Your Blood On My Hands

"Oh god's that hurts…" gasped Bilbo, wrapping his arms tighter around his waist in an effort to dull the pain.

He could feel the warm expanse of Thorin behind him as well as an arm holding him steady as he hurriedly directed Fili and Kili. "Go. Get water and some bandages and I'll need a knife. Hurry!"

His voice was raised in what Bilbo would have guess was panic if Thorin had been a normal Dwarf but he knew Thorin was much too gruff and stoic for that to be true. Bilbo's side burned.

'At least he is alive.' Thought Bilbo as he felt the stickiness of the blood beneath his hands. He had acted without thought. The orcs had ambushed and the dwarves had been fighting for their lives. Even Bilbo was helping the best he could with his letter opener. It had finally began to look like they would win this battle and live to see another day when Bilbo had spotted an Orc atop one of the rocky outcroppings that dotted the land around them. The sun was glinting off something that the orc had raised and was pointing at Thorin who was busy cutting through another orc.

'ARROW!' Bilbo's mind had screamed his body already in motion. There had been no thought, no hesitation before he was throwing his entire weight against Thorin. Pushing the other to the ground as he felt the arrow pierce his side, separating layers of fat and flesh and lodging there. The momentum of his collision with Thorin landed him face down on top of the dwarf king.

"Foolish hobbit what are you doing!" Thorin roared as he none too gently flipped the hobbit onto his back to see his face. Bilbo could see the instant understanding in Thorin's gaze as he looked the Halfling over. Gently Thorin turned Bilbo so he was resting between his legs and against his chest before yelling for Fili and Kili. Bilbo could feel himself beginning to lose consciousness, the pain and exhaustion and fear too much for his small body to handle as it began shutting down, darkness curling around the edge of his vision. "Stay awake hobbit." Growled Thorin as he too wrapped his arms around Bilbo to put pressure on his wound. "You do not have my permission to sleep. You must stay awake."

Bilbo tried to chuckle at the sentiment, as if Thorin Oakenshield King under the Mountain could just order him to stay awake. Bilbo felt his arms begin to grow heavy and he lost the strength to press against his wounds. His eyes started to drift closed, oblivious to the noises around him as the other dwarves finished off the last few orcs. Bilbo could hear Kili and Fili's voices. 'They must be back with the bandages. Maybe I'll survive this yet.'

The pain was becoming more bearable as his thoughts began to wander and his pain took on a fuzzy feeling, like his vision had. He was about to just let go and drift off but before he could something jerked in his wound and the arrow shaft was swiftly pulled from his side.

Bilbo's eyes flew open and he screamed with the pain of it. For a moment all he could see was red even though he knew his eyes were open. He also felt tears running down his face. 'I will never hear the end of this from Kili and Fili. Crying like a babe. How embarrassing.'

Bilbo could feel a gentle hand brushing the hair from his eyes and combing it back from his face and he was reminded of simpler times sitting in the garden with his mother as she read to him about elves and adventures. 'Of course' thought Bilbo wryly 'Adventures aren't all they are cracked up to be.'

His vision finally cleared but the raw fiery pain was still there and Bilbo tried to push on the wound as if to physically push the pain away but his hand were stopped by someone who held them gently but firmly away. He could not stop sobbing and he felt the soothing hand in his hair and he tried to focus on that rather than the pain. In the back recesses of his mind, in the only part of him that was still coherent enough to be thinking rationally, Bilbo knew that part of the pain he was feeling was because someone was stitching the wound. He squeezed the hand that was holding his and the hand squeezed back. Bilbo also became aware of a sound, soft whispers being spoken into his hair. Another part of his mind realized that it was Thorin who was stroking his hair and whispering. Thorin who was holding him. Bilbo tried to make out what he was saying. "Hush little one, you are safe. I know it hurts. I know. Shhh it's almost over. And then I'll keep you safe. I'll make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again. I swear it."

Bilbo raised his head from where it was buried in the dwarf kings tunic and tried to focus on Thorin.

"This arrow-w" Bilbo slurred "would ha- killed you. I would - again in a heartbeat." Bilbo tried to focus on Thorin's eyes to make sure he understood, before the pain and exhaustion clouded his vision once more. The grip on his hand tightened and he barely made out what Thorin was saying in return. "I will never allow you to do something so foolish again, Halfling. I can't have you dying anytime soon."

Bilbo felt someone coaxing him to swallow and he did. It must have been a healing potion, as it tasted foul but almost instantly the pain began to fade and so did Bilbo's hold on consciousness.

"Can I sss-leep now" slurred the hobbit as the draught took its effect.

He could feel the dwarf's chest rumble beneath him with a relieved chuckle. "Yes little Halfling. You have my permission to sleep now. I will keep you safe." "Good" Bilbo mumbled into the dwarf king's tunic. He was just about asleep when he felt himself being gently picked up and moved somewhere only to be set down again and gathered close. "Sleep well, Bilbo Baggins."

And sleep he did.

AN: I wrote this based off of a work of fanart by Kaciart on tumblr. I love her art work and she has drawn some of my favorite Thilbo and Fili/Kili pieces! If you have a minute you should go and check out her art! =D

The picture this was inspired by- kaciart. tumblr post /40494581818 (remove the spaces)

Her tumblr- kaciart. tumblr. com

Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! Oh and feel free to point out any spelling or grammar errors.