Bilbo sighed contently as he settled down beside the fireplace and looked at his pretty little creation. It was worth it for the looks he had gotten from his escort, his unneeded escort, when he had led them out into the snow and the cold, and had them carry the cuttings he had made from the plants that he needed.
Dwarves, he had found amusingly, did not like the snow at all. The cold and ice made them retreat back into their caverns and halls where they had a very clever system that pumped the heat from the forges around the mountain so that the rock and stone itself seemed always warm. Bilbo had been worried he was going to freeze during the winter months, instead he was kept nicely toasty warm.
He had however been highly amused the first time he had gone out into the snow with a Dwarrow companion, Nori, Dori and Dwalin had accompanied him down to Dale on one of the last travels they would take for the winter to make sure that Bard and the humans were ok and settled for their second winter in their new home. All three of his Dwarrow companions had been nearly wrapped from head to toe and grumbled poutily into their beards as they made their way through the snow.
Their first winter in the mountain had been straight after the battle, and Bilbo had been glued to Thorin, Fili and Kili's sides, barely moving to look after himself as he helped Oin and Tauriel nurse the three Durin's back to health after they had been placed on their Deathbeds. The winter was nearly over by the time the Durin's were back on their feet and could be trusted to be left alone for more than two minutes without the threat of them reopening their wounds. And so he hadn't noticed the Dwarves aversion to the cold. Now he was enjoying it a little too much if the grumpy looks he was getting was anything to go by. He had heard a few mutters of 'but he has bare feet!' followed by grimacing as his guard huddled further into their furs.
And they had that look that said the Hobbit has lost it, and they were going to run tell the King, as they followed said Hobbit around the woods while he snipped at seemingly random bits of plants. They had been out for nearly two hours before he took pity on them and they hurried back into the warmth of the mountain, he had quickly sent them off to go find some warm drinks.
He himself had hurried back to his rooms and had set to work quickly, enjoying humming to himself and sipping his flavoured tea while he worked.
"Bilbo your guards are talking about you doing strange Hobbitish things again, and about dragging them out into the snow, mainly dragging them into the snow," Kili said cheerfully as he bounced into the room.
"Kili how many times have I told you to knock! And just because I am doing something different doesn't mean it's strange," Bilbo rolled his eyes.
"Yes of course, what are you doing?" Kili tilted his head.
"Hold this here for me please," Bilbo requested stepping to the side and waiting for Kili to do as he asked before hurrying to catch up the pins he had found that was perfect for what he needed. He grinned a little to himself as he caught Kili watching him curiously out the corner of his eyes while he worked.
"Billllbbbboooo what is it?" Kili whined when Bilbo stepped back and admired his work.
"It's a garland," Bilbo smiled.
"Ok," Kili nodded before frowning. "What does it do?"
"It doesn't do anything, it's part of the Hobbit celebrations for Yule," Bilbo chuckled.
"Yule, I have heard the men talk of something about that, it is a winter celebration isn't it?" Fili asked as he, Dwalin and Balin trundled in.
"Sorry Laddie, they walked in before I could stop them," Balin had the manners to apologies as Bilbo threw his hands up in exasperation.
"It's ok, I am nearly used to everyone viewing my living room as a gathering place," Bilbo snorted amused, already moving on automatic to put his bigger kettle onto the fireplace and digging out the cookies and cakes he had made the evening before. If he happened to put the cookies down in front of Dwalin, well that table was just handier.
"Why do you have plant over your fireplace?" Bofur asked as he, Ori and Nori trailed in.
"It's some Hobbit thing connected to Yule," Kili answered knowingly.
"Like the men's celebration?" Ori asked eagerly.
"Yes, it's very similar actually, though Hobbits were celebrating it first. It's to honour the passing of the seasons and the changes that happen to the land. Winter is a time to let the ground rest and most of the plants sleep for the winter months, while enjoying and celebrating those that thrive during the colder seasons. We give thanks to the Lady Yavanna for the season just passed and the harvest her fertile lands have given us. Plus, it is the chance for a good few parties and feasts," Bilbo admitted with a grin.
"It sounds very interesting, so your garland is celebrating that particular plant that has lived into winter?" Balin asked.
