So hi everyone. This is my first ever story that anyone else is reading so try to go easy on me, but if there are any obvious mistakes then just let me know. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.

Bilbo nearly threw himself down onto the hard ground with gratitude. They had stopped in a small clearing at the base of the mountain for the night. The days had grown steadily colder, and tonight a light frost had formed. During the day the party moved continuously towards the lonely mountain in an exhausted silence. The dwarves were used to the rigors of travel, but poor Bilbo was not. Aches and pains had slowly accumulated over the trip and he was grateful to stop each night. A fire blazed in the middle of the clearing, but Bilbo stayed away from the simple merriment that the dwarves creates. He did not feel like he belonged to their world of jokes and riddles. Pulling the thin blanket and pad from his pack he arranged his bedding to his liking and settled down for sleep, too tired to think of food.

It wasn't long, however, that the crunch of heavy boots woke him from his restless slumber. Bilbo kept his eyes closed in the hopes that they would return to the others and leave him be. As luck would have it the dwarf stopped beside him. After a second of silence a gentle touch on his shoulder brought him the rest of the way from his sleep. The halfling looked up into the dark eyes of their leader and gentle concern he found there surprised him. Thorin frowned when he saw Bilbo's blood-shot eyes and pale complexion. "You didn't come for dinner. Here." He handed over a wooden bowl of traveler's stew and took a seat next to the hobbit. Bilbo picked reluctantly at his food while enduring Thorin's concerned stares, until at last he could stand it no longer. He froze as he looked up into orbs of thunder beneath dark eyebrows. His gaze was captured by that intense stare, and he could not look away. The spell broke when Thorin looked over at the other dwarves after a particularly loud outburst. Thorin's gaze raked over him once more before he rose and make his way back to the others. Bilbo thought he was saved for the night and placed down his partly eaten food.

He was just getting settled when he heard the crunch of boots once again approaching. He looked up only to see Thorin walking towards him with his own bedding. When he reached Bilbo he dropped the fabric beside Bilbo's and raised an eyebrow at Bilbo's half eaten food. "I'm fine." Bilbo muttered before rolling over and giving Thorin his back. Seconds passed in silence before Bilbo relaxed as Thorin began to set up his blanket and pad. Bilbo nearly jumped when he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him and pull him against a hard chest. One of those strong hairy arms unwound themselves from around his waist and rose up until he felt a calloused hand on his forehead. "You have a fever. You should have told me" Thorin whispered from behind him. Bilbo relaxed into the comforting heat and mumbled something Thorin couldn't hear. "What was that?" he asked as Bilbo turned to burrow deeper into the warmth of his furs. "I didn't want to bother you" was the muffled reply from his chest. A deep chuckle rumbled through Thorin's chest and on through Bilbo's. "You know you can always count on me" he murmured, nuzzling Bilbo's brown curls affectionately. That night they slept peacefully wrapped in the warmth of the one they loved.

The End