Bagginsheild LET THE STORM RAGE ON

Chapter 3 CLOSENESS

Thorin sat up and stretched. Bilbo moved to a sitting position as well. "It's colder today." Bilbo said, frowning. "I guess it is." Thorin sighed. A chill breeze swept across them and Bilbo shivered. He longed to burrow back into the warmth of Thorin and his wonderful fur coat. Thorin smiled, picking up his fur and draped it over Bilbo. "It looks like you need this more than me." He joked. Bilbo took it gratefully and reveled in its warmth. The son of Thrain chuckled. Bilbo blushed. "Bilbo, you know you have been absolutely amazing on this journey, if I had no shoes I would probably just quit." Thorin said admirably. "Oh..." Bilbo blushed even deeper. "I- I just- hobbits' feet- are- they're made for- for- or more to- to act like s-shoes." Bilbo stuttered. Thorin laughed. Bilbo quite liked the sound, he smiled. Then the unexpected happened. Thorin leaned in and kissed Bilbo. It was a soft kiss, their lips barely brushed, but it was, all the same, a kiss. Bilbo blushed such a deep red he was sure he looked like an apple. Thorin's arms were still around him. The hobbit's eyes were wide, staring at Thorin's blue ones. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Thorin let his arms fall down to Bilbo's hips. He was frozen, Bilbo could not move at all. "Come on, we have to wake the company." Thorin said taking his hands off Bilbo as if nothing had happened. Bilbo felt stiff. But pleasure coursed through him. He slowly got up and turned to watch as Thorin shook the dwarves awake. They grumbled in annoyance but woke up fine. Dwalin volunteered to make the breakfast using the nuts and berries Fili and Kili had collected yesterday. As the dwarves did various things to help with the fire, the cooking or something else Bilbo walked over to Bofur who was trying to light a fire. "Hello Bofur." Bilbo said as he approached. "Oh! Bilbo! Good morning, would you mind giving me a hand here?" Bofur asked tossing Bilbo some flint. "Sure." Bilbo sat down next to the dwarf. A little while later they had got a nice fire going but not after many, many, broken sticks and chips of flint. Bilbo admired his work then loped into the forest to get some wood for the fire. Once he had made his way into the forest, swinging an axe by his side he picked it up and chopped into a thick, fallen, branch. He wasn't getting anywhere with this, he thought in dismay. "You're not going to make even a dent doing it that way."

Bilbo whipped around and almost hit Thorin with his axe. "You're useless with that heavy thing." The prince laughed. Bilbo blushed and looked back to his petty piece of wood. "Here." Thorin said taking the axe. "I'll do the wood and you can go wash up." Thorin offered though it sounded to Bilbo more like a command. "Wash? You think I would let you do all the work? No no no no! I'll go... Um... hmm." Bilbo searched but the tasks were either being completed or done. "Fine." The hobbit pouted walking to the small river. He could hear Thorin's amused laughter fade.