Outside of the mountain of Erebor, the sky was a very dark midnight-blue. The cold breezes whistled against the edges of the rocks. All was relatively quiet.

It was a different story inside the mountain, however. The halls echoed with the pitter-patter and clinking of coins and metal.

Despite the late hour, Thorin Oakenshield had most of his Company searching for the Arkenstone. The only ones who weren't were Balin, Fíli, Kíli, Bofur, Óin, and Bilbo Baggins. Balin had been put in charge of the record keeping. Fíli, Kíli, Bofur, and Óin were in Laketown because Kíli had fallen gravely ill. Fíli, Bofur, and Óin stayed behind to make sure that he healed. They would join them when Kíli recovered.

Bilbo did not help find the Arkenstone at all. Thorin had exempted him from doing so, but he and the others did not know why. Instead, he was allowed to roam around the mountain unless Thorin demanded his presence.

At the moment, he (Bilbo) was walking down various corridors to the sleeping chamber that Thorin had set aside for him. He yawned, feeling exhausted and sleepy. The only thing he desired to do was go to bed. He often spent hours at a time standing near Thorin as he sat on his throne. That is, if he (Thorin) wasn't too occupied in raving about his treasure hoard and looking for the Arkenstone himself.

He reached his destination within minutes. After removing his coat, he laid on his old, worn bed and drew the blanket up to his chin.

Bilbo felt lucky that he was not required to do much unless it was to help Thorin decide where to search for it asked him to. Either that, or he had to be present when Balin and Dwalin gave Thorin an update of their progress. None of them had found it as of yet.

Or so it seemed.

No one knew it, but Bilbo already had, and was secretly hiding it in his coat. By luck and chance, he had managed to put it there on the night they had finally entered Erebor.

Unfortunately, the dragon Smaug-Chiefest and Greatest Calamity of the Age-nearly made this impossible for him to do. He had woken him up as he looked for the Arkenstone. (This job had been given to him months ago, when he signed a contract to be Thorin's burglar.) Not that it was quite so terrible that he did. He would never have located it otherwise. After several failed attempts, he managed to get it when Smaug could not see him.

*Four days ago*

"I am almost tempted to let you take it..." Smaug crooned in a menacingly soft voice as he gazed at the Arkenstone (which was near Bilbo's feet) before turning to him. "...if only to see Oakenshield suffer."

Bilbo looked at it, then at him.

"Watch it destroy him. Watch it corrupt his heart, and drive him mad," Smaug continued. He paused, then said, "But I think not. I think our little game ends here. So, tell me...thief...how do you choose to die?"

Then, just as he was going to swallow him whole, Bilbo quickly put on his magic ring and disappeared. This distracted Smaug long enough for him to snatch up the Arkenstone, pocket it, and run as he shot a jet of flames at the spot that he was standing in seconds before.

*Back to the present*

Bilbo had planned to give the Arkenstone to Thorin if and when he was able to escape Smaug. As it was, he met him as he was running up the stairs to leave the treasure hoard's chamber. Thorin had wanted it then, but with a dragon looking for him, Bilbo knew that it was not the right time.

Nevertheless, Thorin believed otherwise. When Bilbo did not answer his questions as to whether he found it or not, he barred his way with his sword when he tried to run out of the chamber again.

It was not until he pointed the sword at his chest that Bilbo realized that a change had come over him. He tried to plead with him and make him see sense. He knew that the Thorin he knew would never have done this. For all he was stubborn, and at times moody and unrelenting, he was courteous and logical. He was also very caring, intelligent, loyal, brave, and strong. And he really adored his nephews.

Bilbo admired all of that and more about him.

Smaug approached them at the moment. The rest of the Company appeared then, but they all had to jump off of the staircase when Smaug shot fire at them.

For how long they tried to evade him and kill him, Bilbo did not know. It was not until Smaug figured out that Thorin and his Company had a connection with the Men from Laketown did he leave Erebor to revenge himself upon them.

The long night passed as Bilbo and the others watched him set the town on fire. Thorin did not seem to notice; he spent the entire time gazing into the mountain's doors.

Just when all hope had faded, Bilbo saw Smaug twitching and flying erratically in the air at dawn. He bellowed one last time before crashing down onto the houses underneath.

None of them noticed that Thorin had ran back into the mountain until they had finished celebrating Smaug's death. Bilbo was so elated and relieved that he wanted to give him the Arkenstone right then and there. But he was not standing on the rocky hill where he had been just minutes before.

They spent quite a while looking for him. He was not in any of the corridors or the forges. No. He was walking among the treasure hoard.

Bilbo had believed that Thorin had recovered from the dragon-sickness that taken hold of him the previous night. However, he was wrong. So utterly wrong. It had clearly remained dormant until after Smaug was killed.

Thorin did not sleep since that day. He likely would not have eaten either had Bilbo not urged him to. All he cared about was the Arkenstone, and never ceased looking for it, and having it looked for.

It broke his heart to see how this illness had befallen and changed Thorin. Ever since the day he had met him, Bilbo had been oddly drawn to the Dwarven king. Thorin seemed to be equally interested in him at first as well.

After he had joined him, his Company, and Gandalf on their quest, Thorin grew steadily distant and hard-hearted towards him. Bilbo could not blame him for this. He landed himself in some form of trouble quite a few times and endangered the Company in the process. Thorin was also rather unjust to or annoyed with him. Bilbo did not know or understand why.

Yet...there were other times when he appeared to be looking out for him. Not in a way that showed he feared him causing another unforeseen catastrophe, but as if he genuinely cared for him. He would help him climb up and down a steep trail, holding his arm or laying his hand on his back as he did. Bilbo always felt giddy whenever Thorin touched him in any way.

Besides that, he saved his life on the night of the Thunder Battle. If Thorin had not pulled him onto the mountain trail in time, he would have slipped off of the cliff he was holding onto and died a gruesome death.

For all he told Gandalf that he couldn't guarantee his safely, and would not be responsible for his fate, he apparently believed otherwise.

Thorin seemed to hate him for having to have saved his life. When Bofur said that they had almost lost him, he responded by saying that he was lost ever since he left his home. That he had no place among them.

Bilbo felt so hurt, ashamed, and rejected that he decided that he would just go back to Rivendell. He did not want to cause Thorin any inconvenience anymore. As much as he yearned for his approval (without knowing or understanding why), it was obvious that he could not, so why stay?

Bofur had tried to stop him at first, but relented after Bilbo had his say. However, he did not get a chance to leave because Bofur noticed that his sword Sting was glowing blue. Seconds later, the ground underneath them cracked, and they were in a goblin kingdom.

It was not until Bilbo had, in turn, saved Thorin's life that the Dwarven king realized that he was wrong about what he said about him. He admitted it to Bilbo before hugging him tightly. Bilbo could never explained how much astonishment and joy had coursed through him as he did, especially when Thorin whispered "Thank you" in his ear. He returned the embrace happily, and Thorin did not cringe or shove him away. And when he did move back eventually, he gazed at him with new-found respect and another emotion that he couldn't name. He then apologized for doubting him.

That was a turning point for both of them. Although the journey was still perilous and unpredictable, they did grow close to each other. Thorin helped him more and began to have more trust in him. He even agreed with Bilbo to have them ride in the barrels to escape Elven king Thranduil's Woodland Realm in Mirkwood. They would have talks, but only if they weren't too occupied or too exhausted, so it was seldom that they did. Bilbo and Thorin eventually learned more about one another and their different customs. In some ways they were alike, and in other ways, they were different.

He also noticed that Thorin wanted him to be near him for a majority of the time, even if they couldn't talk. His safety, especially, was clearly more important to him than ever.

Bilbo soon realized that he had begun to feel something for him that he never did for anyone he had ever known. That something was...love. He had fallen in love with Thorin, of all impractical things! He could not believe or understand it. How was it possible for a male Hobbit to fall in love with a male Dwarf, more specifically a Dwarven king, and not a female Hobbit?

He could never let Thorin find this out. Even if he was a queen instead of a king, he would never feel the same thing for a lowly Hobbit. He would never have had anything to do with him if he had not volunteered his service to him, or saved his life. Thorin treated him as a good friend besides, and nothing more or less than that.

Up until just recently, everything had been fine between them. Now that Thorin was ill with the dragon-sickness, he would seldom pay attention or listen to Bilbo, much less the others. That was odd because after he saved his life, Thorin nearly always did. Still, he constantly wanted Bilbo to be around him, now more than ever. This was if he wasn't admiring his treasure hoard, as mentioned before. Sometimes Thorin asked him to stand next to him on the throne area for no reason at all.

In a way, he wished that he didn't for all he liked to be around him. This new Thorin was someone he didn't know. He even looked like a dark shadow of his former self, with a crazed gleam in his eyes. Bilbo felt guilty whenever he was in his vicinity, knowing that he was withholding the Arkenstone from him. He often desired to give it to him, but he didn't know if that would make the sickness worse or not. Perhaps it was best if he didn't until he knew for certain that it wouldn't.

