Thorin entered his shared chambers slowly, peaking around the door to see if his consort was perhaps sitting right there.
“BELOVED?” Thorin called. Was Bilbo even there?
There was silence for a few moments before a reply came.
“JUST A MINUTE!” Bilbo called from the second room; the shared office/private library.
Thorin smiled to himself, entered the room, and closed the door. He removed his royal mantle and then his formal robe. In fact, he stripped off all this ‘work clothes’ as Bilbo called them, looking much like he had on the night he met his love.
“You called, my sweetness?” Bilbo said, with a teasing smile.
“I did,” Thorin said. “I have a gift for you.”
“A gift?” Bilbo was momentarily taken aback. “For me? What is the occasion?”
Bilbo had to give that one to Thorin; he never did need a reason to give gifts.
Thorin removed a small velvet pouch from his pocket, opened it, and removed a small chain made of interlocking oak leaves with a single silver and gold acorn that was slightly smaller than a real one.
“Oh, Thorin!” Bilbo was touched. “It’s beautiful!” But as he looked at it in Thorin’s hand, he could tell that it was too small for a necklace, but too big to fit on his wrist. “Where do you ...”
Thorin knelt, giving Bilbo a cheeky smile, and immediately fastened the chain around Bilbo ankle. Bilbo thought it so beautiful and what Hobbit could resist anything that drew the eye to proudly groomed hairy feet.
“Thank you!” Bilbo said as Thorin stood. Bilbo moved to give Thorin a kiss on the cheek when suddenly the anklet jingled. “Wait ... is the acorn a ... a bell?!”
Thorin smiled and nodded.
Bilbo rolled his eyes. “Why in the world--”
Thorin’s smile dropped. “Because I’m sick and tired of every time we are in the marketplace or Dale, I turn around and you have vanished! This way, I can find you!”
Bilbo’s jaw dropped and about three seconds later, he burst into laughter. Well, that’s me back in my box!
