Disclaimer: I own nothing
There were many reasons Bilbo Baggins was once opposed to adventure. Several of which were danger, trouble, and all around unpleasant folk. He had seen more orcs and wargs in his lifetime gallivanting head on into nasty business on a pony than ever before. Orcs hadn't been seen in the Shire for over an Age though, a much longer time than Bilbo himself had been alive, so he supposed he wasn't as "cultured" as he thought he was. At least that's how most of the dwarves saw it. If he felt particularly cross then he would say he beginning to resent the patronizing way the others would call him gentle. It was perfectly all right, in Bilbo's mind, to keep your nose clean of any unnecessary trouble. Some such as Bofur were at least considerate and almost like a comrade of sorts.
There was a chuckle behind followed by a murmur of feigned innocence. Kíli made an angelic face at Fíli's scowl. Those were another two Bilbo felt relatively comfortable being able to call friends. They certainly knew when to liven up the boring parts of this adventure. Like now when all they had to do was steer their ponies and keep to their daily thoughts.
"Kíli." Thorin gave a warning look to the youngest of the company and with one simple tone killed the playfulness in the dwarf. Kíli looked down abashed. Thorin, Bilbo knew, was not his friend. He had made it no secret that he thought Gandalf had made a mistake bringing him. Thorin was just simply too grumpy for Bilbo's tastes and he avoided the dwarf king at all costs.
Gandalf gave an amused smirk at Bilbo's poor way of hiding his utter boredom.
"Do not worry brother. He's just tired from riding all day." Fíli whispered. Kíli gave an uncertain look at Thorin's back. His uncle had been more irritable as of late and though Kíli understood it was only the stress of the journey bringing up decades of anger he still couldn't help but feel like an unnecessary burden. He had joined this quest to prove himself as a warrior, not to be the bothersome young dwarf that followed his brother and uncle everywhere they went like when he had been small.
Bilbo straightened a moment and thought. He had become rather bold if he did say so himself. He was neither Thorin's kin nor did he answer to the dwarf. And if he did not wish to make the slower part of their journey enjoyable he simply did not need to listen.
"Have I ever told you about my cousins, the Sackville Baggins?" Bilbo asked glancing over at Gandalf. Bofur tilted his head to listen.
Gandalf thought around his pipe before frowning. "No, I do not believe so."
"Dreadful people. Absolutely dreadful."
"I am trying to imagine dreadful hobbits laddie and I'm having a hard time believing you." Bofur said with a chuckle making his hat bounce beside his ears. Bilbo shook his head.
"Oh no there are the worst of us hobbits. Unfortunately most of them happen to be related to me. Lobelia once tried to take all my mother's silverware by sneaking all the spoons in her pockets." He scrunched up his face and looked around at the group he had acquired all of whom were listening eagerly. "And they are never happy. Always squinting at you like you're lying to them. I could tell them that the grass was green and the sky was blue and they would think I was implying that she was fat and he was the rudest person to have stepped foot into Bag End. Which for the most is true."
The dwarves all hooted with laughter and Bilbo's chest swelled.
"Well I guess we know where you get the burglar side of you Mister Bilbo," Ori said with a smile having ridden up alongside Bilbo to hear.
"You're right, Ori... I would have hid them in the garden instead of my coat pocket." The others chuckled again and the mood instantly felt lighter. Bilbo looked over at Gandalf, the grey wizard giving him a knowing smile, and then at Thorin whose back remained straight and stiff with irritation.
A pony in the back whined and then cried out. Everyone whipped around to see what was causing such an uproar. Kíli's pony neighed and bucked in fright once and then twice before bucking the young dwarf off his back and into the river. Laughter broke the peace of the forest as the dwarves watched the pony shriek back away from a small black garden snake that had been lying on a stone by the river. Thorin sighed impatiently at his nephew.
"Kíli…" Fíli called when the young dwarf didn't surface. Thorin frowned searching the water with narrow eyes. Bilbo felt his heart drop into his stomach for a moment. The river had risen after the rain they had gotten the day before and what was once a calm stream was now a rush of water. "Kíli!"
Fíli jumped from his pony and ran closer to the river, the others following him.
"Over there!" Someone shouted. Kíli was struggling against the current, the strength of the water pulling him down once again. Fíli threw his coat off and dove into the water before anyone could stop him.
A mass of chaos sprung around the dwarves as they shouted and chased after the two down the river. They saw nothing for a moment and then Fíli had Kíli limp in his arms as he held his brother above the surface. But the river was too fast and too strong and they were thrown all along the current. Fíli coughed out water only for it to be replaced in his lungs when a wave threw a mouthful of water at him.
"I can't…" Fíli shouted before he was pulled under. He kicked as hard as he could bringing himself and his brother up. Kíli was struggling weakly but his dead weight was just too easy for the water to pull him under again. Fíli looked to the shore for Thorin but he couldn't see anybody. His vision blurred and the figures of the remaining company on the shore were just smudges. "I can't get…to the shore!"
At the youngster's shout of panic the dwarves were pulling their long axes and holding out the ends for Fíli to grab but the young dwarf couldn't get ahold of them and slipped further away down with the current.
Bilbo could only watch from along the side. He looked up at Gandalf because surely he could do something but the wizard was gone.
The water threw them into a rock, knocking the breath from Fíli before he grabbed at it and wrapped his arm around the stone. With a cry he heaved Kíli further above the surface. His younger brother opened blurry eyes at him and for a heartbeat he looked at Fíli. Then blood oozed from along his temple and his eyes closed once more.
Bilbo searched around for something, anything to do. Gandalf ran past them suddenly chasing the current.
"Grab ahold!" Gandalf held out his staff to Fíli. Fíli looked down at Kíli and tightened his hold around his waist before he let go of the rock and lunged for the staff with a cry. His hand found purchase but only just and the pull of the current and the pull of Gandalf bringing them to shore was painful on Fíli's shoulder. Gandalf was playing tug a war with nature and he was the rope. Then a solid hand, calloused and warm from blistering heat of a blacksmith furnace, grabbed Fíli by his collar and yanked both he and Kíli from the river and onto the shore. Fíli dropped onto his back and stared up at the sky panting for air. He could only hear his heartbeat for a moment before all the shouting of reality came back with a roar.
"You could have both drowned." Thorin's shout was harsh and Fíli flinched at the tone before the rational part of his brain told him that his uncle was frightened. Kíli! Fíli rolled onto his stomach and leaned over his brother, cupping his head in his hands.
"Kíli? Kíli!" He said rousing his brother. The young dwarf groaned and blinked confused. Fíli took his hand away seeing the blood leaked from Kíli's head and he looked to Gandalf for aid. But instead he was met with Bilbo who shoved past the others with his bag. The hobbit replaced Fíli's hands and brushed back Kíli's hair.
"Just as I suspected," Bilbo said with a solid look. "A head wound."
"Oh well no wonder he's bleeding from his head." Bofur said though the grave look on his face contradicted his sarcasm. Bilbo pulled out a dishtowel from his bag and before Fíli could marvel at the hobbit's sense of necessary items for travel, Bilbo placed the towel against the wound making Kíli hiss in pain.
"Hamfast fell last spring while he was trimming the petunias. Conked his head wide open." Bilbo explained to an amused looking Gandalf. He looked to Thorin who hadn't said a word. "We will need to find a place to rest until he gets warmed up."
Fíli didn't know what Bilbo was talking about until the breeze returned and a harsh chill made Fíli shiver. The water had been ice cold.
Bilbo half expected Thorin to insist they continue but instead he nodded and gave a look to Dwalin. The bigger dwarf nodded and with one swoop had the young dwarf in his arms.
