(A/N: Okay, so I know that I have other stories that need finishing, but this idea tickled my fancy and I just have to run with it. You know how that is. So yes, this is a modern AU and will be eventual Bagginshield, so if you don't like that sort of thing, this isn't for you. Anyway, I don't own the Hobbit and I never will, so there's that too. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this little or not so little as the case may be, story.)
Adventures in Babysitting
Bilbo looked up at the imposing structure that was the Durin household and sighed heavily, hefting his book bag higher onto his shoulder. His family wasn't poor, not by any means, but he could hardly imagine the inside of the palatial mansion that he was about to enter. No sense in delaying it, he thought to himself before ringing the bell with more confidence than he actually felt.
It seemed like it took an eternity for the sound of the bell to echo through the house and back, but the door actually opened rather promptly. Before him stood a tall, broad-chested man with a healthy beard and a wild mane of dark hair. Knowing that there would be no other adults in the house he was forced to assume that this was Thorin, the Uncle with whom he would be sharing the babysitting duties.
"You must be Bilbo Baggins, I'm Thorin," the man said, confirming Bilbo's assumption and extending his hand for the younger man to shake. Bilbo grasped the offered hand, almost gasping at the warmth and strength of the other man.
"Pleased to meet you Thorin. Are the boys already asleep?" Bilbo asked, as their hands parted company and Thorin stood back from the door to allow Bilbo to enter. The smaller man lugged his two duffle bags through the door, balancing his other side with his backpack. He was to spend the entirety of his summer vacation with the family Durin, thus earning him enough money for books and other necessities come the start of next term.
"I just put them down an hour ago. They'll be awake again shortly, looking for a midnight snack or some such, you'll get your chance to meet them before you know it. In the meantime, I will show you to your room so you can get yourself settled," Thorin said with a smile, the man had seemed rather imposing, but only for an instant. Bilbo instantly liked him and was glad that he would be around.
"I wasn't aware that I would be getting my own room," Bilbo admitted with a blush. He had packed a sleeping bag, assuming that he would be relegated to sleeping in a den or some other such out of the way room. Thorin smiled brightly and closed the door behind the graduate student, he could see what his sister liked about the 26 year old, so unassuming and polite.
"Originally you weren't, but you impressed Dis and she cleaned up our brother's old room for you. He moved out years ago and, well, it doesn't seem like he's going to be coming back any time soon, so you get to use it," Thorin said, filling the silence as they tromped up a wide set of stairs to the second level of the mansion. It was every bit as elegant as Bilbo's family home was humble. Dis Durin was a well-respected lawyer and made quite a pretty penny as such, but the house had been inherited from the very same Durin's that Bilbo had read about in his local history courses, the family that founded the city during the mining years. The name Durin was practically a synonym for wealth in the city of Erebor.
"I'm flattered, honestly, I brought a sleeping bag, not knowing what to think," Bilbo admitted, finding that he was able to tell this man almost anything without shame. Dis had made him equally comfortable. They were very approachable for a family so wealthy. Even Thorin, who crafted jewelry for royalty and celebrities alike, was seemingly kind hearted and friendly.
"Ah, well the original plan was to have you sharing space with some of my sister's old case files in one of the offices. But she figured that you deserved better than a futon," Thorin acknowledged before pressing open the third door on the left side of a large hallway, from the ceiling of which hung several chandeliers. Once upon a time they might have been lit by candles, but now electric bulbs glowed cheerily in their place.
"I will have to thank her for her consideration," Bilbo returned, feeling his jaw hit the floor as Thorin flicked on the lights, illuminating the large room that would become his for the duration of the Summer. There was a King sized bed in the middle of the room, and several floor to ceiling bookshelves covering the walls. There was a desk in one corner, with an ornate chair that probably cost more than all of Bilbo's college text books combined. There was also a large entertainment center with a flat-panel TV and surround sound speaker system included.
"Is it a bit much? I told her it was a bit much," Thorin said, looking around the room with the same curious eye as Bilbo. The smaller man swallowed thickly and looked to Thorin in shock and surprise.
"It's…well it's bigger than the top floor of my family home…I'm not used to so much space, that's all," Bilbo admitted quietly. He was used to towering bookcases, his father being the avid reader that he was, but he had never in his life seen a bed so large. It was a wonder that he was going to have it all to himself.
"Ah, well, I suppose it is rather large. But it isn't the biggest room in the house. If you want big, you'll have to see the formal dining room," Thorin said with a chuckle and took the bags from Bilbo's hand, walking into the room and settling them next to the bed. The smaller man followed without a word, still processing the idea that there was a room bigger than this one in the house.
(A/N: I know it's kind of short, but this is just where my brain stopped working. So if you please leave me a review to let me know if this is an idea that interests you and you would like me to continue. Thanks for your time!)