Chapter Text
"One more life," the god said. "You've promised time and time before to make things change, and though in the beginning it has, by the end you're back to your old self. I have to admit, in the last life you nearly had him. Though you insulted him in the beginning, you did get him to save your life without question. Why he did it, I'm still not sure, but you did have it going strong until you got to Erebor and things repeated. You became obsessed with gold, he stole the Arkenstone for your good, and you threw him away. Then comes battle time and you and your nephews died." The god yawned. "It's getting quite boring to watch. Maybe you two just weren't meant to be."
"No, Mahal," Thorin said. He remembered the first time he'd died, when Bilbo had cried with him. Only then did Thorin realize that he loved the hobbit, when it had been too late to do anything. He'd vowed to make a merrier world somehow, and that was why he'd made the deal with Mahal. "We were. We've just had some minor slip ups, but I can assure you that I will have the hobbit in this life, and I will do whatever else I can to keep all my company alive."
"I don't believe you," the god replied, "but I will let you do this one more time."
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Thorin bowed to his god. "I promise to offer great blessings to you after Bilbo and I get married."
The god smirked. "We'll see, Thorin Oakenshield, we'll see."
No, Thorin thought. I know that this time I'll win. Erebor will be mine, no one will die in battle, and maybe battle will be prevented. And Bilbo? Bilbo will be mine forever.
"One last thing," Thorin said, "before I go."
"What? Don't waste my time. I want to get you back on your quest once more."
"If I win and Bilbo marries me," he said, "will you allow him with me into the dwarf afterlife? I honor your wife dearly, but he cannot go into her gardens for all eternity."
"If you win," Mahal said, sounding like an exasperated adult talking to a child, "then he will be allowed in here by your side for all eternity. In fact, you will be honored guests."
Thorin smiled. "Thank you. I will not fail this time."
"You don't know that yet."
~
He is the first to arrive at Bag End this time, getting there over two hours before Dwalin. It used to be that he came in a group (and ended up getting squished by Bombur), or there was that time that he ended up coming there last. He hadn't really been lost, just worried about failing. And what a mess that life had been! It had been filled with good moments (nothing could compare to the short relationship that they'd in that life), but had also been filled with awful ones. For someone he claimed to care about, he certainly insulted the hobbit. And he hadn't made his intentions clear enough at times; how was the poor hobbit supposed to know about dwarf courting rituals? And he'd made Bilbo want to leave! He'd only said those words to make sure Bilbo stayed safely in his hole and didn't get hurt. When he'd gotten even the slightest papercut in other lives, Thorin had freaked. But now things were different, and surely for the better.
"Hello," the hobbit said when he opened the door, a look of confusion passing over his face. Thorin just wanted to grab him now and taste those lips again. He restrained himself, knowing soon he would be able to.
He bowed. In other lives he hadn't, not humbling himself to this level. Now he knew just how much respect this little hobbit really deserved. Bilbo had saved his life many times before, and soon he would again! "Thorin Oakenshield," he said, "at your service."
The hobbit froze, wondering what to do. Finally, he himself bowed. "B-Bilbo Baggins, at your service as well." He bit his lip. "Do we know each other?"
Yes, yes, yes! We've known each other many times before, but soon we'll never know each other again if my plan fails!
"No," he said, "but I am quite polite. Do you need help preparing supper? Or reshelving your library?" That was certainly different from his last lives. If he kept that up then surely Bilbo would be with him in no time.
Bilbo looked confused, unsure of what to say. He opened the door wider, allowing Thorin inside. Thorin walked in, Bag End being just as he remembered. This time he treated it with the utmost respect, putting away his coat and boots neatly, making sure not to get mud on anything. Bilbo was still flustered, unsure of what to say or do.
"I need some weeding to be done in my garden." he finally said. "Would you mind helping me with that?"
"Yes!" Thorin said excitedly. It was the most unexciting thing ever, but he did it well. Bilbo was impressed.
"Thank you very much Th-" Bilbo paused.
"Thorin Oakenshield," he said, hiding his disappointment.
"Thorin Oakenshield!" Bilbo frowned. "I'm so sorry." The way Bilbo said that and the way he frowned made Thorin want to cry.
Soon he'll be crying from happiness, Thorin reminded himself. He won't be able to keep his paws off of you and that will be just fine.
A hobbit suddenly yelled, "Bilbo Baggins, you strange one, who in Eru Iluvatar's name is that?"
Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, he thought with vile. That damn woman who had caused Bilbo so much trouble in his past lives. The poor hobbit looked unsure of what to say, his face flushed pink with embarrassment.
Anger swelled through Thorin. "It's none of your business, you nasty old hag!"
Lobelia scowled, but left. Bilbo and Thorin went inside. Only when his door was safely shut behind him did Bilbo laugh. It was the happiest thing Thorin had ever heard, and he had to keep himself from scooping the hobbit in his arms right then and there.
"You certainly told her!" Bilbo said, wiping a tear away from his eyes. "That was beautiful!"
Thorin smiled. "I was just speaking the truth."
"I'm beginning to really like you." Bilbo smiled, and Thorin's heart soared. Things were going even better than originally planned.
When Dwalin showed up, he did not carelessly drop his weapons and drag in mud. When his brother came, they did not headbutt each other. When Fili and Kili arrived, he made sure that they treated him with the utmost respect. There was no "Mister Boggins" nonsense that night.
His entire company was respectful. They ate all of Bilbo's pantry, but they ate slowly, to where Bilbo wouldn't have the chance to realize it until later. There was no singing, but the conversation was at least merry.
And then Gandalf really explained everything. Thorin had tried explaining earlier, but Bilbo had seemed confused. Now his face was whiter than a sheet, and they hadn't even gotten to the part about incineration (and he certainly wasn't going to know about that).
So Thorin spoke. "We are trained warriors; if anything is strong enough to kill us then they will at least be inflicted with a good fight." That was mostly a lie, but he shot his company a quick glance telling them to not speak the truth. "We dwarves never go down without a fight, and we promise to do whatever we can to make sure our highly valued burglar is protected. Do you understand?"
"You really mean that?"
"Of course."
Of course, because I cannot bear the thought of you getting hurt. You don't deserve that, Bilbo.
And Bilbo signed the contract then and there, without second thought. It was hard to tell whose smile was larger, Gandalf or Thorin's. But it was probably Thorin, as for once he knew far more than the wizard did.
When Thorin sang later that night, after the company had cleaned up (and Bilbo discovered his pantry empty), he could see tears falling down Bilbo's face. He wanted to wipe away those tears then and there, but knew he couldn't. Not now, not yet, but soon he would be able to do that without question. It would soon be a regular act between two intimate partners. He just had to keep pushing forward.
That night, Thorin did not take Bilbo's bed, letting the hobbit keep it. In the past he'd taken it in hopes of the hobbit sharing it with him, but apparently hobbits didn't work that way. Now he wasn't going to make the same mistake. Instead, he took the guest room closest to Bilbo's.
That night, he dreamed of the hobbit. He dreamed of him dressed in dwarven finery, sitting next to him on a throne in Erebor. He dreamed of claiming his lips over and over, of holding his hand, then his whole body. Then his dreams lost all innocence, and he remembered the look of the hobbit naked. He wanted to see it again, desired it like nothing else. The hobbit was going to be his, and anyone who tried to intervene be damned. Surely Mahal was gaping at him right now, unsure of how this was happening. Oh yes, Thorin knew that soon a special spot would be reserved for him and Bilbo in the halls of Mahal. He was finally going to win.
The next morning, he accompanied Bilbo to the Shire market to buy breakfast for his company, which he promised to repay for once their quest was done. Bilbo didn't even seem to listen to that, instead questioning Thorin about everything. Thorin did not lie, just held back sone of the truth, as Bilbo didn't need to know everything.
The hobbit seemed amazed by him already. Shortly after breakfast, he inspected his arms in the mirror and discovered that the years of working as a traveling smith really were worth it. Thorin vowed to show off his arms whenever possible to the hobbit. Filling him with lust certainly wouldn't do him any bad.
When Bilbo left, Thorin made sure he had everything he needed, including a handkerchief. He rode with him on his pony, Thorin saying it was because he needed to get used to it before he rode alone. He hoped Bilbo wasn't holding onto him tightly out of fear.