Hello, everyone! Thank you for reading. For the time being, this story is going to stay as 'T', but we'll see where we go in the future.

This is an AU, obviously. It's a modern day college AU, but with Hobbits and Dwarves still.

I've also posted this story on AO3, as well! :)

When one first walks onto the Erebor University Campus, it's hard not to be overwhelmed. Sprawling for just over two thousand acres, it's a landmark to be marveled at. Memorable not only for it's towering statues in commemoration to the founding dean, Thror, it is also mentioned across the world for it's architecture. Being built literally in the side of a mountain on it's northern-most point, it is almost a part of the mountain itself, it's sprawling buildings and towers etched with celtic designs and portraits.

While it was a mostly dwarf-populated university, it had open arms for all adventurous creatures of Middle Earth. There was a considerable amount of sorcerers and men, and much to the surprise of much of the staff, a few elves managed to add themselves to the registry. They were treated cordially with no discrimination, but there was a viable tension.

There are a record fifty-three different campus shuttles, seven campus lifts to get students from the base to the summit, three gyms, two football fields, and a zip line.

To be honest, Bilbo Baggins should have grabbed a map.

"Bofur, I feel I was lied to." Bilbo huffed with the slightest amount of amusement in his voice, pressing the phone closer to his ear when a sudden gust of wind blew past, "This campus is like a maze! You said it'd be easy!"

"And you believed me?" The heavily accented voice on the other end of the phone was much more amused than his friend, "I told you to wait till tomorrow, I'll give you the full tour."

Bilbo huffed, silently cursing dwarves, trying to hold off the pout as he continued to stomp through the courtyard. He was surrounded by flowers and trees, the gentle breeze ruffling the leaves and sending a flurry of movement around him. It was the week before classes started, so Bilbo was near alone on the campus, so he could fully take in the beauty that was Erebor U.

"Yes, but I was already here." Bilbo said slowly, shifting around his jacket and taking another long look around himself, "I thought, hey, might as well. Smart idea that was."

Bofur laughed, letting out a soft affectionate sigh, "Okay. Okay. I'll be there in a minute."

"Thank you. Let's go to lunch after. My treat." Bilbo murmured, trying to drown out the surge of guilt in the pit of his stomach. He hated having to be looked after like this, but he was sure he'd never make it back to the dorms by himself, "I'm sorry."

"No problem, Bilbo." Bofur's smile could be heard over the phone, but his affection was true. To date, there wan't an incident where Bofur wouldn't do anything for Bilbo. Bilbo had been named Bofur's little brother from the moment they met, their companionship evident from their actions for each other.

Bilbo quickly rattled off where he thought he was, followed promptly by a description of his surroundings, then he snapped his phone shut with Bofur laughing and saying with pride that he knew exactly where the small Hobbit was.

Huffing, Bilbo took another long look at the courtyard he stood in. It truly was magnificent, the greenery and fresh air reminding him of home. He was dreadfully far from the Shire, but he found that the thought of home was of little comfort anymore. He doubted he'd be welcomed back with no discrimination, seeing as he was one of the first Hobbits to leave the Shire.

Hobbits weren't an adventurous folk, you see, and even something as tempting as knowledge at a prestigious university wasn't enough to take them from their homes. All except for Bilbo, of course.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes to the sun, Bilbo felt infinitely better knowing that Bofur was on his way. Whatever had come over him, letting him think that he could find his way around such an astoundingly large campus, he didn't know. Letting out a breath, Bilbo readied himself to turn around and take a seat at one of the benches.

He turned around to head to the small row of flowers to his left, when he collided heavily with a large chest, a small squeak escaping him when he fell backwards heavily.

"Sorry! Oh, my goodness!" Bilbo immediately flailed to gather himself, gasping and opening his eyes wide as he scrambled to get to his feet. The other man groaned, his arms now only half-full of the large stack of papers he'd been toting around.

The rest of his papers, on the other hand, were currently at the mercy of the wind and the elements, half in the air still, half stuck to the concrete.

"Oh, no!" Bilbo exclaimed, fear spiking in his chest as he saw the calamity he'd just created. He was on his feet in a matter of seconds, scrabbling around for the papers, abandoning all thought in leu of getting every scrap of paper back to the person he'd just bowled down.

He was half way up a tree, clambering after a particularly tricky bright yellow sheet, when he heard the boisterous laughter.

"Get down from that tree!" The words were distorted by the man's laughter.

Bilbo snatched the paper quickly and slid down, sheepishly scuttling his way back to the man, finally getting a good look at him as he tried to hold in his composure. What a first impression to make, slamming into people and causing such a commotion, and it wasn't even his first day!

There were two men there, both of them laughing harder than Bilbo had ever seen anyone laugh (which wasn't much considering he was from the Shire). They looked rather close in age, but it was obvious that they were dwarves, from their long braided hair and short stature.

Great, Bilbo groaned internally. He'd knocked down a dwarf. They were the main part of the population here, and he was already on their shit-list.

"I want to begin my apology by saying I'll replace whatever I just spread across the courtyard." Bilbo gave a hesitant laugh, wondering in the back of his mind how much paper copies were in bulk.

It took another moment for the two to stop laughing, and while he wasn't quite positive which one he'd bumped into, they didn't look too bent out of shape about it.

"Not too often we see a Hobbit round these parts." The blonde spoke, his lips curling into a devilish smirk, the twin braids framing his lips swinging lightly.

The second tilted his head, a twin smirk on his face, his brows raising as he leaned forward to take the small stack of now-crumpled forms, "I've never seen a Hobbit before, didn't realize the rumors about the feet were true."

"Well!" Bilbo huffed, his face alighting with an annoyed tinge, "I've never seen a dwarf before! Never realized the rumors about the manners were true."

There was a stunned silence, their eyes wide as hey looked down at the small creature, before they broke out into their usual twin grins again, their boisterous laughter back with a vengeance.

"I like you!" The brunette exclaimed, slapping a heavy hand on Bilbo's shoulder, shaking the Hobbit around for a moment before stepping back in line with his brother.

The blonde's grin grew, "Hobbit's got some spunk!"

"This Hobbit has also got a name." Bilbo cooled down, his flush turning from annoyance to embarrassment, though he couldn't stop the small quirk of a smile beginning to form, "I'm Bilbo Baggins."

"Fili." The blonde smirked again, eyes raking up and down the small form.

The brunette smiled wide and jubilant, "and Kili."

"At your service."

Bilbo laughed, his eyes lighting and a great weight falling off his shoulders. Another huge gust of wind suddenly blew by them, tearing the papers that Bilbo had collected from his hand, sending them flying into the air and fluttering away.

And Bilbo had thought the brothers' laughter before was uproarious.

"Tell us, Mr. Boggins, what has you wandering around campus five days before classes start?" Kili started easily, his eager gaze making it obvious that he didn't want this interaction with the Hobbit to be cut short.

Bilbo shrugged, reaching down to pick up his forgotten backpack, slinging it over his shoulder, "As you can probably put together, I'm new. I was trying to find my way around..."

"But got lost?" Fili supplied, showing no mock in his voice as he lifted his lips in a smile, "It's a big place."

"Well, I put that together." Bilbo sighed, returning to his original plan of finding somewhere to sit. The smooth wood of the bench was warm as he sat, making him hum in happiness and sigh as he was finally off his feet.

Kili, on the other hand, looked no less than overjoyed, his eyes wide as he nearly jumped up and down, "Do you need a tour? Our afternoon was just suddenly cleared-"

Bilbo winced, "sorry about that."

"-and we are old veterans, I'll have you know." Kili swept over to where Bilbo was sitting, plopping next to him and sidling up close, his smile infectious. Bilbo couldn't hold back one of his own, but jolted when Fili took a heavy seat next to him.

Fili stretched his arms up, laying them out along the back of the bench, slinging an arm behind Bilbo's shoulders, "and by 'old veterans', he means we're in our third year."

"Only four more to go, right?" Kili joked, laughing at Bilbo's incredulous look.

Bilbo coughed a bit, leaning back against the bench and sighing as he slumped into the seat, "Thank you for the offer, truly, but I already have a friend coming to rescue me."

"Another Hobbit?" Kili looked ecstatic at the thought of meeting another Hobbit, like they were some oddity that only came around at a full moon. It didn't bother Bilbo much, probably due to the fact that Bilbo had similar thoughts about dwarves not too long ago.

Bilbo laughed, shaking his head and letting out a large smile at the mention of his close friend, "He's a dwarf. He's actually been coming here for four years already, though he isn't graduating for another year."

"Ah. Maybe another time, then."

Despite the statement, the brothers made no move to get up and continue on their way. It was quite a true statement when they said that Bilbo had practically thrown their afternoon to the wind (pun quite intended), and now that they'd met this sweet little Hobbit, they could think of no better way to start the semester.

"You guys really don't have to wait with me." Bilbo nervously started, offering a sheepish smile, "I don't want to be a bother."

"Don't bother us none." Fili reached up his hand and pulled gently on Bilbo's hair, smirking when Bilbo jumped a bit at the action, "Always love to find new companions."

"Can't say I disagree." Bilbo huffed, swinging his legs.

A silence broke out then, Bilbo patting his hands on his thighs to pass the time, glancing around the courtyard in the sudden lull of conversation. He was oddly comfortable with the two, as strange and quirky as they were. They were the complete opposite of what he'd imagined dwarf's to be, they were kind and funny.

He'd always imagined dwarfs were crude axe-wielding barbarians with tattoos and biceps as large as Bilbo's head.

"Fili. Kili."

Bilbo jumped, gaze shooting up as he felt both brothers on either side go completely still, almost nervous. Trying to find the source of the voice calling for the boys, Bilbo saw two men coming up the far side of the courtyard, wearing dark colors and tight expressions.

A small squeak escaped Bilbo as his gaze locked on the first man. Ah, there he was, the very definition of what Bilbo always imagined a dwarf to be.

"Dwalin!" Kili laughed nervously, reaching to scratch nervously at the back of his neck, coughing in the back of his throat, "What brings you here this beautiful morning?"

The man looked as though he could crack rocks with his glare alone, his large arms crossed over his chest in distain as he regarded the two, sparing nary a glance at the small Hobbit encased between them. His beard was dark, as were his eyes, and it was everything that Bilbo thought a dwarf should be.

"Where are the flyers?" Dwalin's voice was just as deep as his scowl, if possible.

At the words, Bilbo felt himself shrink, trying desperately to blend into his background. Oh, dear, this was gearing up to be quite the day. If he hoped hard enough, maybe he could get out of this situation with as little bruises as possible.

Kili jumped in, cheekily smiling, "Well, you see, we figured that instead of pinning them on trees and handing them out, we could throw them to the wind and see where that got us."

"They'll reach near and far! The masses will know of our message!" Fili proclaimed, holding a hand to his chest and thrusting the other in the air.

Bilbo couldn't hold back a laugh, pressing the back of his hand against his lips. This seemed to please the brothers to no end, both of them beaming at Dwalin as if they'd just won the argument a thousand times over.

There was the subtle clomp of boots as the second man, the one who had accompanied Dwalin, came strutting up, "You will get replacements immediately, boys."

"Uncle!" Kili jumped up at this, excitedly prancing to the man and coming to a stop next to him like and excited puppy, "I didn't know you'd be here today, I thought you were at the office?"

"The firm wanted me to come down and make sure the job fair flyers were handed out." The man sighed with exasperated affection at his nephews, "Which, as I can see, was a good idea. You two can't get anything done without at least two supervisors."

"I resent that." Fili murmured under his breath.

Bilbo, on the other hand, found that all the sounds had suddenly stopped. His breath was drawn from his chest. His hands no longer had any feeling, his blood was cold, he couldn't gather a thought because his mind had clouded over. All his senses, everything in his being, was captured by one source.

He was tall, for a dwarf. Elegant, exuded power like he owned the very word. He was regal, the subtle gray streaks in his hair adding to his image, his eyes deep and stormy. He was broad and powerful, his long hair draping over his large shoulders and back.

He was truly one of the most stunning men Bilbo had ever met.

"And who have you managed to drag along with you?" The man eyed Bilbo wearily, his unimpressed gaze digging into him, "Too unassuming and small to be a dwarf."

He was also an asshole.

Bilbo leveled his own glare, letting his breath out through his teeth in a desperate attempt to not speak a word. All godly thoughts Bilbo had wrapped around this man came to a screeching halt, and his mental image provided the man with devil horns and a flicking pointed tail.

"Uncle Thorin!" Kili huffed, rolling his eyes at the other before sauntering back to Bilbo and standing next to the bench rather than sitting in it once more, "Bilbo is very nice, I'll have you know."

"And he's a Hobbit! First one to Erebor U, right uncle?" Fili finally got to his feet, desperately trying to defend his new Hobbit friend while simultaneously not get on his uncle's bad-side.

Thorin took a few long strides, coming up to the bench like an elegant king, standing ten feet tall in a dwarf's body. His eyes held contempt as he stared down at the Hobbit, his deep voice rolling over Bilbo, "So, this is the Hobbit."

"Augh, you should have seen him!" Bilbo cried, holding his hands in tight fists as if he were going to punch something. Bilbo scrunched his face and deepened his voice, "'So, this is the Hobbit.'"

He huffed again, "What was he trying to pull?"

Bofur, on the other hand, found his terribly entertaining. Throwing his head back in a laugh, he tried desperately not pay attention to the road he was currently driving on, but he couldn't hold back the constant peals of laughter at Bilbo's predicament.

"Man, running into Kili and Fili Oakenshield on the first day!" Bofur laughed again, slapping his hand on the steering wheel, coming to a slow rolling stop at a red light, "Man, you're gonna have one hell of a time this semester. The Oakenshield's are somewhat of a legend around Erebor U."

"Legend?" Bilbo instantly leaned forward, intrigued. He was truly a Hobbit at heart, and loved a good gossip when he could hear it.

Bofur laughed again, knowing he'd caught his friend, hook-line-and-sinker, "Well, I haven't heard a lot of it, since I moved from the Blue Mountains only five years ago. I've met Thorin and his family, they're very tight-lipped."

"Come on, Bofur!" Bilbo eagerly prod, wiggling around in excitement, "you must know more than that."

"Aye." Bofur nodded, moving forward again as the light turned green, absently reaching up to rearrange his hat on his head, "But that's not my story to tell, Bilbo."

Bilbo huffed, slumping back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest, still ruffled from his interaction with Thorin. The man was devilishly handsome, in all senses of the word. He was sharp-tongued and rude towards all those he didn't consider a friend, but those he did hold close, he held with a fierce intensity. He no longer attended Erebor U, Bilbo could gather, both from his age and the way Kili spoke about him being away from the office.

"Come now." Bofur reached over gently to ruffle Bilbo's hair affectionately, smirking when Bilbo finally cracked a smile, "Now, tell me where you want to go to lunch."

"Nah." Bilbo murmured, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone, only to have a small slip of paper come along with it. He sent another smile towards Bofur as he picked up the paper, "I told you, you get to choose since you came all the way down to rescue me."

Unfolding the paper, Bilbo's eyes widened and a smile came slowly to his face. There, on the unassuming piece of lined paper, were two crudely drawn smiley faces with features made out to be Kili and Fili. The little Kili was holding out a piece sign, and next to him was a phone number. The little Fili was winking and holding up a thumbs up, and yet another phone number was presented. Under them, scrawled in quick writing, was 'At your service!'

"They gave you their phone numbers?" Bofur mused, leaning over and looking at the paper, raising his brows in wonder, "Wow. They wont even give the school board their phone numbers."

Bilbo raised his brows, nodding in realization. He quickly typed the numbers into his phone, even going so far as to snap a picture of each of the small figures to use as contact icons. He had a record thirteen contacts in his phone, and it was with jubilation that he added them.

Maybe Erebor U wouldn't be so scary after all.

He did believe that the worst wad behind him.

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it! Please review if you liked it. :)