Hiding Myself. A fem!Bilbo Bagginshield fanfic

Chapter 29

Soooo.... I've been working on the first chunk (the hair-washing scene) of this chapter for about a week or so... Writer's block sucks. !! o(*≧д≦)o))  
Anyways, I got a new phone so now I can respond to you guys quicker now. If you have a suggestion for a fanfic or you just need to talk to someone, feel free to message me!
Enjoy the chapter! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (ignore Lenny)

   Bella shifted the towels in her arms as she pushed the door open with her foot. The stone creaked as it swung out into the room.
     The sight inside the inner room was a pleasant one, all things considered. Thorin, as always lately, lay in his bed covered by blankets, moved so that he was laying across the bed. He watched her silently as she busied about the room, placing towels down, searching for soap. The dwarf king seemed strangely comfortable with his situation, despite everything.
     "Are you alright, Thorin?"
     He turned towards her slowly. "I've been better." he whispered. He tried to smile, managing a vague grimace.
     Pulling the water-filled bucket over to the edge of the bed, Bella sat down on a nearby chair. "Okay, so-"
     "What are you doing?"
     Bella looked down at the confused look on Thorin's face. She gestured to the bar of soap in her hand. "Didn't Balin tell you?" He shook his head slowly. "I... I thought I'd wash your hair again, since it's been awhile since the battle....."
     Another look replaced his confused expression, a look with something hidden behind it. To her relief, Thorin nodded and closed his eyes. Bella grabbed a towel and began the surprisingly relaxing task of returning the shining sheen to Thorin's hair.
     As she worked, her mind turned to the way the dwarf had looked at her not a moment ago. It had seemed as if he wanted to tell her something, but couldn't for whatever reason. There had been a hint of something like a promise in his clouded blue eyes.
     By the time she finished, Thorin had fallen asleep quite easily. His breaths were slow and steady and his lips were parted just barely. For once, he looked at peace.
     Bella snuck out with all of the skill she'd gained from the Quest. She decided against waking the dwarf king up, opting instead to find someone to talk to.

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     Balin glanced over his shoulder upon hearing soft footsteps. Sure enough, Bella was making her way towards him.
     "Good afternoon, Bella."
     The hobbit nodded. "Hello, Balin. Can I... May I ask you about something?" she murmured.
     "Of course."
     "When I was washing Thorin's hair just now, he... well.... he just had an odd look. It was almost as if he wanted to say something... Did I do something wrong?"
     Balin smiled warmly, shaking his head. "Of course not, lassie. This situation is quite different from the usual, you know."
     "So what does it mean?"
     "Our hair and our beards are very important to us, as I'm sure you have figured out. Usually, washing or braiding a dwarfs hair is reserved for..." here Balin paused, watching Bella's face as he continued, "family members and... spouses and such."
     "Oh." Her voice came out in an embarrassing squeak. Her cheeks flushed. Was that how Thorin thought of her? As someone he would marry if he could?
     The elderly dwarf began walking away. Bella followed at a slower pace. He turned to her, smiling benignly. "Don't worry about it, Bella. Just be there for him."

