To Spoon Feed You Comfort part 2

Credit goes to SunnyRose

Chapter 2: Feed Me the Truth

Summary:Bilbo's secret comes to light.

That dirty feeling never truly left him as he trudged along after the dwarves. His one chance to say something, and instead he jumped into Thorin’s bed. He was not opposed to casual sex, but probably doing it with his husband he had yet to confess to was a bit…inappropriate, to put it mildly. Any chance at catching Thorin alone now was practically gone as the dwarf kept his distance, almost as if he were afraid Bilbo would want more from him now. Maybe that should have been a sign. It would have been one he accepted, if the waves of guilt weren’t crashing against him.

“So you did it then?” Bofur questioned, siding up next to him.

“P-Pardon?” Bilbo spluttered.

Bofur’s eyebrows furrowed together, but his good humor kept as he continued to needle him. “You and Thorin?”

Bilbo knew his face was exploding in color as heat filled his cheeks so quickly he was becoming light-headed.

“Ummm…”

“Your talk?” Bofur pressed.

“OH! YES!” Bilbo exclaimed only to begin laughing nervously as several dwarves turned to stare at him for his outburst.

“That bad then.” Bofur hummed apologetically.

“Yes. I mean no! It was fine. Um, I think we understand each other better now.”

“That a way!” Bofur cheered. “That’s a good step forward. Now if we can just get you guys comfortable around each other. That’ll be good for the company I reckon.”

Comfortable. Interesting word choice. Bilbo would love to be ‘comfortable’ around his husband, but if he’d learned anything from the night before, Thorin was not comforting . Perhaps this would just be a secret he would carry to his grave. With as quickly as Thorin left him last night, Bilbo could see any dream for a happy marriage was just a greener garden out of reach.

He let himself fall back into routine where he stuck with Bofur and Bombur and occasionally Nori and would only watch Thorin from afar. He just wished Thorin would have thought to agree to the same terms. Instead, after a week of ignoring Bilbo’s very existence, it was like Thorin had a sudden epiphany and switched to harsh and critical. Everything Bilbo did was wrong, and everywhere he was, happened to be in Thorin’s way. It was starting to become noticeable as several of the dwarves would whisper to him afterwards asking what he did to piss off their esteemed leader. Bilbo didn’t think Thorin would appreciate it if he answered with ‘bed him’.

Bilbo had reached his limits of keeping his mouth shut at exactly the same time the decision was taken out of his hands. A storm had moved through the mountains. Although, it wasn’t just any storm. It was a thunder battle. Bilbo lay there, exhausted and heaving after Thorin pulled him from the long drop down the mountainside.

“I thought we had lost our burglar.” Dwalin sighed in relief.

Before Bilbo could step in to assure him, Thorin spat his words with a venomous look.

“He’s been lost ever since he left his home. He should not have come. He has no place among us.”

Bilbo reeled back like he had been slapped. If Thorin noticed, he gave no indication as he turned quickly, giving the order for them to find shelter. Bofur helped him up, trying to reassure him, but Bilbo felt numb. If he had no place among them, what was he doing here? His own husband didn’t want him! Rivendell had clearly just been Thorin scratching an itch, and now he was sick of him. Bilbo felt like he should despair, instead he just got agitated.

He waited until they were safely tucked away in the cave and most of the company was asleep, before he stomped his way over to their esteemed leader. Bilbo shook his shoulder.

“We have to talk.” He hissed.

“I have nothing left to say.” Thorin growled, purposefully not looking at him.

Bilbo spun him around. “Then you will listen!”

Thorin grabbed him by his jacket collar and pulled him down so that Bilbo was practically bent over him as they were nose to nose.

“Don’t get familiar, Halfling.” Thorin growled. “I warned you that night.”

“Before or after you fucked me?”

Thorin shook him a bit as he looked around making sure no one heard. That hurt a bit. That Thorin was so ashamed of what they did.

“I’ve done everything for you. ” Bilbo stated calmly even as he felt like throwing up. “I’ve left home for you. I’ve faced dangers for you!”

“Why?” Thorin demanded, aggravation seeping through his tone. “I never asked you to!”

“Because I am your husband!”

Thorin was frozen, and Bilbo wished he could see his expression better in the dark. Instead, he held his breath, waiting to hear what Thorin would say next. That’s when a cracking sound echoed through the cave. He and Thorin both looked over at the same time to watch the sand slipping through the crack in the stone. Thorin pushed him away as he fought his way to his feet.

“Get up! All of you!” Thorin roared.

His warning came too late as the floor gave way beneath their feet.

***

Bilbo escaped into the sunlight, his prize clinging to his finger as he raced down the mountainside after the company. He just started to catch sight of them when their voices rose in volume.

“Damn that hobbit, now he’s lost?” Dwalin complained.

“I thought Dori had him.”

“Don’t blame me.” Dori complained.

“Well, where did you last see him?” Gandalf asked in exasperation.

The cacophony of voices all rose up at that point, arguing amongst themselves over what to do about Bilbo when Thorin’s voice interrupted them all.

“Is it true?” He demanded.

“Is what true?” Gandalf huffed.

“I am now the widower of a husband I never knew!” Thorin roared, causing everyone else to fall into silence.

Bilbo immediately pulled himself behind a tree as he grit his teeth tightly, resisting the urge to cover his ears while he was at it. He wasn’t certain he could bear the outcome of this conversation, but he couldn’t bring himself to walk away either. Gandalf didn’t answer right away, and when he did, he sounded tired.

“He told you.”

“Right before we were captured.” Thorin confirmed.

“What?” Balin chirped. “You…and Master Baggins?”

Bilbo squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Gandalf try to explain Shire marriage to the dwarves.

“Hobbits have a rather…unique view on marriage. There’s no ceremony, no copious amount of gestures. Just a quick bite, and it’s done.”

Bilbo could hear the word ‘bite’ echoed through the company in various degrees of confusion and disbelief. Unfortunately, Gandalf didn’t get further than that before Thorin interrupted. Bitterness seeped into his every word, leaving Bilbo shaking and gasping behind the tree.

“Curse you.” He growled. “Curse you for sending us to that green door in the first place! And for what? The hobbit is gone! We will not be seeing him again.”

Bilbo could feel his heart squeezing tightly at Thorin’s words, no matter how badly he didn’t want to be affected. No matter how many times he told himself that this wasn’t a true marriage. He had no right to be attached. Thorin was his husband in name only. He took a deep breath and slipped his ring off his finger.

“No, he isn’t.” He declared.

There were gasps and cries at seeing him whole and hale as they tried to ask him how he got past the goblins. He wasn’t sure how to answer that as he felt hard pressed to keep his handy little ring a secret. However, all of that fell by the wayside when Thorin asked him why. Bilbo felt like his stomach was doing flips as he held Thorin’s stare. The husband he didn’t ask for who clearly didn’t want him as well.

“I was wrong to have kept the truth from you. I know that, and I’ve regretted every minute of it. But you said something to me once. That all you could ask for is loyalty, honor, and a willing heart. Well, I know lying isn’t very honorable, and perhaps my actions could be looked at as dutiful rather than loyal. But I stand here willing. Willing to do what is right by you, whatever that ends up being. And I’ll start with helping you take back your home.”

Thorin’s eyes dropped for a moment before looking up at Bilbo, assessing, calculating, and Bilbo met the stare as he was. His husband. However, Thorin chose to define that relationship, Bilbo would accept his decision.

Thorin opened his mouth, looking like he was going to say something when a howl sounded from behind him. His gaze hardened.

“Out of the frying pan.” Thorin growled.

“And into the fire.” Gandalf agreed before ordering them to run.

Thorin met Bilbo’s eyes one more time. They held him there for a moment before he gave Bilbo an almost unnoticeable nod. A truce? An acceptance? Bilbo knew not how to interrupt it, and he wasn’t exactly given the opportunity to puzzle over it as they were chased up into trees by the wargs and orcs. He did find, as he threw himself at the orc that was about to decapitate Thorin, that he had a newfound perspective on the situation. Their relationship wasn’t based on much. Not love nor mutual understanding, but Bilbo would defend it, defend him like it was a life he chose.

***

He hugged him. Bilbo had thought that was the catalyst of changes to their relationship, but no. Thorin was back to avoiding him. At first, Bilbo gave him the benefit of the doubt. He was injured, of course he needed to talk to Oin. They were still being hunted, of course he needed time to think. Yet, every time Bilbo tried to approach him, Thorin would quickly find something else that needed doing. And if he couldn’t get away from Bilbo, he sent Bilbo away.

Go scout for the orcs.

Oh, yes. Given Bilbo’s experience in such things he would know exactly what to do. Mostly it was just Bilbo stomping through the wooded mountainside, grumbling out loud to himself about Thorin. However, that changed the morning he heard howls in the distance. He ducked behind some rocks only peeking out when he could to see Azog and his band hot in pursuit. He grimaced, and he thought they were finally free of that bothersome lot.

Thorin’s injuries had only recently gotten to the point where he could move about confidently on his own. Before Dwalin or Dori would have to support him just for him to be able to walk without pain, and now those monsters were coming back to finish the job. Not while Bilbo still breathed, they wouldn’t.

Deciding he had seen enough, he was getting ready to leave when he caught sight of something else. Something massive with pitch black fur and long sharp teeth. It was like no bear Bilbo had ever seen, and his eyes went wide when it looked over in his direction. Yep, definitely time to scurry back and report the unfortunate news to the company.

“How close is the pack?” Thorin demanded.

“Too close.” Bilbo panted. “A couple of leagues, no more. But that’s not the worst of it.”

“Have the wargs picked up our scent?” Dwalin demanded.

“Not yet. But they will. We have another problem.”

“Did they see you?” Gandalf asked gravely. “They saw you.”

“That’s not it.” Bilbo shook his head.

He watched in bewilderment as the dwarves and Gandalf started to sing his praises. As if not being seen was a great feat, and he suddenly became exactly the burglar they needed. If he weren’t so shook, he would have rolled his eyes.

“Will you just listen!” He demanded. “I’m trying to tell you there’s something else out there!”

And of course, Gandalf wasn’t surprised by the giant bear beast. Why would he be? Infuriating wizard. Of course, everyone wanted to know exactly what it was, and Gandalf couldn’t be bothered to give them a straight answer. He did tell them of a house they could seek refuge in. Well, might.

“Whose house?” Thorin asked with the same level of exasperation in his tone that Bilbo was feeling. “Are they friend or foe?”

“Neither.” Gandalf huffed. “He will help us or…he will kill us.”

Well, Bilbo certainly was feeling good about their state of affairs now.

“What choice do we have?” Thorin asked, looking defeated.

There was a great roar in the distance.

“None.” Gandalf answered solemnly.

There wasn’t much left to say after that. Thorin gave the order, and everyone quickly started to retreat further down the mountain. Bilbo was right behind Bofur when he was stopped with a hand to his shoulder. He turned back, only to regard Thorin with wide eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Bilbo was so taken aback that he was even talking to him, that he stood there gaping like a loon for a good long while.

“Yes, yes, of course. Are you…?”

Bilbo couldn’t even finish the polite return response. As soon as he said yes, Thorin clapped him on the back. Hard, Bilbo might add. Before following after the rest of the company. Bilbo blinked as he tried to reorientate himself to the problem at hand after the strange…would he call it a show of affection? Show of camaraderie? He shook his head and furrowed his brows. It was strange by any stretch of the word, that was for certain.

Bilbo quickly raced after the retreating company members, his steps picking up in pace when he heard the cry of that giant bear thing. And it sounded closer. He wasn’t the only one either as everyone seemed to be sprinting down the mountainside now. The trees were growing sparser and sunlight streamed fully just ahead. Bilbo turned his head, and rather wished he hadn’t. The great bear was barreling down the mountain right for them.

Bilbo pushed himself faster as Gandalf hollered and pointed to a house just ahead. Bilbo tried to judge the distance with the bear gaining on them. He wasn’t certain they would make it. The dwarves all started to pile up against the door, and Bilbo somehow got himself trapped in the middle of it, unable to do a thing until Thorin lifted the latch. They fell into the house, right as the great beast’s jaws rammed into the door. Bilbo gripped his little sword shakily realizing his whole body could probably be swallowed whole by that massive mouth. Finally, they managed to get the door shut, and everyone breathed a small sigh of relief.

“What was that thing?” Ori questioned.

“That was our host.” Gandalf intoned as they all stared up at him in various degrees of dismay and shock. “His name is Beorn. He’s a skinchanger.”

Bilbo looked back over at the door remembering what Gandalf said about their host either helping them or killing them. He felt his shoulders fall. Fantastic. This adventure was not exactly what it was cracked up to be. Bilbo turned, surveying the overly large room when he spied Kili. Staring straight at him. Before he could do so much as twitch, the young dwarf already blurted his thoughts to the room.

“So now that we aren’t running for our lives, are you and Uncle really married?”

Bilbo rubbed at his forehead as he suddenly found himself the sole interest of thirteen, well fourteen counting Gandalf, pairs of eyes.

“You were standing there on the mountainside the same as me when I said as much.” Bilbo sighed.

“Um, that’s not quite how it went.” Fili interrupted.

“And to the more pressing question…how?” Gloin grunted.

Everyone seemed in agreement to that as Bilbo just stood there, spluttering. He looked over to Thorin only to see the dwarf leaning against a beam, arms crossed, and eyes down like he didn’t care to know the answer. Bilbo glowered at him, rubbing his heart where a sharp spike of hurt went through him before he addressed the rest of the company.

“He ate from my spoon.” He sighed.

Everyone was quiet for a long moment before Bofur broke it.

“I hate to burst it to you, lad, but we all did.”

They all started laughing, joking about all of them being Bilbo’s husband. Bilbo could feel him going red as he shook there in indignation.

“It’s not just any spoon! It was my Lovespoon.”

That got them riled up again as they plagued Bilbo with questions about Lovespoons. So he painstakingly explained the process. How hobbits were meant to craft their own spoon once they were of age. How they chose flowers as symbols for what kind of marriage they wanted to have. How they only allowed the one they wished to marry to eat from their spoon. The dwarves seemed very receptive and agreeable to the crafting part, but were perplexed by the time Bilbo got to the marriage part. He filed that away to remember to ask about their marriage traditions as Ori was the one to ask the question they were clearly all thinking.

“But just a single bite? Do accidental marriages like this occur all the time in the Shire?”

“Of course not!” Bilbo snapped. “It’s positively unheard of. Hobbits can recognize a Lovespoon after all.”

“But what about non-hobbits? Any one of us could have been your husband and have never known!” Dwalin growled.

“It’s not like I left it sitting on a counter!” Bilbo argued. “It was locked away in a cabinet!”

Every dwarf went silent as they slowly turned in Nori’s direction. Including Thorin. The thief gaped at their accusing stares.

“How was I supposed to know hobbits lock away secret marriage spoons?”

They all started to berate him. Dori and Dwalin the loudest of the bunch, and Bilbo used the moment for his escape. He wandered into a corner and slowly pulled out his Lovespoon from his pocket. It was beat-up in a couple of spots from his fall through the Goblin Caves, but still whole. He ran his fingers along the jasmine thinking about how Thorin already fulfilled the adventure part of their marriage. He supposed he could have mentioned that hobbits used to get married that way. Running off into the wild together and planting a seed, but he didn’t feel like it would help his case any.

“Is that it?”

Bilbo jumped before turning his head to see Thorin standing there, staring intently down at his spoon. There was an unspoken question in his eyes, and Bilbo felt himself nod and slowly held it out for him to inspect. Thorin twisted it this way and that, eyeing the details he put into each little flower. Heat pooled in his belly at the intensity of Thorin’s inspection before he nodded and moved to hand it back to Bilbo.

“It’s well crafted.” He assessed.

“Thank you.” Bilbo practically whispered.

“So you’re a smith?” Thorin continued.

“I…wouldn’t say that. I learned the skill for my spoon, but I never stuck with it.”

Thorin didn’t say anything more for a long time. Long enough that the silence dragged out into uncomfortability, and Bilbo wasn’t quite sure what he could say to dispel it at that point.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Thorin finally sighed.

“Of course I was!” Bilbo defended. “I was just…looking for the right time.”

Thorin’s eyes blazed to life as he glared down at Bilbo. “And the right time…wasn’t back in Bag End? Wasn’t anywhere on the road? Wasn’t before you took me to your bed ?”

Bilbo could feel his face explode in heat as he glared at the dwarf right back.

“ You were the one who invited yourself into my bed, I’ll thank you to remember!” He hissed, shooting a quick glance to make sure the company was still otherwise occupied.

“But you certainly took advantage of the opportunity.” Thorin pressed. “Tell me, was what I thought was just a tumble in the sheets actually you consummating our marriage?”

Bilbo was aghast. Did he really think so lowly of him? That Bilbo would trick Thorin in such a way? Bilbo could feel himself shaking, he was so angry, so indignant.

“It doesn’t work that way!” He snapped. “Yes, I wanted to get to know you, maybe even intimately, but I would never take advantage in such a despicable way and the fact that you think I would shows that you don’t know me at all!”

Thorin didn’t say anything for a long moment. His arms crossed, his eyes glued to a spot on the wall. When he did answer, it was like a knife cutting straight through him. Though he wasn’t certain what he should have expected. After everything they had been through. After the goblins and Azog and the hug…didn’t he say he would never doubt Bilbo again?

“It’s as you say, Master Baggins. I don’t know you at all.”

***

Bilbo sat out under a tree, staring out over Beorn’s pastures and resisting the urge to sigh. He took another puff on his pipe thankful to Bofur for the loan as well as the pipeweed as his was lost to the Misty Mountains. He’s enjoyed their three day reprieve immensely. Beorn wasn’t a bad sort once you got over being terrified stiff of him, and they had talked long into the night about the construction of Beorn’s home and Bilbo’s own Bag End. He probably would have sought out the skin-changer’s companionship more, if most of the company hadn’t seemed to have warmed up to him practically overnight.

Ori seemed to contain boundless enthusiasm and curiosity over hobbit marriage customs and hobbit culture in general. Fili, having also asked to see his spoon, proceeded to share tips and tricks in the forge with Bilbo who had a few for him as well. Dwalin decided Bilbo was in need of training on how to use his ‘letter opener’ as the dwarves continued to generously name his little sword. Oin was constantly pestering him after he let slip that his back was still a little sore from his fall in the mountains, and Balin was giving him dwarven etiquette lessons. Of course the rest of them were quick to joke with him, spend time with him, or, in the case of Gloin, give him some hearty slaps on the back as well. There was only one dwarf who still kept his distance: his husband.

Bilbo stood up and stretched as he knocked out the ashes on the ground. He inched his face up towards the sun, a grin spreading across his face. It was nice that they had this time to themselves. In fact, he would dare say that it was more relaxing here than it was in Rivendell and he attributed that to three things: the dwarves weren’t going out of their way to piss off the elves, after the events in the mountain this was far more well-earned, and he wasn’t banging his head against the wall wondering how to tell Thorin the truth. It was done. Now it was up to Thorin to decide what he wished to do with that knowledge, and so far he’s made it quite clear that he wants nothing to do with him.

