinks he can sneak off into the morning sun without so much as looking back?" a deep and rich voice asked him, just as he turned to see none other than Thorin himself at the gate. "You've gotten much less stealthy since the battle."

Bilbo swallowed a lump in his throat, thinking of the ring in his pocket. He hadn't put it on since fighting to get into Thorin's tent, and even that had been a risk with so many people around at the time. The ring was his, and while he'd been generous with his share of the fortune, he didn't want anyone to get the idea about possibly getting a magic ring from him in the bargain. He was just as happy to keep it his secret, even if it did smudge up his reputation for stealthiness just a bit.

"Out of practice, I suppose," he said with a chuckle. "You don't have to see me off, Thorin. Clearly you're busy right now."

"And how am I so busy, Master Baggins?" he asked, arms crossed and leaning on the door. He looked more relaxed than Bilbo had ever seen him. It truly was a sight to behold.

"You have dwarves moving in back home, a kingdom to settle, fires to reforge," he explained. "Really, it should be obvious, don't you think? An entire mountain is awaiting their king inside. I shall not hold him up for simple goodbyes."

"No, I am sure you wouldn't. The manners, ever impeccable on you, are simply astonishing. The same that allowed over a dozen dwarves into your home and fed every single one of them until your back ached from serving them, I'm sure," he said. "You need not worry though. Kíli and Fíli have things well in hand, and they will grow into the role."

"Kíli and Fíli?" Bilbo asked. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"It hasn't been officially decided yet, but one of them is to take the throne. As my heirs, it will have to be one of them. Traditionally, I would pick one but my ideas have not proven wise as of late. I think I'll leave it to someone else. Balin, no doubt. He's good at such things," Thorin explained.

"But… but… Thorin, you're the king," he said, barely able to get his mind wrapped around what he was saying.

"I was king, and in mere days I started war and nearly caused the death of my own kin. I care for my people and my home dearly, but I am not suited for this. I look to the forest and still feel the hate boil in my blood at their betrayal. Perhaps if the elves had not left us all those years ago this would be different. They would not fight for us, nor would they give us shelter or food when we showed up to beg for it, and only allied with the men for the want of gems… and those thoughts will not leave me. Even now, there are black thoughts still turning on me. I need away from this mountain for now, but in my stead younger minds who do not remember the fires and betrayal are needed. Perhaps they could even broker peace, once a king is chosen from the two of them, real and true peace."

"Where will you go in the meantime?" Bilbo asked, only now noticing the bag near the dwarf's feet. He was planning on traveling, on leaving as well as the hobbit?

"I have not decided. Somewhere I can find work, I think. Balin insisted I take some treasure, enough to get me on the road and off again. No specific destination in mind though," he admitted.

Bilbo only took a moment to think about it, sure as he was in what he was about to say next.

"Come home with me," he offered. "My home is as good as any other I would hope. I'll cook for you and you can find yourself, as long as you need to. Forever if you like."

It felt a little silly to say such things, but he wanted Thorin to know he was not alone, no matter how he felt he'd failed as a king. The dwarf was his friend and he would not see him wandering alone with no one in the world by his side.

"I suppose the treasure I have on me would cover rent for a while under your roof," he admitted, but Bilbo only laughed.

"Rent? I wouldn't dream of it. My home is your home, if you would have it."

"I wouldn't impose on you," Thorin said, suddenly looking hesitant. "A short time is one thing, but without payment it really isn't proper for a dwarf to stay so long with no compensation at all. Such things are only for family and kin."

"Well, I wouldn't be so presumptuous to think of myself in those terms to you so easily, even with the travels we've had… but maybe in time you could see me that way," Bilbo said with a smile. He had family over a fair bit of the Shire after all, cousins far-removed and close, and even friends he saw as honorary family. He wouldn't mind if Thorin saw him like that, if only so the stubborn dwarf would accept the generosity he was offering.

"Bilbo… do you… even understand what you're asking of me?" he asked, looking absolutely flummoxed. "Being family is serious for dwarves."

"And I will respect it in every which way. Now come on, Galdalf is waiting. I don't want to dawdle," he said as he turned away and began to walk. He did not see the faint blush on the cheeks of the former king, nor the soft and shy smile that graced his lips. He only heard the footsteps of the heavy boots his companion wore and knew he was following, and that was enough for him.

It wouldn't be until much, much later, after he'd arrived home and found it to be getting sacked by his relatives would he lose his happy attitude about family bonds, souring a little. It would be even later than that would he learn dwarves did not have figurative family, so closely related in so many cases the concept was entirely foreign to them. That Bildo's offer to share his home and his somewhat jesting comment of considering Thorin family if that's what he needed to live in Bag End without payment was a promise of something legal and romantic all in one. Sharing a house, an offering of family ties to make it proper to live together with no money changing hands in exchange, well the marriage proposal was very traditional in keeping with dwarvish people, not that the poor little hobbit could have known that.

And Thorin, who'd long since been smitten with Master Baggins, who'd come to love him, who'd offered mithral in the terror he might lose his precious hobbit to the war, and who'd felt his heart break when he'd thought himself betrayed by the male… well, he knew Bilbo couldn't know what he'd essentially just asked for, but he was not going to say no over such a trivial thing. In time Bilbo would understand what he'd just offered and that the dwarf had happily accepted. Their lives were long. He could accept an enduring engagement until the hobbit figured it out.

End of Chapter 1

All cleaned up now, hopefully. I haven't had a beta reader for a long, long while so I've learned to accept I'll probably never catch all the mistakes. I didn't change much, story wise, just rewrote a few sentences that didn't read right. I've also decided to go with the Tolkien spelling of dwarves instead of dwarfs so that was changed too. Incorrect it might be, it seems to fit his feel better… and honestly most people use that phrase now anyway so what's the harm? In any case, thanks again for reading and review if you have comments. I love to read them.