Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author Note: Part Fourteen in the Violet Nights series.

SCHOOL DAYS AND BROWNIES

Bilbo winced when he heard something smash. He turned the heat down under a bubbling pan of almost certainly hard-boiled eggs and swiftly exited the kitchen, ready to yell at Kili or Fili or probably both of them because they were almost always the culprits whenever things got broken in the café. At one point, there'd been breakages for so many days in a row that they'd repentantly bought him a lime-green tea set. The colour still made Bilbo's eyes hurt but it also made him smile, to think of them buying him something like that. He always served Kili and Fili's tea in lime-green cups after that.

So he was surprised when he reached the sofas to discover that only Gloin was there. Well, Gloin and a young teenager that was definitely his son.

"Sorry about that," Gloin said, waving towards the shards of red china visible on the carpet. "Gimli was making a point."

"A point..." mused Bilbo slowly, before turning suddenly to the teenager in question. "A point that no doubt included how much money he'll be handing over for the breakages."

Gimli – stocky, red-headed, and bristling with a very familiar temperament – glowered. "There's too much china around here, it's not my fault if it breaks."

"It is if you're the one that breaks it," Bilbo replied unmoved.

Gloin laughed heartily. "Pay the man, Gimli, or I've got a feeling there'll be no triple-chocolate brownies available the next time you come in."

Gimli's eyes widened and he glanced from his father to Bilbo with a great deal of suspicion and clenching of his fists. Bilbo just about kept his own smile tamped down. There were some Durin matters that he kept well out of. He wondered how long it'd be before Kili and Fili persuaded Gimli to take their view – that it didn't matter how much china you smashed if you could always pay for it later.

"Mr Baggins can make that happen," Gloin told his son warningly.

Bilbo nodded gravely. "It's true, I can. I can also make sure that from now on, you'll only be served by Elladan and Elrohir."

Gimli gaped at him in outrage while Gloin looked impressed and raised his mug towards Bilbo. Bilbo nodded, he didn't understand the Durins' dislike and distrust of the twins but that didn't mean he wouldn't use it against them. He turned back to Gimli.

"I'll let you think about it."

He headed back towards the kitchen, letting a smile run riot now that his face was hidden from the teenager. The blackberry and apple crumble in the oven had browned nicely. He drained the eggs; ready to peel and cut up for the egg and bacon pie that several people had told him they especially loved to eat early on in the day. He could hear Gimli talking furiously to his father, though thankfully the conversation wasn't accompanied by anything else smashing.

Bilbo felt suddenly and alarmingly like his mother – helping to manipulate someone for their own good. He would not be telling her about this.

He left the kitchen to wrap up a couple of fresh cheese scones and a chunk of fruitcake before joining the father and son again. Gimli was scowling, but the broken china had been tidied into an easily removable pile on the carpet. That was something.

"Here," Gimli thrust a handful of money towards Bilbo. "For the trouble."

"Thank you."

Bilbo accepted the notes and coins. He wouldn't insult them by counting it now. He did however nod pointedly towards the counter.

"There's a dustpan and brush behind there."

Gimli growled and looked like he was about to protest but when his father harrumphed, Gimli stormed towards the counter with very bad grace. Gloin broke out into a smile and shook Bilbo's hand vigorously.

"A pleasure doing business with you, Mr Baggins."

Bilbo snorted, it was business for him and Gloin but definitely not for Gimli. He knew how Durin minds worked and they did not forget. He doubted that the fact he was dating Thorin would lessen any revenge heading his way. Perhaps if he bribed Kili with enough apple pie, he and Fili would persuade Gimli to limit the amount of property damage he was planning.

"For yourself and Freya." He handed over the fruitcake and scones.

"Ah, grand, thank you." It was Gloin's turn to produce some money, frugally counted out. "Eyes open, Mr Baggins. C'mon, Gimli."

Having swept up the china and deposited it in the bin, Gimli scowled at Bilbo as he left, shouldering past an older gentleman who'd just come in the door asking for a slice of coffee cake and an Earl Grey tea. Bilbo disappeared into the kitchen and texted Thorin.

I've met Gimli.

Thorin's reply was quick and dry. He'll pay for any breakages.

The next time that Bilbo saw Gimli, he was out food shopping because while goods for Violet Nights were delivered in bulk by suppliers, his own groceries weren't. He was considering making a lasagne and inviting Thorin over later when there was a shout from outside the butchers. Bilbo squinted, the red hair was familiar but it could be anyone. Then he heard a snarl and saw a clenched fist and knew. He'd become very good at recognising Durins.

