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Bilbo sat down by Balin's cell, exhaustion from wearing the ring for so long bearing down on him. It had been hours since Thorin was taken to speak with the Elvenking and yet he still had not returned. The Company, locked in adjacent cells, was starting to worry about their king, which, of course, meant that they began cursing loudly at their captors. The elves in question merely wrinkled their noses and walked past them, which made the dwarves even more furious.
Bilbo, who had enough of a headache from the hazy vision that he possessed while he wore the ring, winced when Dwalin let out a string of words in Khuzdul that had everyone jeering.
"Brother, please." Balin said wearily. Bilbo always thought that Balin was rather a sensible sort and was glad to be proven right. Not that he blamed the others for being angry, of course. "Excuse me," he addressed the nearby elven guard. "Would you happen to know what has become of our king?"
The elf in question looked loathe to answer, but at the sight of the dwarves looking ready to start a ruckus, even if they were confined, he relented. "King Thranduil was... displeased by his demeanor, and he has been sent to a separate cell, so that he may think on his actions."
Bilbo's ears perked up at the information, exhaustion momentarily forgotten. So Thorin was hidden somewhere. That certainly put a damper on any possible escape plans. Not that there were any at the moment.
The dwarves continued to stew in their frustrations at being kept away from their king while Bilbo, still hidden from view decided to look for Thorin in this dreary kingdom. After all, the dwarves weren't the only ones missing the presence of their leader.
It had taken almost a week of searching. Bilbo had been utterly spent, left to scrounge for scraps of food from the kitchens as to not be noticed. He had also had little sleep, paranoid at getting caught and the wispy and haunting world of the ring being not suitable for proper rest.
Yet, one night, in a secluded part of the dungeons, where there was barely any light, Bilbo found a solitary cell, and within it, a dwarven king.
Bilbo felt relief wash over him as he slowly approached the cell, wary of the possibility of elves quietly stalking the pathway. He could only make out the figure of Thorin due to how the ring distorted his view of the world, and he had no doubt that once he took it off, he would be barely able to see him.
Once he was close enough to touch the bars confining the dwarf, he took the ring off, darkness filling his vision, and whispered. "Thorin? Thorin, it's me-"
"Bilbo?" Thorin's voice, filled with something that sounded like hope but mixed with a hint of disbelief. "You found me."
Bilbo let out a breathy laugh, his body slightly still tingling with relief and probably fatigue. "It took some time, unfortunately, but yes, here I am."
"Here you are." Bilbo didn't have to see to know that Thorin was smiling, warm as his voice was.
"What happened?" Bilbo sat by the wall next to Thorin's cell, his legs collapsing under him. He managed to lower himself on the floor slowly enough without making too much noise, and without Thorin noticing that something was amiss.
"Thranduil and I talked. I might have said some words that shouldn't be said in polite company." Thorin spat out the Elvenking's name like poison. "I would not repeat them to you for you would no doubt scold me for it."
"I find that there's no point in scolding someone if they won't regret what they've done." Bilbo raised his eyebrow. "And you don't, do you?" At Thorin's chuckle, Bilbo shook his head, unable to stop smiling himself. "Thought so."
"He let my people get devoured by Smaug when he could have offered help. A bit of rudeness is less than what he deserves." Bilbo heard metal creaking as Thorin leaned into the bars.
"Did he really not help?" Bilbo frowned. "I didn't think elves could be so..."
"Petty? Heartless? Cruel?" Thorin snarled.
"Unyielding." Bilbo had never met the elves of Mirkwood, yet he found it difficult to believe that the elves that had filled his childhood stories could be so unkind. "Why wouldn't they help?"
"He would not help because of a petty grudge over his precious gems." Thorin said angrily. "Even now, he lays claim to it. With his inaction, dwarven blood is on his hands. Now, he hinders me from reaching Erebor. You must understand, Master Baggins, why I could not come to an agreement with that elf."
"I suppose I can't blame you for your words, even if they did cost you your freedom." Bilbo leaned his head against the wall beside the cell, sighing.
"Master Baggins" Thorin spoke up after a few moments of silence. "Have you found a way out of this accursed place?"
"I have the beginnings of a plan, but I'm just waiting for the proper time to do it." Bilbo thought of his frequent visits to the kitchens, the hatch opening towards the rapid current of the river below.
"Can I be of assistance?" Thorin said mildly.
"No, not in there." Bilbo shook his head. "You'll just have to wait until I let you all out, I think."
"Alright."
Bilbo blinked. "A-alright? You're not going to ask me about it? At all?"
"No, it seems you have it figured out, Master Baggins. I trust your judgment and your ability to get us all out safely."
"You do?" Bilbo's eyes squinted into the darkness, barely able to make out Thorin's silhouette. He wished he could see Thorin's expression in the dark.
"You have saved us all more than once. I have no doubt you will be able to do it one more time." Thorin chuckled. "I have already misjudged you enough. I have learned my lesson."
"I-" Bilbo's protests were interrupted by his stomach growling.
Bilbo quickly realized that while he could not see anything, the same was not true for Thorin. It would seem that he had just properly looked at Bilbo at the first time, and he gasped lightly at doing so. "You have not been eating."
"I've stolen a bit of food here and there." Bilbo had the urge to hush his stomach for betraying him but he knew it was both ridiculous and useless.
"But not enough." Bilbo felt a piece of hardened bread pressed to his hand. "Eat."
Bilbo quickly devoured the bread, his hunger catching up with him. He could feel Thorin's stare directed at him.
"You have not been getting any rest either, have you?"
"It's hard to rest when there are elves everywhere, I'll have you know." Bilbo said in between bites.
"You should sleep here." Thorin said concernedly. "I will keep watch."
"Are you sure you don't-" Bilbo yawned, interrupting himself.
"Sleep, Bilbo." A hand grasped his tightly, a thumb drawing circles in his palm. "Sleep."
Bilbo put on the ring, and found himself back in its world. It chilled him, being in this place. It simply felt unnatural, like he was being watched. Yet, Thorin's hand remained in his, and that was enough to send him to sleep.
The next guard who came to check on Thorin saw this: a dwarven king slumped against the bars of the cell, a hand reaching out to the outside. He was sleeping soundly as opposed to previous nights when he had been stiff and had woken the moment someone dared approach the cell.
What he didn't see was this: two exhausted beings, one invisible, both finding comfort in each other in the form of their clasped hands. Both had only been able to rest fully in each other's company. They shared the same space and were both glad in doing so.
For the moment, they were still trapped in Mirkwood, but now, they had each other, and it was enough.