"Correct, in the Shire all our rooms are decorated with different plants and items to celebrate, garlands, wreaths, and we pull large branches and a tree into the house and decorate it," Bilbo grinned thinking back to how Bag End used to be when his mother and father would dance around singing and decorating their home.
"Decorate it with what?" Fili asked curiously.
"Oh lots of things, hang on," Bilbo handed the kettle to Ori to pour their teas, before he hurried into one of his spare rooms where he was storing odd bits and pieces that he had not been able to find places for him his Dwarven rooms, but he had not been able to leave at Bag End when he gifted the smial to Drogo.
Digging around he quickly found the small chest he was looking for and hurried back out into the room heaving it with him. Dwalin quickly got to his feet and snatched one end of the fairly large chest, Thorin appearing behind Bilbo making him squeak as he snagged the other end of the chest from Bilbo.
"What is in here then? The others said it was something about Hobbit customs," Thorin asked as they placed the trunk carefully onto a coffee table.
"I'm explaining Yule to them, and how Hobbits celebrate, these are the decorations that have been in my family for generations which we used to decorate Bag End," Bilbo smiled kneeling down and eagerly opening the trunk. He pulled out first the pretty little silver bells his father he patiently stung onto silver thread for his mother who had commented that Yule that she loved the sound of them tinkling.
"These we used to drape around our doorways, they would tinkle so prettily when the wind caught them. Oh, and this was made by my great great great uncle Took," Bilbo chuckled, gently removing a pretty glass ornament that glittered in the shape of a rose.
"This is fine glasswork," Balin noted.
"He was the best the Shire has ever seen," Bilbo nodded his chest puffing in pride for a Dwarf to say such a thing.
"What about these?" Kili asked pointing carefully into the trunk.
"Oh, these are berries that grow this time of year, obviously not this big, these also go around the tree," Bilbo smiled pulling out the stringed glass beads in the shape of berries. He watched amused as his Dwarves with great care took each item out and inspected it carefully before passing it on, some asking what it represented and where it went in the decorating scheme of things.
He talked a little more with them and explained what Yule in the Shire was like, his audience listening attentively and nodding, they would probably quite happily have sat there a good while longer had it not been for Raoc appearing at the window reminding Thorin of a meeting, and the rest of them that they had work to do, indeed Bilbo had squeaked and rushed out the room remembering he was teaching a class to the Dwarflings on letters in five minutes.
Really, after them listening to him so intently and everything that they had done to make him feel more than welcome, Bilbo should have expected it, but he had not, and when he walked into his room two days later after finishing another set of lessons, he had not been expecting to find his Dwarves standing there looking pleased with themselves, a giant pine tree standing pride of place in his rooms.
"We know you said you only chop down trees if you replaced them, so we planted four more to replace this one, and we took it from somewhere where there were lots of trees," Kili said excitedly as Bilbo just blinked at the tree from the doorway.
"Plus it looked like it might not have survived much longer out there, it wasn't looking very healthy," Fili added earnestly. All thirteen of his Dwarves looked concerned when he let out a sniff.
"Did we do something wrong?" Dori fretted.
"Did we get the wrong one? Ori and I got a book and we were sure that this is the one you were talking about! A pine tree, yes?" Balin asked concerned frowning at the tree as though it had tricked them.
"No no no! It's perfect and it is completely the right one! I just I wasn't expecting it, I just...thank you all, this...it means a lot, I didn't realise how much I was missing celebrating it until I saw the tree," Bilbo sniffed.
"Are you homesick?" Fili asked with wide concerned eyes causing a whole round of puppy dog eyes to appear on his Dwarves, besides Thorin and Dwalin, who both looked uncomfortably sullen. Since he had agreed to stay all of them seemed to have the worry that he would suddenly change his mind and flee back to the Shire.
"No, not at all. I love being here, and though yes there are things I miss about the Shire, I would miss you all and the Mountain a lot more its..." Bilbo started to say before drawing off blushing.
"It's what?" Kili asked all wide hopeful eyes.
"This, Yule it is as much a celebration of family and being with them during the winter months when you can't get out and about as much, appreciating them. I..." Bilbo paused flushing.
"You miss your family?" Gloin offered.
"No, because I have you all here, willing to indulge in my Hobbitish ways to make me happy, even if that means trekking out into the snow you hate to find me a tree you had to look up. And I want to be able to share something as important as Yule with you," Bilbo smiled brightly at them all. His squeak seconds later as Fili, Kili, Dori and Bofur all tried to hug him at the same time made him laugh happily.
"We want to be able to share it with you too, so we will be holding a proper Hobbit style Yule," Thorin smiled slightly at him, but his blue eyes were glowing with a warmth that made Bilbo smile even brighter.
"You really don't have to," Bilbo flushed.
"We want to, you're our family, we want to give little bits of your home, even if we have to look up what some things are," Balin chuckled into his beard.
"So, we thought we would start adding some of our own decorations to your collection," Kili beamed excitedly holding out a little decoration to Bilbo.
Blinking shocked Bilbo held his hand out to accept it and peered down at the beautiful cloth decoration. He had found out that Kili's craft of experience was as a clothworker, and he was quite a fine one at that. Indeed the decoration was a beautiful representation of the tree that had grown on top of Bag End. Sniffing Bilbo tugged Kili into a tight hug, the Dwarf flailing in shock at the power with which Bilbo hugged him.
"Mines next!" Fili beamed bouncing over and holding out his own work proudly.
"Oh Fili!" Bilbo gasped seeing the light glinting off of the star of Durin in the crystal that was Fili craft, each line and point carefully tended to and shaped with Fili's clever fingers.
"And mines Bilbo," Ori smiled shyly. He had managed to turn some pieces of parchment and card into what looked like a tiny pile of books with a simple little loop going through the top one to hang it on the tree.
"And mines," Nori held out a pair of miniature daggers in his metal work trade, they looked so perfectly like his own ones that Bilbo was awed.
Bofur had carved a tiny little flute. Bombur had strung and shaped little red stones that glittered one their long silver string and would wrap nearly round the whole tree. Balin had shaped a piece of gold into a beautiful, perfect barrel. Dori had teamed up with Oin and while Dori had crafted little globes of what Bilbo strongly suspected were real diamonds, Oin had filled them with a mixture that lit the mountains torches and let out a soft glow making the globes glitter and sparkle prettily. Gloin had to all their amusement made a beautiful chain of gold coins which had got him some good-natured teasing. Bofur had also carved a perfect representation of the silhouette of the fourteen of them, backgrounded with a large wizard's hat, the detail so perfect that Bilbo could pick each and every one of them out of the group.
"Ah, my craft is fighting, my actual metalworking is not as good as it used to be, but well here," Dwalin actually looked flustered before he thrust his decoration at Bilbo. Blinking Bilbo took the ornament from Dwalin and peeled away the fabric it was wrapped in carefully. He gasped when he was what was sitting inside, looking at the big Dwarf with wet eyes. "I knew I had messed it up, here Balin can neaten it…" Dwalin went to snatch the decoration away but Bilbo deftly dodged out the way holding it close to his chest protectively.
"No! Its perfect, I love it, thank you," Bilbo smiled happily and when Dwalin paused in trying to reclaim the decoration he looked down at it again. It was a little round Hobbit door, painted the perfect green, and it even had a small little brass doorknob in the centre and the rune carved underneath. "I love it!" Bilbo grinned happily.
"Yes well…I erm…Thorin's turn!" Dwalin coughed and he was definitely blushing behind his beard now.
Thorin shot him a dirty look that promised pain before shuffling forwards and holding his decoration out without saying a word. If Bilbo hadn't known better he would have thought that Thorin was trying to light him on fire with his glare, instead, he realised that Thorin was actually nervous.
Taking the ornament Bilbo looked down carefully and smiled covering his mouth as he looked down at the little brass acorn in his hand.
"I don't normally do brass work so it might be a little shaky, I had to look up the shape and detail properly I couldn't remember it and…"
"Its perfect Thorin, thank you," Bilbo grasped the King's hand not taking his eyes off of the small decoration.
"So what do we do with them now?" Kili asked eagerly. "I made a little one for Tauriel when she finally gets back, do you think she will like it?" He added with a little besotted grin as he held up a second decoration.
Bilbo sniffed and patted Kili on the head as he looked at the cloth bow and arrow with silver stitching copying the wording on the ruin stone that was still safely in the elf maid's possession.
"She will love that!" Bilbo assured him.
"Wonderful, so what do?" Fili asked.