“Why if it isn’t Uncle Bilbo! Just the hobbit we were looking for.”

Bilbo resisted the urge to groan as he spun around to see Fili and Kili approaching him with identical mischievous grins. In light of his relationship status with their uncle, they had both taken to calling him that. He found it rather amusing. Thorin glared any time he heard one of them.

“And what can I do for you boys today?” He asked.

“We were wondering if you could help us settle a bet.” Fili stated.

“A bet?” Bilbo huffed, raising his eyebrow as he waited.

Kili nodded. “You see, after you told Ori about your game with the nuts...”

“Conkers.” Bilbo supplied.

“We figured you would be good with weapons that require aim.” Fili continued where Kili left off completely ignoring Bilbo.

“So I said you’d be a natural at the bow.” Kili stated.

“And I thought you would be better at throwing knives.”

“So we were wondering if you would let us teach you.”

“To see which you are actually better at.”

Bilbo huffed with a soft smile. “Well I’m sorry to disappoint you both, but I’m probably rather abysmal at both.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Kili grinned brightly.

Bilbo’s protests fell on deaf ears as he was bodily dragged towards the other end of the field where the dwarves had taken to their impromptu training sessions. Bilbo dreaded it as memories of him getting knocked into the dirt again and again were ingrained into his very being. Dwalin had assured him that was how they all learned, but Bilbo wasn’t sure how much he trusted him with the sadistic grin in place. Bilbo noticed that they were not the only three out there, several of the dwarves lingered watching them intently.

“Why is everyone else here?” He asked incredulously.

“Our bet broke the confines of Kili and I’s confidence.” Fili explained very diplomatically.

So they were arguing loud enough that the others felt the need to get involved. Wonderful. Bilbo had the distinct impression he was going to be the butt of a fair few number of jokes. They stopped about thirty yards away from a large tree with a crude bullseye painted on it. Fili pressed a knife in his hand, and then seemed to be waiting eagerly. Bilbo looked between it, the tree, and the dwarf again before he grunted.

“So am I going to get any instruction on how to use the blasted thing first?”

“Oh! Right.” Fili grinned sheepishly before stepping over towards him.

Fili worked to get him in the proper stance and grip before explaining how exactly he was to throw it. A bit more complicated than throwing rocks he learned. On his first throw, the hilt of the knife hit the bullseye. The second throw resulted in a similar result. His third throw had the flat of the blade hitting the tree. So far he had yet to get the knife to stick anywhere. Many of the dwarves commented on his impressive aim, Nori looked like he was about to have a conniption.

“You’ve got to flick your wrist more!” He all but screamed. “No, not like that!”

Now Bilbo had two dwarves trying to offer him advice and it didn’t help that Nori and Fili seemed to have their own ideas when it came to knife throwing. At one point, he thought maybe he could just throw it by the blade since it always seemed to hit hilt first, why not hold it backwards? Being very careful not to cut himself it didn’t go very far, but at least when it hit the ground it went blade first.

“There! Can I throw it like that?”

“Sure, if you want to lose a finger.” Nori snarked.

Bilbo was once again subjected to Fili and Nori’s conflicting teaching styles before throwing his hands in the air in defeat.

“Well let’s bring on the bow now that I’m completely hopeless at throwing knives!”

Fili and Nori both opened their mouths, aghast at losing their pupil so easily, but Kili bounded next to him in excitement as he shoved the bow right in Bilbo’s hands. They let Fili gather up his knives despite his grumblings as Kili showed Bilbo the mechanics of firing a bow. When Fili was out of the way, Kili notch an arrow for him, giving him a last piece of advice as Bilbo pulled back and fired the arrow. It hit just to the left of the bullseye. Everyone’s jaw dropped in amazement.

“You’re a natural!” Kili remarked.

“Or you’re a better teacher.” Bilbo smirked at Fili and Nori.

on the ground before he was able to catch it again. He turned to throw a sharp look over his shoulder. Slowly, the shadowed shape uncrossed his arms and stepped into the moonlight. Bilbo wasn’t truly surprised, but he did feel his breath catch at the unfairness of Thorin’s beauty. The moonlight played perfectly across his regal face making the darkness of his beard stand out that much more. And the way it touched his hair, catching the silver strands and making them shine. He sighed forlornly as he turned his attention back to the stars and his pipe.

Neither said anything, lost to their own thoughts. Every once in awhile you could hear what sounded like a great bear roaring, but it was too far away to be of any worry.

“I was thinking about what I said to you in your home at the beginning of all this. About what kind of a person you were.” Thorin finally broke the silence.

Bilbo hummed, not feeling inclined to comment.

“You had told me I had only guessed at a fraction of who you were. So I had watched you closely after that. And it was true. Every time I thought I could sum up exactly what kind of a person you were, you would do something to disprove that notion. You complained about the horse, but would sneak her treats when you thought we weren’t looking. You flinched and startled at noises in the night, but somehow summoned the courage to sneak through the camp of three mountain trolls. You held a clear love and respect of the elves, but took my side when you heard about the illness of my family.” He finished quietly. “You were going to tell me that night in Rivendell, weren’t you?”

Bilbo was fiddling with his pipe at this point, his eyes down on his hands as he cleared his throat.

“Yes, well, that was the plan.”

“And then I propositioned you instead.”

“Look, Thorin…”

“I didn’t regret it. Just so you know.”

Bilbo’s hands were shaking at this point, and his mouth was taut. When he spoke again, his words were quiet, but harsher than he intended.

“You had a funny way of showing it.”

“I know.” Thorin sighed. “And I know I handled it just as poorly upon learning of our…situation.”

The word settled awkwardly between them. An acknowledgement of something Thorin dare not name. Bilbo squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath before exhaling.

“Thorin, if you don’t…there’s a bit of a loophole if you so choose.” Bilbo stated, his heart squeezing tight.

Thorin didn’t say anything for a long moment and when he did, his tone was sharp. Suspicious. Exactly what Bilbo didn’t want to exist between them anymore. Which is why he had to tell him. He had to give him this chance even if it would condemn Bilbo.

“You eating from my spoon has forever tied me to you. I have to honor my commitment to you as my husband, but you technically made no such commitment. You haven’t presented me with your spoon in return. Theoretically, you could walk away from this if you so chose.”

This seemed to be the longest silence yet, and Bilbo felt physically ill with the way his stomach rolled as he awaited Thorin’s response.

“That gives me something to think about, and I certainly don’t feel comfortable making a decision right now with everything else going on. But after the quest…we will revisit this conversation.”

Bilbo sighed. That was that, he supposed.

“There’s not anything else you’re hiding from me, is there?” Thorin questioned.

Bilbo smirked, finally looking up at him. “No, Thorin.”

He nodded. “Good.” He started to walk away before he stopped and turned around. “Promise me, there won’t ever be again. Husbands…should trust each other, right?”

Bilbo’s eyes widened as he struggled to find his voice. “R-Right, yes. I promise.”

He gave Bilbo a stunning smile before ducking his head. “That’s good. Come back to bed soon, Master Baggins.”

Bilbo flushed at the unexpected and rather presumptuous phrasing as he watched the dwarf king disappear back into the house. He quickly stamped out the rest of his pipe with a sigh. Well, that didn’t necessarily ease his worries, but at least they came to some sort of consensus. His lips quirked up as an unexpected thought came bidden. He has been given a golden opportunity to try and woo his husband. The question was: did he want to take it? He looked up to the stars one last time, wishing an answer would be written across them. But his father never taught him that constellation.