Author's Note: This is just another cute fluff. It's going to be roughly six chapters, but not nothing too heavy...unless I change my mind.
Five years old
"I'll get the door!" Varis shouted, setting down the box in the living room before heading down the hall to the large wooden door of her new home. Hearing quiet arguing outside the door before there was a loud 'ow' and silence following, Varis stopped momentarily.
A little wary, Varis opened the door. Standing in a light green dress and holding a cherry pie, a small rosy-cheeked woman with a high pile of curly auburn hair on her head smiled brightly. Beside her was a quiet man with graying temples and large spectacles that gave him the look of a librarian. Beside him was a curly-haired boy who quickly hid behind the skirt of his mother's pencil dress. The woman's smile grew even more at the sight of Varis and she brightly said, "Why, hello there! I'm Belladonna Took-Baggins! My husband and I live right next door and we thought it'd be just wonderful to invite you to the Shire!"
"Hello, I'm Varis Durin," replied Varis, smiling at the petite woman as a sudden crash was heard inside. Sighing she turned slightly and yelled, "Boys! We have guests! Whatever was broken better be picked up soon!"
"We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood before Lobelia could get her hands on you," said the man, earning himself an elbow to the stomach from his wife. "Err- I mean, I'm Bungo and this tyke right here is Bilbo."
Bungo tried to coerce Bilbo out to speak with an amused Varis, only to have him shake his head and bury his face into Bella's skirt. "He's quite shy."
"My Thorin used to be just like him. Then he turned two. They're running around here somewhere."
"Would you like some help unpacking?"
"Oh, I couldn't ask you to-"
"Nonsense!"
Realizing that it was futile to argue with this surprisingly stubborn woman, Varis smiled and showed the Bagginses to the kitchen, eying the shy little boy follow them with an awed look on his face. In the barely unpacked kitchen, Thrain was arm wrestling 7-year-old Frerin while Thorin grabbed his braids and bit his father's bead at the end of it from his position on Thrain's shoulders. At the sight of his mother, Thorin tugged on his father's braids, causing Thrain to look up. "Oh, hello."
"Good afternoon," Bungo said politely.
Cringing at Frerin, who was bitting his arm, Thrain tried to pull his arm away with no avail. "I'm Thrain Durin. The terror on my arm is Frerin and the one on my shoulder is -ow, Frerin!- Thorin."
"Our daughter Dis is asleep right now. Thrain, this is Mr. and Mrs. Baggins and their son, Bilbo. They came to welcome us into the neighborhood."
"With some pie!" Bella exclaimed, holding up the cherry pie.
A chorus of childish shrieks that included the voice of Thrain rang through the kitchen. Belladonna and Varis searched through the boxes for places and cutlery. Frerin and Thrain tucked in with much gusto, but Thorin sat quietly with his food, watching Bilbo eat his cake neatly. Ignoring everyone else, Thorin crawled across the table to Bilbo -ignoring his mother's complaints. The five year old gazed at the curly-haired boy, who blushed and smiled back warmly.
"I'm Thorin. Who are you?"
I'm Bilbo," replied the boy quietly.
As they ate, the two boys stayed together, eating peacefully. Varis and Thrain were stunned at Thorin's good behavior while the Bagginses were stunned at Bilbo's new found openness towards the dark-haired boy.
Thrain decided to show Bungo his new man cave while Belladonna helped Varis unpack the rest of the boxes in the kitchen. With Frerin now interested in Scooby Doo, Thorin decided to ask Bilbo something.
"Do you like me?"
"We just met," Bilbo replied, playing with the puzzle pieces that Varis had left out.
"Mommy and Daddy got married after a year."
"A year? That's forever!" Bilbo exclaimed. He wondered how long his parents were together.
"See? I like you."
"So, should we get married?"
"I guess so. We should go ask our mums!"
"Okay!" Thorin exclaimed, grabbing Bilbo's hand and leading him to the kitchen, where the women sat drinking tea and gossiping. Belladonna felt a rush of sympathy for Varis, who had to move down to the countryside from the mountains after their home had been burned down by rebels against the crown. To have such young kids and forced to move to an unknown place was daunting, and filled with challenges.
Before she could mention anything, Thorin and Bilbo came in holding hands. Eyebrow furrowing at the physical connection, Varis cleared her throat and asked, "Yes?"
"Can we get married?" Bilbo asked innocently.
Varis choked on her tea and Belladonna almost fell out of her seat, laughing hysterically.
"What?" Belladonna croaked out, wiping at the tears strewing down her face.
"I wanna marry Bilbo." Thorin shouted, annoyed that their mums were laughing. He was serious about marrying Bilbo! Why couldn't his mum believe him? Noticing his friend's angry red cheeks, Bilbo patted Thorin's arm and threw his arm around the slightly taller toddler.
"I wanna marry Thorin, mama! Please!"
"Bilbo, I don't think you're old enough just yet. Maybe in the future, when you and Thorin have known each other longer. But how about some more pie before we leave?"
"Do we have to, mama?" Bilbo asked, not noticing the way Thorin gasped and began tearing up.
"Does he have to go home, Amad?" Thorin asked sadly, clutching Bilbo to him defiantly.
"I'm sorry, Azyunghal, but the Bagginses have to go home at some time. I'm sure you and Bilbo can see each other tomorrow, okay?"
"But Amad! We want to get married!" Thorin wailed, stomping his foot.
"Who's gettin' married?" asked Thrain, walking in with a pale-looking Bungo. Noticing his wailing son and Bella's smothered laugh, he said, "Ah, the boys wantin' to get married?"
"What? Bungo asked, trying to take his mind off the many, many deer and animal mounts on the walls in Thrain's man cave. The very specific details about all the mount's capture didn't help Bungo's uneasy stomach. He turned to his snickering wife, hoping to get an answer. Instead, he turned to his now crying son and wearily said, "Bilbo, perhaps you and Thorin can get married later."
"Really?" Bilbo said excitedly.
"Aye, when you're older boys," Thorin added.
Happy to finally have what they wanted, Bilbo planted a sloppy kiss on Thorin's cheeks. Cooing the boys, Varis waited until they had returned to their toys before she said, "I think those two have a great life ahead of each other."
"I agree with you on this one, Mrs. Durin. Yavanna has a lot in store for them," Belladonna surmised, bringing the porcelain tea cup to her bright pink lips.
Sharing a bewildered look, both Thrain and Bungo shrugged in unison, not understanding what their wives were saying, but agreeing nonetheless.
There we have it! Let's see what awaits our boys at ten years!