After a short search they found shelter. A good thing too, Bilbo thought, nightfall came quicker than he had expected and he set about cleaning the head wound on Kíli and reassuring his brother that it was only a minor wound. Fíli had changed quickly leaving his damp clothes by the fire before they worked together to take Kíli out of his as well. Unfortunately the rest of Kíli's luggage had been thrown into the river with him and the rest of his clothes had been drenched. The others gathered what they could but they had to scavenge the shore for hours in their searches. Bombur passed Fíli his extra shirt silently, bread biscuit bulging from his mouth and walked back to the others. Bilbo gave Kíli an easy smile as he set about bandaging the cut. It was small really. No bigger than his finger but it was at the perfect spot on the young dwarf's head that he would have a good headache for a while. No, the worst was the fever that had set in on the young dwarf from the cold water. Fíli continued to wet Kíli's brow as he cradled his brother in his lap trying to give him some warmth. Kíli murmured something to his brother that Bilbo couldn't hear but Fíli just shook his head.
"No, brother, he will not think you are a nuisance." Bilbo didn't need to guess who they were talking about and sent a look over at Thorin who was strategizing with Gandalf and Balin. Bilbo smiled at them in pity knowing the temper of their uncle. It had been entirely an accident and it pained Bilbo to think that Thorin would not see it that way. If only the dwarf could see beyond the quest and take notice that his kin was his priority at the moment. Kíli and Fíli, though both exceptionally energetic and caring, were both young. And though because of this youth they were spirited with innocence they were both also obedient and fearful when it came to the withering glare of their uncle. It didn't make sense to Bilbo. Though his mother had been stern, she had loved life and encouraged Bilbo's curiosity as a young boy. He was beginning to see what Gandalf had meant when they met that fateful morning about losing his inquisitiveness, and part of him was beginning to think that maybe his mother had missed that part of him too. But hobbits love all things, a good book, a warm home, and above all family. Yet, the longer he stayed with this company of dwarves, the more he was starting to miss that need for family. They company relied on each other as brothers as arms and Thorin was missing out on something precious that the others did not have. Whether he could not see or he choose not to, Bilbo was not sure, Thorin was pushing his nephews into reckless mess in search for his approval. Was it simply to much for a word of encouragement?
"Accidents happen all the time. One time I…" And Bilbo began to tell stories to the two as he set about working on cleaning the wound.
The night was somber and no songs were sung that night. The dwarves fell asleep trying to give Kíli back his pride by respectfully carrying on like a normal night. It wasn't long before they were fed and sleeping peacefully on the ground. All except for Fíli. Kíli had fallen asleep shortly after Óin gave him some herbs for his head but it wasn't a peaceful one at all. His chills rocked his body in his sleep and though mindful of his wound Fíli could do nothing more than hold him. He kept his tone soothing and calm as he talked Kíli out of his feverish nightmares but on the inside he was beginning to panic. He had made a promise to watch out for his younger brother and yet here he was unable to do anything. He tried wrapping his blanket around the both of them, Kíli's was lost in the river, but the thin fabric provided little to no help at all.
"How is he?" Thorin asked from behind him making Fíli curse. He should have heard his uncle a mile away.
"His fever is rising." He tried to keep a impassive mask but he knew his uncle could see his distress. Thorin set his jaw and brought a hand to Kíli's brow. The heat radiated off his youngest nephew's skin and he nodded. He looked at his heir, Fíli looking exhausted and worn down from the day's events, and sighed. He had nearly lost both of them that day and he wasn't sure he would be able to continue without them if that had been true. He didn't tell them this, it would go straight to their heads and he hadn't been the type of dwarf to express his feelings, but he could see everything the others thought he ignored. The stress wearing on Fíli and the insecurity was niggling at Kíli on a day to day basis. He wouldn't have asked them to join his quest if he did not think they were both ready.
One day they would make great kings after him.
Sitting down beside Fíli he pulled off his mighty coat and wrapped it around Kíli's body handing Fíli his blanket. Pulling the younger dwarves to him he settled against the tree and stretched out his legs before taking Kíli into his arms.
"Go to sleep, Fíli." He said. The low rumble of his voice made Kíli blink awake blearily. He was too lost in his fever to be mortified by his place on his uncle's lap and instead settled deeper into the fur and leather that was his uncle's coat. "Sleep now little ones."
a/n: I wanted to write this to address the misconception many people get about Thorin's relationship with his nephews. So here it is!
Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays!