The funny thing about endearments is that it’s not always easy to figure out what suited a loved one best.
Bilbo has had many a good, if secret laugh, at some of his fellow hobbits when it came to this matter. Sweetheart, darling, love, sweetling - those are all easy enough to use and it would be an unfortunate hobbit indeed to have never been addressed as such, even by a parent to their child. But of course, there are the absurd and the funny ones and hobbits do like their food after all.
Despite the fact that Bilbo is not overly fond of his Sackville-Baggins relatives, he still remembers fondly the valiant battle against the gigglefits that he fought when he learned that Otho and Lobelia actually referred to each other as “honeycake” and “sweet tart.” Bilbo was rather fond of honeycakes and the notion of picturing sour, sharp-tongued and nasty-tempered Lobelia as anyone’s “honeycake” was just too funny to be borne.
Now, Thorin, on the other hand - well, Bilbo would be hard-pressed indeed to use an endearment on his beloved King that was in any way related to food. Thorin was just not anyone’s “apple dumpling,” though Bilbo knew perfectly well that if he’d even tried to call Thorin as such, the look on his face would be worth more than all the treasure in Erebor.
It would probably have the side effect of sending Fili and Kili into hysterics. Bilbo is actually sure that Kili, especially, was perfectly capable of laughing himself into next year, given the opportunity.
But of course, as any sensible hobbit knew, an endearment was meant to suit the person who was receiving it. “Silly dwarf” was a favorite and it never failed to make Thorin’s lips twitch into beginnings of that beautiful heart-stopping smile, especially if it was preceded by the words “my” and “sweet.” “Arrogant sod” was an old joke between them and Thorin was rather pleased to be Bilbo’s arrogant sod and naturally, that confounded Dwarf would puff up worse than a Dragon with its Hoard if an exasperated Bilbo used it on him.
But of course, the endearment that slipped out of Bilbo the most often and the one that most suited the King he would love for the rest of his life (and beyond that, if Bilbo had any say in things) was dearest. Because as fierce and as mighty a warrior king Thorin Oakenshield might be, he was the dearest soul and Bilbo was privileged to behold that side of him and he cherished Thorin for it all the more.
So “Dearest” it was and so it would remain and woe betide anyone, especially big hulking warrior-dwarves and mischievous nephews who would tease Thorin about it!
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