A cold breeze blew through the air, bringing with it the dank smell of the oppressing forest. Mirkwood seemed to be closing in all around Bilbo as he lay on the ground, the darkness all around him punctured only by the disconcerting glowing of evil eyes in the distance. He lay silently, listening to the deep breathing of the sleeping dwarves around him. It felt like hours had passed since the rest of the Company had drifted into sleep, but it was still evading Bilbo. He tossed and turned, unable to stop his overactive mind thinking of the all-seeing eyes around him, and the long perilous journey still ahead of them.

As Bilbo lay trying to shut off his mind, he heard a small rustling near him and he turned quickly over, peering suspiciously through the darkness. He saw the vague but unmistakeable shape of a dwarf edging closer to him, and relaxed with a small smile when he saw Bofur's face next to him. Bofur sat next to him in the darkness and put his arm around Bilbo, who smiled wider at the sudden warmth enveloping him.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Bilbo whispered softly.

"Aye. Too much to think about, and I couldn't sleep without my favourite burglar next to me".

Bilbo smiled at this, and leaned in closer to give Bofur a soft kiss. The feeling of Bofur's rough beard against his face and his soft smiling lips against his own felt so perfect after the terrible night he had been having. He spent the next few minutes, or it might have been hours, slowly and gently kissing Bofur and occasionally just sitting enjoying the feeling of the warm body next to him. Eventually they sank down to the ground and cuddled close together, Bilbo's back pressed against Bofur's broad chest. Slowly they drifted off into a comfortable sleep that had been impossible to attain alone since the first night they had spent lying next to each other this way. The last thing Bilbo felt before he drifted into sleep was a rough, gentle kiss pressed to the back of his neck.