Every color in the garden at Bag End seemed worthy of drowning in. A burst
of red poppies swayed in the early evening breeze, while a nearby cluster
of black-eyed Susan's nodded in lazy agreement.
"Your gardens, dear Bilbo, look splendid as always." Gandalf commented pointedly from beside the aging hobbit.
"Ah, yes," Bilbo replied absently, bringing his pipe to his lips and inhaling deeply. "It's those Gamgees', you know. Take to the earth like they were born to it."
He smiled ruefully. "I think I should rather miss them- especially young Samwise." He sighed heavily. "He was a wonderful pupil."
"Bilbo?"
"Honest to fault, that one. Always gave me his undivided attention." He tailed off. "Well, maybe not always." He said, almost thoughtfully.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I never said a word at the time. Didn't want to make the boy uncomfortable, you understand." Bilbo turned full to face the old wizard, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"He's very fond of Frodo. Always was careful when taking his glances-- that's not to say Frodo didn't take the opportunities given when Sam was preoccupied in the gardens."
Gandalf quirked a brow. "Indeed."
Bilbo smiled apologetically. "I'm old, Gandalf. Old. . .but certainly not blind."
"Infact, I've seen hobbits flirt more cautiously at Overlithe then the two of them." He sighed somewhat indignantly.
"It seems as though they're trying to pull the wool over your eyes." Said Gandalf, now thoroughly amused.
"The thought!" Bilbo cried, outraged. Bilbo muttered something incoherent, taking a long drag at his pipe.
Gandalf chuckled. "My, we are taking this seriously?"
"Mock me all you like, my friend, but there's no getting around it." He paused. "Although, I must say it is rather amusing-- what with Frodo watching Samwise like a wolf."
"A wolf?" Gandalf asked, bemused. "You've never seen a wolf in your life!"
"I've seen a wolf in everyone I ever met." Bilbo replied smugly.
Gandalf laughed, good-naturedly. "Goodness, when did your tongue become so sharp, Bilbo Baggins?"
"Never you mind that!" Bilbo replied, grinning.
"Tell me, Bilbo," Gandalf began, his laughter subsiding. "How did you come to know all of this?"
Bilbo shot him a crooked feline grin. "I suppose I'm far too observant for my own good. . . Frodo only watches the poor lad as if it's him and not the strawberries he's wanting for his afters."
"Your gardens, dear Bilbo, look splendid as always." Gandalf commented pointedly from beside the aging hobbit.
"Ah, yes," Bilbo replied absently, bringing his pipe to his lips and inhaling deeply. "It's those Gamgees', you know. Take to the earth like they were born to it."
He smiled ruefully. "I think I should rather miss them- especially young Samwise." He sighed heavily. "He was a wonderful pupil."
"Bilbo?"
"Honest to fault, that one. Always gave me his undivided attention." He tailed off. "Well, maybe not always." He said, almost thoughtfully.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I never said a word at the time. Didn't want to make the boy uncomfortable, you understand." Bilbo turned full to face the old wizard, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"He's very fond of Frodo. Always was careful when taking his glances-- that's not to say Frodo didn't take the opportunities given when Sam was preoccupied in the gardens."
Gandalf quirked a brow. "Indeed."
Bilbo smiled apologetically. "I'm old, Gandalf. Old. . .but certainly not blind."
"Infact, I've seen hobbits flirt more cautiously at Overlithe then the two of them." He sighed somewhat indignantly.
"It seems as though they're trying to pull the wool over your eyes." Said Gandalf, now thoroughly amused.
"The thought!" Bilbo cried, outraged. Bilbo muttered something incoherent, taking a long drag at his pipe.
Gandalf chuckled. "My, we are taking this seriously?"
"Mock me all you like, my friend, but there's no getting around it." He paused. "Although, I must say it is rather amusing-- what with Frodo watching Samwise like a wolf."
"A wolf?" Gandalf asked, bemused. "You've never seen a wolf in your life!"
"I've seen a wolf in everyone I ever met." Bilbo replied smugly.
Gandalf laughed, good-naturedly. "Goodness, when did your tongue become so sharp, Bilbo Baggins?"
"Never you mind that!" Bilbo replied, grinning.
"Tell me, Bilbo," Gandalf began, his laughter subsiding. "How did you come to know all of this?"
Bilbo shot him a crooked feline grin. "I suppose I'm far too observant for my own good. . . Frodo only watches the poor lad as if it's him and not the strawberries he's wanting for his afters."