He rolled over in his bed. He hoped that everything would change sooner than later. He did not know how long he would be take this before losing his own sanity. This would not be happening if Thorin didn't care about the Arkenstone so much. His great need of finding it was causing everyone no small amount of distress and inner turmoil. They were all depressed, and he noticed that Balin was often close to tears.

With a deep exhale, he closed his eyes and decided to get some sleep. He knew that it would be another long day tomorrow.

Bilbo spent the next morning strolling around Erebor. He didn't go near the treasure hoard chamber because Thorin was there. He knew that he would ask him to be with him again if he noticed him.

He didn't know why he sought his presence whenever he happened to. Good friends they may be, but he had an inkling that Thorin's need for him to be around was passing the boundaries of normal friendship. There was no other possible reason for why Thorin wanted him to be close by, unless he knew something that he didn't.

He wished that he could leave, and that the others would too. There was no good reason to stay in Erebor at present. However, Bilbo knew that Thorin would not let them. They were stuck here until he gave the Arkenstone to him, or secretly hid it in the treasure hoard to be found.

For how long he walked around the mountain, he was not certain. He was in one of the guard rooms when he heard far-off footsteps, then Bofur's voice echoing through Erebor.

"Hello?" he yelled. "Bombur?...Bifur?...Anybody?!"

Oh no! Bilbo thought in a panic. He has returned with Fíli, Kíli, and Óin! I have to find them before Thorin does! I have to warn them!

Their footsteps drew closer as he left the room. He was halfway across a bridge when he saw them going down the stairs that led to the treasure hoard chamber.

"Wait!" he shouted to catch their attention. "Wait!"

They started.

"It's Bilbo!" Kíli exclaimed.

"He's alive!" Bofur gasped.

Bilbo ran up to them. "Stop! Stop, stop!" he panted as he stood in front of them. "You need to leave. We all need to leave."

All of them looked deeply confused.

"We only just got here," Bofur remarked with a frown.

He shook his head. "I've tried to talking to him, but he won't listen."

"Wh-What do you mean, laddie?" he queried.

"Thorin!" he replied more loudly than he meant to, causing them to jump. "Thorin. Thorin," he added more quietly. "He's been down there for days. He doesn't sleep...he barely eats. He's not been himself, not at all. It's this...it's this place. I think a sickness lies upon it."

This time, Kíli looked bewildered, not to mention worried. It was at that moment that Bilbo noticed that he wasn't ill anymore.

"A sickness?" he asked. "What kind of sickness?"

Bilbo didn't have time to explain. Fíli ran down the stairs, concerned about his uncle. Bilbo called his name to stop him, but Fíli didn't pause once.

They followed him until he stood on the landing near the bottom of the stairway. Everyone except for Bilbo gazed at the mounds of gold in shock.

At that moment, Thorin came out of a room and stood at the center of it.

"Gold," he whispered, causing them to look at him.

"Gold beyond measure," he went on as he turned on the spot. "Beyond sorrow...and grief."

He happened to look up then, and saw them watching him.

"Behold...the great treasure hoard of Thrór," he declared. He turned away, then hurled a ruby in their direction. Fíli caught it with ease. "Welcome, my sister-sons..." he added while laying a hand on his chest. Then he spread his arms wide. "...to the kingdom of Erebor."

Neither he nor Kíli, Bofur, and Óin could think of anything to say other than "Hello" and "How are you faring?" Then they exchanged worried glances before leaving to greet their family and friends. Bilbo would have joined them, but Thorin told him to join him at his side. Sighing internally, he obeyed him with little grace.

It was not long before Thorin ordered Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Óin, Glóin, and Dwalin to search for the Arkenstone again. He kept Bilbo with him as he occasionally checked in on them.

"Any sign of it?" he yelled down to them from an overlook at one point.

"Nothing yet!" Dwalin replied.

"Nothing here!" Ori called to him.

Thorin scowled in irritation. "Keep searching!"

Glóin looked up. "That jewel could be anywhere!" he complained.

"The Arkenstone is in these halls!..."

Well, that's true. It technically is since I have it, Bilbo thought to himself.

"...Find it!" he (Thorin) retorted.

Dwalin turned to the others. "You heard him, keep looking!"

"All of you!" Thorin added. "No one rests until it is found!"

Bilbo looked at him in dismay as he jerked his head in the direction of the stairs. He followed him, almost handing him the Arkenstone out of guilt then, but thought better of it. He didn't know how Thorin would react if he knew that he had been secretly hiding it from him. In his current mindset, he'd probably kill him.

He was right in thinking that it would be a long day. Thorin wouldn't let him go to bed until it was late for the third night in a row. Much to his surprise, he patted his hand before he allowed him to. That giddy feeling arose in him again.

"Good night, Bilbo. I hope that you sleep well," he murmured.

"Th-Thank you, Thorin. I hope that you are able to rest too," he returned, looking at the purple shadows under his eyes. "Good night."

When Bilbo woke up the next morning, he heard the sound of metal clinking. He rubbed his eyes before leaving his chambers to wash up. Then he went to eat breakfast in the vast dining hall. He was the only one there besides Balin, Fíli, and Kíli. The others must have been in the treasure hoard chamber or in the throne room.

"'Morning," they greeted in low, tense voices. He noticed that they left out the "good".

"Hello," he returned with a yawn.

None of them spoke much as they ate. They finished before he did, but Kíli and Fíli sat with him as Balin left the room.

Thorin appeared when he had eaten the last of his food. He sent his nephews to help the others. They nodded morosely and with a nod to Bilbo, they walked out of the room.

"Come with me, Bilbo," Thorin slurred next.

He inclined his head and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief before leaving with him. Neither of them had anything to talk about as they made their way to the throne room. Bilbo couldn't think of what to say, and Thorin looked distracted.

The latter spent most of the next few hours glaring at nothing in particular. Bilbo didn't have to wonder why. He did wonder why for the love of Eru must he stand there for such a long time without doing something. He would rather be pretending to help his friends look for the Arkenstone.

More time passed when he started to feel hungry. Thorin must have heard his stomach grumbling because he said, "You may go and have your second breakfast, Elevensies, or dinner. I am not sure if it is still morning. Please return when you are finished."

Bilbo had a nice, hearty meal and went back to the throne room. Only several minutes had passed before Balin and Dwalin came to report on their search.

Thorin stood. "Have you found it?" he demanded impatiently.

Dwalin shook his head. "No, we have not. None of us found it among the treasure."

Hissing in rage, he leaned on his chair. "It is here in these halls. I know it," he whispered.

"We have searched and searched," Dwalin insisted in an even voice.

"Not well enough."

"Thorin...we all would see the stone returned."

"And yet, it's still not FOUND!" he ended the last word in a shout. His voice echoed through the hall.

Balin spoke up next. "Do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?" he inquired.

Bilbo peered at Thorin as he turned, but shifted his gaze quickly lest he started to get ideas. It was especially dangerous to face his wrath at this time.

He (Thorin) approached Balin and Dwalin.

"The Arkenstone is the birthright of our kingdom," the former continued.

"It is the King's Jewel. Am I not the KING?!" Thorin yelled, shaking his fist.

Bilbo and Dwalin could only stare at him as Balin sighed and looked away.

Thorin turned again, then looked at the opposite wall. "Know this," he deadpanned. "If anyone should find it, and withhold it from me...I will be avenged."

He walked away then. Bilbo glanced at him, then at his feet as Balin and Dwalin also left.

I have to do something, he thought. Perhaps I can ask Balin for some advice if Thorin doesn't mind if I go too.

Fortunately, Thorin didn't when he told him that he needed to relieve himself. Bilbo hurried out of the room and found Balin alone in one with shelves of books and scrolls in it. He was gasping and crying.

"Dragon-sickness," he began, hearing him enter the room. He turned to him. "I've seen it before. That look...the terrible need. It is a fierce and jealous love, Bilbo. It sent his grandfather mad."

Bilbo stood in front of him. "Balin, if-if Thorin had the Arkenstone...well, if-if it was found...would it help?" he queried with a hopeful expression.

Balin froze in fear, then collected himself. "That stone...crowns all. It's the summit of this great wealth, bestowing power upon he who bears it." He paused. "But will it stay his madness?" He shook his head. "No, laddie. I fear it would make him worse."

He gaped at him with his mouth open in horror and dismay.

"Perhaps it is best...it remains lost," Balin concluded.

With a nod, Bilbo assured him that he would keep what he said in mind.

He did not feel like returning to the throne room, so he sat in one of the corridors instead. He remained deep in thought for some time before pulling an acorn from an oak tree in Beorn's garden out of his pocket. He was skin changer that offered them shelter during their journey. It (the acorn) reminded him of Thorin and his oaken branch shield in many ways.

Abruptly, a menacing voice demanded, "What is that?"

Startled, Bilbo turned to see none other than Thorin standing outside of the archway.

The latter charged over to him. "In your hand?"

He rose to his feet. "I-It's nothing," he replied earnestly.

Thorin clearly believed he was lying to him, that he was holding the Arkenstone, because he ordered, "Show me."

Bilbo smiled and held out the acorn to him.

He gazed at it with a blink.

"It...I picked it up in Beorn's garden," he said.

Thorin looked at him in awe. "You've carried it all this way?" he asked with surprise.

"I'm going to plant it in my garden...in Bag End," Bilbo added.

Much to his amazement, he grinned as well. "It's a poor prize to take back to the Shire."

Bilbo thought otherwise. "One day it will grow," he continued with a small laugh. "And every time I'll look at it, I'll remember. I'll remember everything that happened-the good, the bad-and how lucky I am that I made it home."

He ended his statement with a smile, and Thorin returned it. Bilbo chuckled as it grew wider. It even seemed like the dragon-sickness faded considerably. Warmth spread all over his face. He liked it when he looked at him like that. It make him happy to see him truly smile for the first time in days.

He swayed with a shy expression. "Th-Thorin...I..." he began as the Dwarven king continued to peer at him.

"Yes, Bilbo?" he crooned.

"I...I have grown...very fond of you." (Yes, that sounded practical enough.) "I just want you to recover from the dragon-sickness. Is finding Arkenstone really worth all of this...insanity?"

The smile slowly faded. "The Arkenstone is the King's Jewel. It signifies my right to rule my kingdom. Do you not think that it is worth it?" he demanded in a tight voice, catching Bilbo off guard.

He did not respond. His honest answer was "no", but he did not want Thorin to fly into a rage.

Thorin scowled, his face clouding over. It was as if he had read his thoughts. He moved to turn away, but Bilbo laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I only say this because you have changed, Thorin. This dragon sickness is affecting your judgment. You are not the person that I met in Bag End. The Thorin I know is reasonable and would never have behaved this way, especially over a jewel."

"Perhaps not, the Arkenstone is more than a mere jewel."

Bilbo wanted to give up. There was no reasoning with Thorin at all while he was in this state.

Eventually, he sighed. "I can understand why you think the Arkenstone is so important. But what about us, Thorin? Fíli and Kíli, and the rest of your family and our friends? What about...?"

He was going to finish with "me", but couldn't bring himself to it. He felt that his true feelings for him would be revealed if he had.

"What about us? Are we not worth more than the Arkenstone to you? Do you not care about us as much as you did before we arrived here and reclaimed the Mountain? Do you not care that we care about you? Do you not care your dragon-sickness is taking hold of you and threatening to ruin everything you, your family, and friends hold dear? Do you not care of how ridiculous you are being and making yourself look?! Do you not care that you are causing all of us no small amount of pain?!" he yelled, tears of hurt and anger filling his eyes.

Thorin blinked, his questions having struck quite a few nerves.

He peered his feet, his expression changing every few seconds. Bilbo stared at him, moving away in case Thorin decided to attack him for presuming to shout at him as if he were a mere dwarf, and not a king.

Finally, he looked up, and an extraordinary thing happened. His eyes suddenly became more clear. It seemed as if most (but obviously not all) of the dragon-sickness had vanished. A good deal of sense had obviously been knocked into him. "Yes...all of you do mean more to me than the Arkenstone. And while it is very important to me...it...it could not take the place of my family, or our friends."

The next thing Bilbo knew, he laid a hand on his own shoulder. It looked as if he wanted to place it on his cheek, but thought better of it.

"And it could never take the place of you. You have a pure heart of gold, and that is worth more than a mountain full of Arkenstones. And sadly, a heart of gold is not something that many people possess. I...I hope that you never change, Bilbo, as I have grown quite fond of you too," he nearly whispered. Then he embraced him. "Please do not ever change."

He smiled as his forest-y scent entered his nostrils. "You have no need to worry about that. I do not plan to."

"Good. I am so sorry for all of the distress and pain that I have caused you. I am sorry that I allowed this to happen. I hope that you can forgive me...in time."

"I have nothing to forgive or not forgive. You were ill, Thorin, and not thinking clearly. I know you wouldn't have if you have never succumbed to the dragon-sickness. Underneath it all, I knew that your own heart of gold was still beating in your chest. I'm certain that it wouldn't have been long before you eventually healed and came to your senses."

"Thank you. Your unfailing kindness is more than I deserve. Nevertheless, I still hope to regain your trust and favor if it takes a hundred years."

Both of their faces were very close when he backed away slightly. They found themselves gazing into each other's eyes.

Desire appeared in Thorin's intense stare as he raised his hand to the side of his neck. He leaned forward and, to Bilbo's immense shock, kissed him on the cheek...

...and then on the lips.