He paid for his pork, beef, and bacon and hurried out of the shop. There was a small crowd of older teenage boys – baggy jeans, some football and rugby shirts, lots of shaggy hair. At least two of them were laughing and posturing near Gimli. Gimli looked furious.

Bilbo glanced around the crowded street; very few people were giving the teenagers a second look. There was a violinist performing nearby wearing a shabby leopard-print fur coat, her instrument case open for donations and her bleached-blonde hair twisted up extravagantly. There was…was that Nori? But the familiar-looking figure was gone a second later and Bilbo was left blinking hard and staring. It definitely could have been Nori.

Gimli was still there and looking angrier by the second. Bilbo checked the passing people again, his heart beating fast but he couldn't see anyone focused enough on Gimli to signal that Smaug's men were about to pounce. They would if Gimli got hauled in by the police though and Bilbo could see that Gimli was about to rear back and throw a punch. He cleared his throat.

"Gimli!"

That got the teenager's attention and thankfully also caused him to stop raising his fists. Bilbo kept a vaguely irritated look on his face, the sort of expression that he reserved for children misbehaving in the café.

"We're late already, unless you don't want any dinner?"

One of the teenagers smirked and muttered something that got a laugh from his friends. Gimli seethed and spat something out in return, but walked away before they could reply. Bilbo waited for him, his posture relaxed and confident. Gimli didn't look particularly grateful when he reached Bilbo's side.

Bilbo raised his eyebrows. "Your dad wouldn't have been happy if you'd been picked up for brawling in public."

Gimli snorted. "Only if I'd lost the fight."

"And if you'd been caught afterwards."

Gimli shrugged a shoulder at that, meaning that he agreed. He walked beside Bilbo, who definitely spotted Nori again beside the violinist but Nori didn't even glance in his direction. So Bilbo made sure not to look at him again either, he might not have recognised any of Smaug's men amongst the crowds but that didn't mean they weren't around somewhere, waiting for an opportune moment that could be used by their employer. A shiver ran down Bilbo's spine.

He handed a couple of plastic bags full of groceries to Gimli. "Make yourself useful."

Gimli didn't grumble and he didn't look bothered by the weight of the bags either. He looked older than his fourteen years though thanks to his bulky frame and facial stubble. Bilbo had only met Gimli's mother, Freya, a couple of times. She was broad-shouldered with thick red hair a shade or two darker than Gloin's, very pretty eyes, and a laugh that carried. She was deeply fond of Bilbo's cheese scones and had recently given him a few homemade fruit teas to try. Bilbo's favourite was the strawberry one; his father had taken to it too. Bilbo was seriously considering selling Freya's homemade teas in the café, they were that good.

Sometimes, Gimli did his homework in Violet Nights. He didn't talk much, except to ask for more tea and cake or to grumble and frown at the books spread out across the sofa. He found maths extremely frustrating, but he seemed to enjoy some English literature and a lot of history. He borrowed books from the café and always unapologetically returned them with dog-eared pages crusted with crumbs.

When they neared Violet Nights, Bilbo broke the comfortable silence. "The twins are on duty. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

Gimli scowled but shook his head. One day, Bilbo would actually find out why the Durins felt so strongly about Elrond and his family. It couldn't just be the type of food they served at Rivendell or the atmosphere there. Not even Kili and Fili had given him a straight answer when he'd asked them about it.

Bilbo handed Gimli another bag so that he could open the café's door. He wondered if Gimli knew the full story of just what the Durins faced every day. Had Gloin told his son about Smaug, about what Thorin had been through and the danger that could lurk around every corner for all of them? He couldn't imagine Gloin lying to Gimli about it, the Durins always operated with blunt honesty and hiding the truth from Gimli wouldn't keep him safe. Gimli certainly hadn't questioned Bilbo when Bilbo had called him away from a probable public fight, as though he'd known why Bilbo had done it. Still, it was a lot for a teenager to carry around every day, even one as sturdy as Gimli.

Bilbo finally shoved the door open triumphantly and turned back to Gimli. "I think triple-chocolate brownies will stay on the menu for a while yet."

Gimli grinned; it transformed his face, even when he caught sight of Elladan and Elrohir behind the counter. "I'll take a beer too."

Bilbo laughed and smirked, an expression that the twins mirrored. "Nice try. Amateur, but nice."

He let Gimli stand at the kitchen door and watch as he made a batch of very chocolatey brownies. He suggested that maybe Gimli might want to learn how to make the cheese scones that his mother liked so much.

Gimli kept one eye on the twins at all times, but he didn't break a single piece of crockery.

-the end