Inspired by the troll scene, for some reason. No slash, just Ori and Bilbo bonding over books. (:
Bilbo had really noticed the young dwarf for the first time, when Ori asked him where he could leave his plate, but he didn't have enough time to really think about it again, for the dwarves had merrily broke out in a song, which Bilbo could not appreciate too much. Considering the song was about everything he hated.
When the moment flashed back in his mind, was when he saw Ori and Dori taking turns writing something in one of the many books that Ori constantly dragged around. Bilbo excused himself from his conversation with Bofur and Bombur about the necessity of 'green food' to join Dori and Ori.
"Mind if I join you? I've been seeing you lugging around books the whole trip so far, I'm curious what it's about by now."
Both dwarves nodded eagerly, Dori making space for Bilbo to sit down, but got called by Gloín, which left Ori and Bilbo, Bilbo holding the thick book in his hands now.
"Is this Khuzdul?" He asked Ori, his eyes scanning the many wondrous words in front of him that were so unfamiliar.
"Yes, it's a book about this company. Dori and I have been working on it when Thorin called upon us. It contains all the family trees of everyone here, and a map of Erebor, Ered Luin, Moria… The great adventures of Thrór, of all the Durin ancestors.
Bilbo flipped some pages until he reached the family tree section, hands sliding over the carefully drawn words, trying to decipher the runes in front of him, but came up empty, Khuzdul was not for nothing a secret language, mainly spoken by dwarves only.
"Could you translate? If you're allowed, of course." Bilbo added, feeling a blush rise up on his cheeks, but Ori only smiled.
"Of course, you're one of us, here, I'll show you one you'll like." Ori flipped a page, showing Bilbo the picture of a beautifully drawn family tree.
"Here, this is Thrór, Thraín II following, and then…" Ori looked expectantly at Bilbo.
"Thorin." Bilbo replied immediately, earning a grin from the short-bearded dwarf next to him.
"Thorin II Oakenshield, very true, Master Baggins. But not only him. His brother, Frerin, and his sister, youngest of all three, Dís. And then?" Ori pointed to the two names written in Khuzdul underneath Dís. But Bilbo came up blank, not able to name the two that would be Thorin's nephews.
"Fíli and Kíli, of course. His sister-sons, have you not noticed how he acts around them, they even share looks." Ori replied.
Bilbo could hit himself, Kíli's dark long tresses, Fíli's more than blue eyes, the fatherly concern for the brothers, it was quite obvious now.
"And here are we, my brothers and I." Ori had flipped a few pages and was now pointing to the three names written in Khuzdul. "First Dori, since he's the oldest, then Nori, then me, I'm the youngest obviously."
Bilbo flipped to the pages, fascinated whenever Ori would point something out.
"That's Bofur, with his cousins Bombur and Bifur. Oh, and there's Balin and Dwalin."
After a few minutes of silence, Ori's commenting was back again.
"That's Gloín with his wife, and their son, Gimli, and Gloín's brother, Oín."
After the family trees came the stories, about the Istari, the fall of Erebor, of Smaug the Terrible, why they hated the elves so much. Ori spent hours translating all the Khuzdul stories without even seeming to dislike explaining and telling everything.
After Thorin had forced the two to go to bed, Bilbo hugged Ori shortly, before stepping back.
"Thank you, Ori. For making me feel like a dwarf for a little time. Much appreciated."
"My pleasure, master burglar. May you always feel home with us."
Nothing exciting, just Bilbo and Ori bonding over books, I just love those two fussyheads. (: