DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, NOR AM I MAKING ANYTHING OUT OF THIS EXCEPT MY OWN AMUSEMENT

After a while, the other dwarves and Bilbo tactfully withdrew to the fire. Bofur and Bifur roasted seasoned rabbit meat on a spit across the flames in celebration of the reunion. When it was ready the dwarves allowed Bilbo to have the first portion, making his jaw to drop in surprise. Bombur handed him a very large mug of spiced ale to wash it down with.

He gave very heartfelt thanks and was just about to tuck into the mouth-watering meal when Kili arrived and quickly wrenched it from his hands.

"Hey!" Bilbo shouted indignantly. He reached for it, but Kili lifted it out of his reach.

"You know what would make this better, Bilbo?" he said brightly. "Mushrooms."

Bilbo stopped trying to reclaim his dinner. "M-mushrooms?" his eyes went wide.

"Yup!" Kili nodded. "Big, fat, juicy, tender, succulent mushrooms."

Bilbo almost started drooling. Rabbit was one thing, but mushrooms! It was true all they ever seemed to eat on this quest was meat. And if hobbits had a weakness, it was mushrooms. Bilbo's eyes lit up as he pictured a rabbit meat and mushroom kabab.

"Where are these mushrooms?" he asked Kili as casually as possible. What if he sensed Bilbo's excitement and, guessing quite correctly that he had no intention of sharing, made a dash for them himself?

Kili pointed into the trees. "There's a whole pile of them a distance over there. Shall I show you?"

The other dwarves were watching Kili suspiciously. He merely smiled.

Bilbo squared his shoulders. "Lead on."

A while later, he found himself asking "Exactly how far are these mushrooms?"

Kili just kept smiling. "A little further, you'll see."

The picked their way through brambles, tree trunks and tree roots made nearly invisible by the darkness. The heavy silence was broken every once in a while by Bilbo tripping over something indelicately, but nothing was going to deter him from those mushrooms. A twig snapped somewhere to the left and Bilbo's head whipped around to check for danger. When he turned back he found Kili was no longer beside him.

"Kili? KILI!" he hissed. Of course, there was no reply. "Perfect." muttered Bilbo crossly. Then more loudly "This better not be a joke, I've only just recovered from the last one!" the silence mocked him and he was strongly reminded of that black night when Kili first disappeared. "Why on earth do I like that little ar-" his grumbling was cut short as he spotted a faint glow through the trees.

Cautiously, he crept toward it, parting the bushes half-concealing it from his vision. Then he gasped. A mass of candles had been carefully arranged to line the edges of a secret narrow path. The multitude of little flames exuded a warm, flickering golden light that held back the shadows. Looking down at his feet, Bilbo saw a white chalk arrow drawn on a stone pointing down the path. Numbly he followed its direction. Moths, attracted to the light, flitted like ghosts at the edge of his vision. The cold night air became balmy in this secret protected grove, and the sudden warmth drove away much of Bilbo's tension, reducing him to a trance-like stake.

After a couple of minutes the candles veered away from the path to lead him toward a small pool, over which towered a giant willow tree. Its long arms stirred the water gently. Bilbo's attention was drawn to the movement and he realised the pool had been filled with a variety of flower petals. He was utterly convinced this was some strange and beautiful dream unlike any he had ever experienced before. Then a gentle puff of wind blew out most of the candles.

"Damn it, I spent hours lighting those!" a voice hissed, startling Bilbo back to reality. It sounded suspiciously like Fili's.

"Shut up, he'll hear!" That could only be Kili.

They're voices seemed to be floating down from the higher boughs of the willow tree. The dream-like illusion now shattered, Bilbo was feeling very confused. He was sick of being confused.

"What on earth is going on?" he asked loudly.

"Oh no!" groaning Kili, followed by a grunt of pain accompanied with vicious shushing. Fili must have kicking him. Then there was silence.

"Oh come on, I really do know you're there by now." complained Bilbo. "Why are y-"

"Just shut up and get under the tree! You're ruining everything." Fili demanded crossly before snapping his mouth shut once more.

Bilbo sighed and did as he said. Brushing through the encompassing cocoon of draping branches, he found Thorin standing awkwardly next to the trunk. His face was bright red. Bilbo's eyebrows rose, but before he could say anything a shower of red rose petals poured down on the pair of them from above. Thorin took one look at Bilbo's flabbergasted and expression and collapsed in a mortified heap on the floor, burying his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry." He muttered to Bilbo. "They said they knew what they were doing…"

"Uncle!" admonished Fili's voice from high above in a stage whisper. "Confidence is the key!"

"Could someone please give me an explanation for all this?" Bilbo was more bewildered than he'd ever been in his life. Then the romantic strains of a flute were added to the display.

Thorin stood and glared up into the branches. Bilbo followed his gaze. Kili and Fili were indeed perched precariously above them. Fili was holding a bag of rose petals that he scattered periodically and Kili was playing the flute to the best of his ability.

"Right, that enough." Thorin waved his hands to silence him. "Just leave, stop, please go away. I believe I can manage this alone. Thank you for all your efforts but frankly this is beyond ridiculous."

"WHAT?!" Kili cried, outraged. "But we put in all this effort! And we've got a great romantic atmosphere going on here…"

"Yeah!" added Fili. "You wanted us to help you express your feelings and here we are."

Thorin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Out. Now. Please. Please."

Grumbling and muttering the whole way, Kili and Fili climbed as gracelessly as possibly down from the tree and slouched away.

Bilbo was left staring at Thorin, who was burning with embarrassment and avoiding his gaze as though his life was dependent on it.

"Thorin…"

"I am sorry, I believed they might have been able to assisted me with…actually, never mind, please don't concern yourself. I only wished to show you how much I…It is fine, forget about it, I am sorry, please forgive me…"

Bilbo couldn't help it. He started to laugh. As the peels came bursting out of him it became harder and harder to stop. Soon he was red in the face himself and gasping for air. "Oh Thorin!" he eventually managed to choke out. "You really are an idiot."

Thorin physically flinched and hunched in on himself. That immediately snapped Bilbo out of his merriment. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that." He rushed to reassure him. "I meant, you're an idiot to trust Kili and Fili to help you get this right. Despite what they claim, they're no experts."

Thorin gave a tiny, rueful smile. "They meant well." He still couldn't look Bilbo in the eye.

Seeing him so insecure filled Bilbo with feelings so huge he felt too small to contain them. By now there could be no misinterpretation of what Thorin was trying to say. He couldn't believe this was happening, but it was, so he was going to make the most of it.

Gently, he knelt before Thorin and took his large hand. Then, his heart beating so fast it was almost painful, he quickly pressed his lips to it. Thorin's head shot up and his beautiful blue eyes connected with Bilbo's. A smile cracked across his face. Embarrassment forgotten, he bent and kissed Bilbo hard on the mouth. They stayed like that for a very long time.

Finally, Thorin pulled away to carefully stroke the tears of happiness from Bilbo's cheeks. "I know I have already apologised for causing you so much pain. So many times I have tried to tell you, and yet it always came out wrong. Now I shall say it. Even before the love potion, from every second after you demanded to turn back for a simple handkerchief, my heart has belonged to only you."

"And mine to you since the moment you appeared on my doorstep." Bilbo smiled so warmly Thorin felt he could melt.

Instead, he sat forward earnestly. "When this is all over my Master Baggins, would you consider-"

"Yes."

It was a long while later that they left the privacy and protection of the willow. No sooner had they stepped out from its branches into the night firmly holding hands then Kili and Fili rushed up and embraced them, happily cheering "Uncle Bilbo!"

Bilbo groaned. "I can't believe that of all the dwarves in the world, I get you two for my nephews." They all laughed.

FINISHED! SORRY IF YOU FIND THE ENDING SORTA CHEESEY…HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING IT THOUGH. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU DID, AND I'D REALLY WELCOME ANY IDEAS FOR FUTURE FICS IF YOU'RE WILLING TO OFFER THEM! :) :) :)