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     Though she expected it, Thorin never said anything about how he thought of her. Every once in a while she would catch him looking at her with that look in his eyes again, but it never amounted to anything.
     Caravans of dwarves and supplies arrived at the Mountain slowly but surely. The newcomers helped excavate the ruins of the city destroyed by the dragon. Bit by bit, Erebor was pieced back together, whole once again, like it had been so long ago.
     As Thorin recovered, Bella began exploring the Mountains halls. Fili and Kili were out of bed as soon as Oin let them, though the healer hadn't seemed happy about it. The princes walked around with her as pretend guides. Both limped, Fili with the help of crutches. Fili had positively grinned when Sigrid had walked in with them.
     "Come on. She'll be mad if you two don't show up. " Bella shouted back behind her.
     Kili limped up beside her, smirking. "If you say so, mum."
     Fili whacked his brother's shin with one of his crutches. "I'l tell Mother what you just said." he threatened, smiling cheekily.
     Bella rolled her eyes. Ever since word had come that Princess Dís would be arriving in the next caravan, the princes had been utterly ridiculous. Thorin had attempted to get up the moment he heard, only to have his arms collapse completely.
     The bead Kili had given her when he had told her how she reminded him of the Princess knocked against the side of her face. The one given to her by Thorin held the rest of her hair together, the braid laying over her shoulder.
     The Gate was surrounded by dwarves when they arrived. Goods were being sorted and families reunited all aroumd them. An older dwarrowdam strode up to them, greeting the princes with a grin.
     "How have you boys been?" she exclaimed. "Your mother's been word sick about you two!"
     Kili had just begun recounting their adventures when the crowd parted. The figure strode towards them purposefully in an entirely too familiar way.
      For a moment, Bella could have sworn that it was Thorin walking towards them. The silver-streaked dark hair, the sharp blue eyes, even the confident stride mirrored that of the dwarf king.
      "Mother!" Kili shouted. Dís pulled her younger son into her arms the second he reached her. Fili stood by Bella until his mother sent him a glare exactly like that of her brother. The family simply embraced each other, oblivious to everyone else around them.
     When they seperated, the brothers moved towards Bella. The princess stared her down for a moment. "And who are you?" she questioned. Her tone was guarded, neither happy nor suspicious.
     "My name is Bella Baggins, my lady." She bowed, noting Dís' expression. A flash of recognition tinged with sorrow shot across her face when the braid held together by Thorin's bead fell off of her shoulder.
     Dís then interrogated her sons on the battle and their injuries, scolding them when they downplayed their wounds.
     "And how is Thorin?"
     Both brothers looked towards Bella instinctively. She cleared her throat. "He's doing alright. Oin still has him on strict bedrest, which he does not like." she reported. Dís rolled her eyes, smiling.
     "I would not expect him to." She paused, uncertain. "How bad is he hurt?"
     Bella sighed, shrugging. "He's.... gotten better. There was a bit where we weren't sure if h-he... if he would make it... I-I..." she trailed off, blinking back tears. To her surprise, Dís hurried forward and pulled the hobbit into a hug before her sons beat her to it.
     Dís backed away a few inches, holding Bella by her shoulders at arms length. She looked her up an down with the same look she'd given her boys.
     "You haven't been getting much sleep, have you?"
     Bella shrugged. "I'll be fine. Now that Thorin's awake, I can sleep a bit more I suppose..." 
     Nodding, Dís looked back at Fili and Kili. The brothers led the way back to the royal quarters easily. Bella walked beside the princess until they reached Thorin's room.
     The door opened easily as always, built that way by the dwarven engineers. Bella crept into the bedroom where the dwarf king still lay. He glanced over as she entered and tried to sit himself up.
      "Thorin, don't do that on your own." Bella scolded halfheartedly. "You'll hurt yourself."
      He grumbled in protest. "I can sit up without help."
     Bella rolled her eyes. "If you say so."
     She watched his struggle to sit up against the pillows silently, helping when he collapsed for the tenth time.
     "Any news?"
     "Your sister is here." She said, grinning when his face took on an expression of horror.
     Thorin nodded, gesturing to the door. "Let her in, then."
     Dís walked into the bedroom confidently, as if she had never left. When she saw her brother in the large bed covered with furs and blankets and then the scar across his eye, the mask broke.
     "Nadad..." she whispered hesitantly. Thorin smiled. Dís hurried to his side, sitting in the vacant chair beside the bed. Bella made her way to the door slowly.
     Thorin turned to her, an odd look on his face. "Where are you going?"
     Bella smiled and stepped close enough to him that she could rest her hand on his. "I'm just going to get something to eat." She explained, nodding towards Dís. "I thought you two could talk without me here hanging over your shoulder."
     The second the hobbit left, the dwarf princess turned to her brother with a familiar grin on her face. "So, dear brother, tell me everything."
     The king groaned. "Such as?"
     "You two, for starters." Dís dropped her teasing tone, adopting a more serious one. "I know Mother's bead when I see it. I assume you gave it to her?"
     Thorin nodded. "Yes. I did." He glanced up at her, a challenging tint to his eyes. When none came, he spoke again quietly. "You do not disapprove of her?"
    Dís smiled warmly as she shook her head. "No. Why should I? If you chose her, then she must be someone special." she replied.
     "I do not deserve Bella. After what I did to her...." he trailed off.
     "What do you mean?"
     His voice laden with guilt, Thorin told the events after they reclaimed the Mountain. He told his sister of the Arkenstone, of Bella giving it to Bard and Thranduil, and of what he'd done on the rampart. When he finished, Dís watched him silently for a moment.
     To his surprise, she didn't hit him. Instead, she sighed. "And in spite of all that, she still loves you."
     "You think so?" he whispered.
     "Of course. Thorin, I know those looks she gives you. Anyways," here, Dís fixed him with one of her piercing looks, "why would she still be here if she didn't love you?"
     "She doesn't trust me."
     Dís shook her head. "Yes she does. Maybe not completely, but that is something you will have to earn back."
     "I love her, more than anything. She is my Givashel but I-"
     "Prove it to her then, Thorin."