'Would you send me away then, my king?' Bilbo frowned at Thorin who bared his teeth at him, the shadow that had began forming when they had entered the mountain now deep in his eyes. 'It seems that you were much more the Burglar than we first thought you would be, truly you have grown into your role, thief!'

'I hid the Arkenstone for your sake Thorin!' Bilbo tried to defend himself, very much aware of the others listening and watching the exchange, each of them looking torn and lost.

'For me! That is the boldest and most pathetic excuse I have ever heard for thievery in all my life! You stole the thing that is most important to me! And you claim it was for me!' Thorin laughed but it was not the happy, joyful laugh that Bilbo had hoped to hear upon their reclaiming of their home. It was sharp and cold.

'Yes for you Thorin! Do you not see what you have become? Do you not see what is happening! The shadow of this treasure fell upon you before we even reached its slopes Thorin, I was terrified for you what it would do to you, and I was right. Thorin the most important thing inside this mountain is your nephews who you have fought through so much to get their home back for, it is the friends that have followed you across Middle Earth, through storms and trolls, through thunder battles and Goblin cities, on the backs of eagles and through haunted woods, that have followed you into elvish prisons and into barrels to travel down streams! Thorin your friends followed you to a dragon housed mountain because they love you and they believe in you. I followed you here because I believe in you and the King I know you to be, the KIng that loves his people so much he would work himself to the bone to provide for them. This...this person that the treasure has turned you into is not you, and that stone will do the same. Do not value treasure over those who care for you, please Thorin,' Bilbo fought back the tears that filled his eyes as he spoke, as he looked upon the face of the Dwarf King that had so scared him at first, and yet he had been in awe of. Of the friend that Thorin had become over their journey, no longer fully recognising him.

'I am not obsessed with the treasure,' Thorin snapped but there was something in his eyes that made hope flare inside of Bilbo.

'Thorin look around you, you have locked yourself inside the mountain, you have locked your nephews and friends inside the mountain with food rapidly running out, and I know for a fact that Dwarves can not live off of gold and jewels. You are refusing help, ignoring the pleas of Bard and the people of Laketown who have been hurt and left homeless after Smaug's attack. Thranduil has no claim on your treasure, but Bard and his people gave you their help, they have suffered as your people suffered all those years ago, and the Dwarf I knew would not turn his back on them and ignore their cries the way you are now Thorin!' Bilbo begged.

'You are twisting things to try and take me off the fact that you were stealing from me!' Thorin shouted, but the shadow had receded slightly in his eyes, enough to give Bilbo hope.

'Because I care for you, because I don't want it to be the thing that kills you!'

'Care for me! How do you care for me when you steal the treasure of my line! No, no you are no friend of mines Bilbo Baggins, you hold no friendship in your heart for me to take the Arkenstone from me!' Thorin growled.

'No you're right Thorin, I hold no friendship in my heart for you, or at least not only friendship I love you Thorin and that is why I would not see you fall into this darkness,' Bilbo said softly.

The silence that had been coming from the others as they listened to the exchange some how seemed to get even deeper as they stared between the two of them completely stunned now, Kili, Fili and Dori were actually watching with open mouths.

'Love...you claim to love me, and yet you steal from me and you stand and my perceived weakness,' Thorin grabbed Bilbo's arm and shook him, but Bilbo returned the grip on his arm and daringly reached up to grab hold of the fur of Thorin's jacket using all his newly formed muscles to tug him closer.

'You are the most infuriating Dwarf that has graced the lands of Middle Earth and half the time I could quite happily strangle you, but that does not make me love you any less, and neither does this, I fear for you, I fear for what this gold is doing to you. But I know that you are strong enough to pull through it Thorin, and I fear even more for what you will do to yourself when you see how the treasure clouded your mind,' Bilbo said softly.

'The treasure that you are disparaging is the thing that we went on this quest for, nothing has changed but you trying to com up with an excuse for your thieving!' Thorin snapped.

'No Thorin, this quest was about your home, it was about reclaiming the land your people came from, it was about giving Fili and Kili their rightful home, and giving your people back what was stolen from them. It was not about the treasure,' Bilbo sighed

'If you loved me you would never have stolen from me Halfling,' Thorin shook his head.

'I do love you Thorin, and I do not want to lose you to the same curse that stole your Grandfather from you,' Bilbo barely squeaked when Thorin snarled and grabbed hold of him and shook him hard enough to make his teeth rattle. 'Do you think you can scare me to silence Thorin? Do you think that I will be silent about this matter? Do you think I will allow you to lose yourself to this madness?!' Bilbo said desperately.

'And what hope does a pampered, coddled, Hobbit of the Shire know about fighting such a terrifying and powerful curse?' Thorin snorted. He blinked when Bilbo reached up and cupped his face before pressing a chaste and light kiss to Thorin's lips.

'I may not be a hardened Dwarf warrior of many journeys, I may not have seen many quests and I may be coddled. But I love you, and I will not give up on you, I won't lose you Thorin!' he said firmly before slamming their lips together. The simultaneous intake of breath from the others would have been amusing, especially as Balin gasped his brother's arm tightly and Kili and Fili were blushing darkly.

Thorin was stiff in Bilbo's arms for too many heart wrenching moments, his lips unmoving enough that Bilbo was starting to feel humiliated, his heart sinking rapidly...but then his heart felt like it was about to beat itself out of his chest when Thorin's hands loosened the bruisingy hard grip on his shoulders and his lips moved against Bilbo's. is arms slowly and uncertainly wrapped around Bilbo, one sliding around his shoulders and the other around his waist holding him to his rm body.

'Bilbo?' Thorin asked confused, his blue eyes finally clear as he blinked down at him.

'Its alright, its going to be alright,' Bilbo breathed out with a smile, burying his fingers into Thorin's gorgeous black hair and kissing him gently again.

'I don't understand how Bilbo managed to break the goldsickness though,' Balin frowned a little confused as he sat down next to Gandalf with a slightly pained grunt

'Please tell me that there is no such thing as true love's kiss or some crap like that!' Dwalin groaned. Kili and Fili snickered at the words coming out of the Dwarven warriors mouth, especially considering he was still covered in cuts and blood, is own and his enemies.

'Love is a part of it,' Gandalf chuckled looking to the end of the tent where Thorin was lying injured and resting now, though only after being thoroughly chewed out and threatened by a furious Bilbo that if he died the Hobbit would bring him back and torture him in inventive ways that had made even Dwalin gawp shocked. The Hobbit himself was lying with his head on Thorin's cot fast asleep holding the King's hand.

'Oh dear Mahal,' Dwalin groaned shaking his head.

'Yes he was part of it,' Gandalf nodded.

'I am afraid you have lost me, and the others I fear Gandalf,' Balin frowned looking at the wizard confused.

'Where you are the children of Mahal, Hobbits are the children and in the hearts of Yavanna. Is it of any shock that the love of one of her children should guard and protect the heart of one of her husband's children from harm?' Gandalf smiled happily. The others blinked before looking back to the two with a new understanding in their eyes.

Thorin groaned and he closed the door behind himself, closing his eyes and dropping his head back against it. He groaned low in his throat when gentle hands tugged at the buckles holding his robes closed,gently opened them, swiftly followed by the ties of his shirt, and then small, warm hands slipped inside to stroke over his chest and stomach as welcoming lips found his.

'If Baln found out that you were in my rooms with me alone he would have a heart attack,' Thorin smiled when Bilbo pulled away from him, opening his eyes to take in the sight of his beloved lit by the crackling fire his golden hair beautiful, his skin glowing, his eyes welcoming and loving as they gazed up at him.

'What Balin doesn't k now can't hurt him. What is the use of being a sneaky buglar if I can not use it to get what I want?' Thorin laughed at Bilbo's cheeky grin.

'And what is it you want tonight my ove?' Torin hummed wrapping his arms tighter around his Hobbit and holding him close.

'To get to spend my evening in your company. Ori told me it had been a long day and hat the council have been being difficult,' Bilbo said concerned tugging Thorin over to the fireplace. The King Under the Mountain allowed his intended to move and shift him until he was lying on the rugs and furs that Bilbo seemed to have arranged in front of the fre. He merely watched as his love tugged and removed Thorin's heavy robes and boots, pulled off his shirt and finally settled beside him to unwind his official braids, carefully combing through his hair was his nimble fingers worked n his hair and beard, lulling Thorin into a warm relaxed state.

When they lay together on the warm pile, Thorin holding Bilbo close to his chest, the scent of Bilbo that made Thorin think of safety and home filled his senses and he was able to relax properly for the first time that day. And Bilbo sighed into his chest with such contentness that Thorin's heart seemed to give an extra beat.

There was a lot more work to do, more seemingly endless days and probably thousands of arguments with his damned council. It would take years to rebuild Erebor to its former glory. But with this man in his arms he knew that he could fight through anything and come out the other side stronger, for Bilbo had proved that he would not let Thorin fall to anything, be it Orcs or his own weakness that ran through his blood. He had a home and a future, and it was all thanks to the small being in his arms.