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The noise of it rang out loud and clear in the middle of the now very silent camp. The day had been long and frustrating, the Company kept pushing on knowing Orcs were now not far behind them. It left them anxious, eager to push on in an attempt to put as many miles as possible between them and the orcs.
Everyone was in a foul mood, many of the dwarves tried to continue with their task of setting up camp for the night, chatting amongst themselves while Bombur cooked their dinner when a certain dwarves king made a snide comment.
It wasn’t the first time that day either, that he had made passive-aggressive comments revolving the burglar, it had been almost all day that the dwarf made comments, comments about his stories, his questions, his curiosity, whatever Bilbo said was somehow always offensive to the dwarf which was starting to wear him down.
Bilbo was laying out his bedroll straightening it out neatly before sitting down to enjoy a few snacks he had picked up along the way, berries, little nuts, and such when the dwarf began. “It seems all Hobbits do is worry about eating all day, I have yet to see you without something in your mouth.” He scoffed. “I have yet to see anything worthwhile come out of yours.” Bilbo snarked back, those in camp blinked, all surprised to hear the hobbit talk back now.
Gandalf chuckled lightly around his pipe and watched as the dwarf froze before turning to look at the hobbit.
“There are more important things in this world than eating all day, or being polite,” the hobbit nodded to himself, “Yes I suppose food is the last on the list of necessities for one such as yourself, but being an arse is further towards the top,” Bilbo stood now his pipe in hand.
“‘One such as yourself’” Thorin echoed, “Yes, I and everyone else knows that being royalty means you get to walk all over those you see unfit for your presence, I apologize for being an inconvenience Thorin Oakenshield,” The dwarf moved towards him, “You have no right to speak to me that way,”
Bilbo laughed, “Why don’t I? Because you're a King?”
Thorin was silent for a moment trying to find the words to snap back at the hobbit. Bilbo then pointed at the dwarf, “You may be the leader of this company Master dwarf, which I full-heartedly respect. But you are not my king, and I am afraid I answer to no one but myself these days,” the dwarf’s eyes narrowed, “How dare you–“ he began but was quickly cut off by a very frustrated hobbit.
“How dare I? How dare I? No Thorin, how dare you! I have come on this journey to help you the best way I can, the best way I know how, and I have felt nothing but frustration at your lack of respect for that– respect for me! I don’t have to sit around while you walk all over me. I don’t answer to you, contract or no, you are not my mother!” The hobbit was practically red in the face now, matching Thorin's look.
“Damn your mother!” He snapped.
Ori gasped from where he stood by his two brothers, Balin’s jaw was about on the floor along with many other of the dwarves. Bilbo didn’t even hesitate , for someone so small, so seemingly weak or soft, the force of his slap turned Thorin's head to the side leaving a red mark behind.
“Don’t you ever speak about my mother like that!” The hobbit sneered before turning on his heel, pipe in hand, and walking off towards the woods. Gandalf looked at where his friend stormed off too and back at Thorin who was still standing in shock amongst the rest of the company.
After some time in silence, he barked at them to finish setting up camp before marching off in the opposite direction of Bilbo for his own much-needed space.
Days passed after what was now dubbed The Slap, by the company, and the two involved in The Slap had yet to talk to each other. Bilbo would listen to Thorin's orders without a word (as usual), and Thorin had stopped questioning everything the hobbit did.
It wasn’t until after Rivendell, the goblin tunnels, and after the fight with Azog that Thorin addressed Bilbo at Beorn's home. The hobbit sat up against a tree with a content smile on his face looking around at the flowers that surrounded him. Thorin walked over and took a seat, they sat in silence for some time while the dwarf struggled to find the words. “An, ‘I’m sorry,’ will be just fine Thorin,” Bilbo said calmly.
Thorin scoffed, “It wouldn’t be enough,”
The hobbit frowned and looked at the king. “Why?” He asked. “I couldn’t simply say ‘I’m sorry’, it wouldn’t be enough. I have treated you unfairly for far too long, thinking that you were unfit for this quest.”
Bilbo nodded, “Then what would you like to say?”
The king was quiet, he looked up at the light blue sky as a bee buzzed past his view. “I would like to say that I think that your mother sounds like a lovely person, and I wish I could thank her for raising such a courageous hobbit, a hobbit who decided to follow a Company of dwarves into the wild and save their stupid king from his death.”
Thorin cleaned out his pipe as he spoke, “I would also like to say that their king is very fond of that Hobbit now, and respects him deeply, for more than just saving my life but for many other things,” Bilbo looked at him with a loving smile, “‘Many other things’?” he questioned, “Yes, things such as taking care of my reckless nephews, for leaving his home, for following us all this way, for not giving up on us, on me. Most importantly, for slapping sense into me when I need it,” the dwarf said softly.
“Oh Thorin, don’t thank me for that. It was very improper of me, I shouldn’t have been so violent towards you-” Bilbo began, “No, Master Baggins. I should have never spoken ill of your mother, I had no right.” Thorin grabbed the burglar’s hands, “Yes, you are right. But I could have handled it better,”
The dwarf laughed at this, “We both could have. But now I think we understand each other better.” Bilbo nodded, “I believe we do Master Oakenshield, for I have also become very fond of you.” The dwarf’s eyes lit up as he tilted his head, “Is that so?” Bilbo nodded, “It is.” the hobbit whispered as he leaned towards the king.
The hesitated inches from each other, unsure if one or the other was going to close the space when Bilbo’s impatience got the best of him and he closed the remainder of space.