"Now we decorate, oh boys could you go and get that chest out my storage room again please!" Bilbo asked as he hurried to the kitchen.
"What's this?" Ori asked suspiciously as Bilbo hurried back in with a massive tray.
"Well, these are mince pies but not the ones you are used to, try them," Bilbo smiled as each of his Dwarrows took a cautious bite of the mince pie before humming contently and demolishing the rest of it with one more bite.
"ere amaphing!" Thorin muttered through his mouthful.
"Hang on, before you have any more, try this," Bilbo stopped them taking anymore and held up one of the fourteen mugs.
"What is it?" Thorin blinked at the liquid sniffing it curiously.
"Must you always look as though I am trying to poison you!" Bilbo huffed.
"We haven't forgotten that soup!" Dwalin snorted but reached out to take a mug when Bilbo pouted.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with onion soup," Bilbo rolled his eyes at the old argument.
"Soup is supposed to have meat in it," Ori muttered, he had looked the most betrayed about Bilbo's soup, six months ago.
"Oh, Mahal! This is amazing! It tastes like chocolate!" Thorin gasped making Bilbo grin, he knew it would be a hit with Thorin, that Dwarf had a never-ending sweet tooth he tried so hard to hide.
"Its hot chocolate, a traditional drink to have this time of year, here Balin you will probably prefer this," Bilbo held out another mug. The diplomat took a sip and hummed happily smacking his lips together slightly.
"What is this?" Dori asked having also taken a sip.
"Its mulled wine," Bilbo waited until they had all swapped drinks and tried one of each before grinning wickedly. "Its made with warm red wine and fruit," He fell sideways slightly laughing at the thirteen sets of betrayed eyes that flashed onto him.
Bilbo smiled contently as he watched his Dwarrows working together, their lights and different strings were strung around the tree and now they were busily hanging the decorations up.
"The tree is too big," Thorin scowled at the bare branches.
"Well, this year I can twist together some fruits to go on it, and then as the years go by we can fill it up," Bilbo shrugged.
"You will have to spend many Yules here to be able to fill the tree," Thorin said quietly.
"Well it's a good job I will be here for many more Yules isn't it," Bilbo smiled nudging their shoulders together.
"That is good to hear," Dwalin said softly making Bilbo start, he honestly had no idea how the Dwarf managed to creep around so quietly.
"We want you to be happy here," Thorin smiled.
"The mountain wouldn't be the same without you," Dwalin nodded causing Bilbo to flush darkly between them.
"Erebor is my home, I have been happier here in the last year than I was for years in Bag End. Honestly, it was so lonely and empty, and I didn't realise it until it came that moment when I was getting ready to leave," Bilbo sighed.
It had been a very dramatic moment Bilbo remembered to his complete mortification.
He had been ready to leave, Thorin, Fili and Kili were healed, it was spring and the weather allowing travel through the passes once again. He had a guard ready to take him down to the banks of the lake where Elves would meet him to travel through Mirkwood, Beorn would meet him at the borders of the forest and escort him to his house where Gandalf would meet him to take him back to the Shire. And he had been packed, and kitted out once more for travel, his Dwarves had stood at the gate in one long, sad line miserably waiting for him to say goodbye. And he had stood to face them underneath the very place that Thorin had threatened to throw him from the wall.
He remembered thinking of how far they had come from that moment, how far the mountain had come and the hard work of the company that was helping get the mountain back to it's feet. He thought of his part in the last few months, he had been needed and helpful with the negotiations with Bard and Thranduil, he had a place here. And then he had realised he wanted to see how much further Erebor would move forwards in the coming months, he knew next month the great forges were to be lit properly again, the crafting was to start again to help with the repairs of the mountain, more Dwarves were coming in by the day now, he wanted to see what the added number would do to the mountain. He wanted to see the great market halls that he had walked through a few hundred times come alive with people and wares.
"I don't want to go!" He had found himself blurting out before covering his mouth wide-eyed. But his Dwarves had heard and they had all perked up and started rambling over each other until Thorin's voice broke over them all.
"So stay,"
"I can't I...I am not a Dwarf and..." He had started to say before Dwalin had cut him off, storming forwards and snatching his pack from him.
"You don't want to go, we really don't want you to go, you have more right than any other to call Erebor home, so stay," He grumbled storming back into the mountain causing Bilbo to squeak and hurry after him, and his things.
"But!"
"No, you want to stay, you aren't going anywhere. Prepare Bilbo's rooms!" Thorin had called as he snatched Bilbo's arm and started marching him into the mountain as though he would make a run for it.
It had not been that simple, of course, he had talked through staying, what he could be taught of Dwarvish culture, he had demanded to have proper jobs to earn his keep in the mountain. But in the end it had been simple enough, he didn't want to go, his Dwarves didn't want him to leave.
"Bilbo?" Thorin placed his hand on Bilbo's shoulder bringing him back to the present.
"Erebor is my home," He said, and there must have been something in his face because Dwalin and Thorin both smiled and squeezed his shoulders.
The next few days had been mad as they rushed around doing their normal duties and other little bits for their Yule celebration, Ori had tracked him down and got everything out of him that he could on how Hobbits celebrated Yule, Balin and he had come to Bilbo a few days after that with information they had looked up on how Men celebrated Yule and asked what similarities and difference Hobbits had with it.
All of his Dwarves were excited to be getting to celebrate something so important to Bilbo, and he had noticed that little thing were starting to happen to ensure that they could truly celebrate it properly.
When he went to help Bombur in the kitchens he noticed a sudden abundance of Yule foods, and he and his friend had quickly set to creating the perfect mix of Hobbit and Dwarf dishes for a Yule feast. And Bilbo had started preparing dozens of biscuits and cakes that he remembered from his Yules at home and Dwarvish recipes that he had fallen in love with.
"What are these?" Dwalin asked walking into Bilbo's living room with Thorin. Bilbo sighed at them and got blank looks back as they settled opposite him.
"They are for Yule," Bilbo sighed going back to his embroidering with quick and clever fingers.
"We gathered that," Dwalin snorted.
"Why are you making giant socks, I thought you didn't wear footwear, if you have changed your mind..."
"Thorin I am not wearing boots," Bilbo smiled at the King's hopeful look while both Dwarves cast concerned looks at his feet.
"But your feet are so vulnerable, and you are walking around in the snow," Thorin grumbled.
"Thorin, Hobbit feet are made to be able to go barefoot, it doesn't hurt me. As to your question, I am not entirely sure why this is a tradition but it is. You have a stocking for each member of your family, and you hang it over the fireplace, and on Yule eve when we place our presents under the tree, you also place small 'stocking fillers' in the others stockings. I am just sewing our names onto the stockings, and adding a little bit of detail for each of us," Bilbo explained holding up Bofur's.
Thorin and Dwalin chuckled as they took in the neat name in a pretty gold thread that Bilbo had thought the Dwarves would enjoy, and to the side of it an embroidery of Bofur's hat. It was perfectly done and no mistaking what it was. The top of the stocking was decorated with a holly border but Bilbo had added a pickaxe in one corner, Bofur's battle hammer in the other, a fang for his earring in the third and finally a heavy Dwarvish boot.
"This is perfect have you done many others?" Dwalin asked. Bilbo smiled and held out two stockings he plucked from his pile knowing what they wanted. They quickly took and looked over their stocking.
Thorin felt awed as he looked down at his stocking, his name had been stitched in gold, but his embroidered picture was a small acorn in front of Durin's star and it was stitched in the most amazing shade of Durin blue that he knew Bilbo must have hunted for hours to find the perfect shade. The corners of his stocking had Durin's star in one corner, Orcrist in another, his crown in the third and what he was fairly sure was an oak tree, fully grown and flourishing in the fourth.
Dwalin was just as awed at his stocking as Thorin was. His name was in gold, but his border and embroidered image were done in a perfect emerald green as a representation of his place as Captain of the King's guard. His image was of some sort of tree, his border corners were of Grasper and Keeper crossed in one corner, his knuckledusters amusingly in another, the third was the crest of the guard and the fourth was Durin's star.
"Bilbo, what is this tree?" Dwalin asked curiously. Bilbo flushed slightly.
"Ah, I know I have gone for something more personal to yourselves with the others, but well when I was thinking what to embroider for you, that popped into my head and I could not resist..."
"Bilbo its ok, I am just curious as to what it is," Dwalin interrupted before the Hobbit could work himself up properly.
"It's a juniper tree, it represents having gone on a long journey with a lot of twists and turns, and staying true to yourself, never losing your integrity," Bilbo said before flushing darkly and quickly picking up Borfur's stocking to carry on embroidering.
"And the oak tree?" Thorin asked.
"You recognised it?!" Biblo asked excitedly. "Yes, I wanted to put it in there, I guess they have come to represent a lot for us. I wanted to show how far Erebor has come already, and how far I know it will go. It has already grown from an acorn into a beautiful tree,"
"Bilbo these are..." Thorin drew off making the Hobbit look between them concerned.
"If you don't like them I can unstitch them and do something else, I'm sorry I.."
"No!" Dwalin said sharply.
"We love them, thank you, Bilbo," Thorin assured him more softly.
"Oh good, good...maybe...could you help me think of what to put on the others stockings?" Bilbo asked shyly.
Bilbo was sure that Dwalin and Thorin had to be paying the others heavily to hide their presence from Balin, the older Dwarf had yet to find them and drag them away to their duties, and they had been standing 'helping' him in the kitchen for hours now. Well drag Thorin away to his duties, and where Thorin went Dwalin had to.
Their help was mainly sorting the ingredients out for him and keeping him company after their first, and only, burnt disaster had had to be raced out of the kitchen before the smell got too bad. Not that he was complaining, he barely saw Thorin and Dwalin enough because of their duties, and the time that they had managed to get together since starting their Yule preparations had been simply wonderful. The complicated dance around each other that they had been doing for the last year seemed to be getting clearer, at least he hoped it was.
While Dwalin had scared him at first, he had quickly come to realise that the warrior was actually one of the biggest hearted men he would have the honour to meet, and for a warrior the gentlest of souls.
Plus having taste testers sitting right beside him was always a help, even if they both just said that everything was amazing and devoured whatever he laid in front of them.
At the minute they were talking about the group's plans for Yule, and Bilbo was telling them about Yules that he had had with his parents, and some of the times that they had gone down to Took hall to celebrate with his Grandfather and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Dwalin and Thorin were chuckling as he told them about the time his mild-mannered father had gotten far too deep into his cups and ended up standing on the table with Bilbo's uncle Samuel and singing rude versions of Yule carols while Belladonna practically wet herself with laughter and tried to cheer him on.
"I would very much like to have met your parents, they sound like wonderful people," Dwalin smiled once Bilbo had finished.
"They would have loved you all, well my father would have been mortified that I had run off with Dwarves, but he would love you because I do and he would have got used to my being so...unhobbitish. My mother though would have been overjoyed," Bilbo laughed.
"Your mother was an adventurer too?" Thorin asked softly catching Bilbo as he went to move past them.
"Yes, she wanted to go on an adventure, see the world and what was in it, she travelled to Rivendell once, but she wanted to go further, to see more beings Dwarves, oliphants, she wanted to see different places, Gondor and Mirkwood - I know I know," Bilbo laughed at their expressions.
"Why did she not travel?" Dwalin asked gently taking Bilbo's other hand and squeezing it gently in support.
"She met my father and fell in love, and they had me only a year into their marriage. I think she encouraged my adventuring because she wanted to at least hear about them from me. The thought of me living in another land with Dwarves! She would have near fainted with excitement," Bilbo chuckled.
"We would have loved to have had her here," Thorin smiled.
"You would not have been able to get rid of her then!" Bilbo laughed squeezing their hands.
"That would have been no great tragedy, two more Hobbits to make our mountain a home," Thorin assured him.
"Incoming!" Bofur popped his head into the kitchen, and the next thing Bilbo was watching Dwalin and Thorin squeeze into his pantry of all things.
"Bilbo are they here?!" Balin asked frustrated as he stomped into the kitchen.
"Who Balin?" Bilbo asked innocently.
"Dwalin and Thorin have disappeared, honestly I have torn this whole mountain apart it feels and I can not find them anywhere!" Balin huffed.
"I am afraid that they are not here. Have you tried the library, they would think to hide there from you," Bilbo suggested.
"No, I haven't good idea Bilbo!" Balin brightened.
"Here, take these with you, you must be getting hungry," Bilbo held out a plate of cheese scones feeling a little guilty in his assistance of prolonging the Dwarf's search.
"Thank you, Bilbo, I will see you later," Balin nodded before hurrying off.
"You two are terrible Dwarves!" Bilbo scolded throwing open the pantry door. "What are you doing now?!" He protested when two hands reached out to grab him and pull him into the pantry with them.
"He might come back, better to be safe than sorry," Dwalin grunted as Thorin slammed the door shut again.
"And the fact that I have just suddenly disappeared from the kitchen won't be suspicious?" Bilbo raised his eyebrows trying to ignore the fact that he was pressed between their two very firm bodies.
"He might try and kidnap you to help in the search," Thorin said quickly tugging Bilbo close again before he could leave.
"And what are we supposed to do in here for who knows how long?" Bilbo huffed.
"I could think of a few things," Dwalin's touch was tentative as he touched the side of Bilbo's neck, while Thorin wrapped his arm around Bilbo's waist.
"I may be convinced," Bilbo gasped.
"May be? We will have to work harder than that," Thorin growled.
Balin was still glaring balefully at them from across the room seven days later, though there was a touch of a smile as he watched the three of them cuddled together on the love seat that Thorin had had brought up to Bilbo's room after the first night when they had all stood looking at each other trying to figure out where to sit.
The others were all settled around the room talking excitedly about the next day and giving each other hints about what they had gotten each other for Yule.
"Are you all ready?" Thorin asked combing his fingers through Bilbo's curls which he had developed a fascination with over the last few days.
"Yes, everything is ready for tomorrow, I have cooked the meats and they just need to be carved tomorrow, all the potatoes and everything else is ready to just throw together tomorrow. I have to admit I am glad that you had the kitchen made up in the room next to mines, I don't really want to have to trek all the way down to the kitchens to cook and bring it all back here," Bilbo smiled snuggling further into Dwalin's shoulder.
"I can't wait for you to see one of the presents I have made you," Thorin smiled.
"And mines, I think you will like it," Dwalin nuzzled him slightly, Bilbo giggling a little as Dwalin's beard tickled his skin.
"I will love anything you give me," Bilbo assured them both.
"You will love everything that I give you Bilbo," Kili said excitedly.
"I'm sure I will," Bilbo smiled at the young Dwarf.
"I can't wait for tomorrow, this Yule is fun! We are doing this every year aren't we Uncle?" Fili asked.
"Actually you have timed that well Fili, there was an early present I wanted to give Bilbo," Thorin said gaining the attention of all of the Dwarves in the room.
"What is it?" Kili asked excitedly.
"Next year we are going to be making Yule an official holiday of the Mountain, and we will all celebrate it. We considered it this year, but there wasn't enough time to actually explain the right ways to celebrate it to everyone," Thorin explained.
"I...are...is everyone going to want to celebrate a Hobbit tradition? I don't want people to think that we are enforcing alien things on them, especially after your mountain-wide announcement with posters in every corridor that you and Dwalin are courting me," Bilbo gave Thorin a slightly dirty look and got a blue-eyed innocent look back that made him snort.
"We have been telling people that we are celebrating it and all of the dwarrows we have spoken to have been very interested in it. Being able to celebrate a day that is focussed on family is something that we all like the sound of, plus the presents and the food. And everyone loves you, they are happy to embrace a little part of your culture," Ori said shyly.
"We all like a good celebration!" Bofur cheered holding up his tankard.
"Thank you," Bilbo flushed slightly holding onto his Dwarves hands.
"You have made this place home for us more and more, we have been rebuilding, but it would have impossible without you here with us," Thorin said softly so none of the others would hear, though they all smiled when they watched Bilbo's ears go bright red.
"I don't want to be anywhere else, you have made a home for me here. Before at Bag End, I thought I was happy, but in reality, I was just holding onto old memories, not moving forwards. Here with you all, I am living again, and loving again, and I am happier than I have been in many years," Bilbo smiled cuddling close to them both.
"It's midnight!" Kili shouted excitedly.
"Happy Yule My Hobbit," Thorin smiled leaning in and pressing a sweet kiss to Bilbo's lips.
"Happy Yule sweet Bilbo," Dwalin turned him around and pressed a second kiss to his lips.
"Happy Yule, my silly Dwarves, for this year and for many more," Bilbo smiled happily before pulling them both in for a deeper kiss to the wolf whistles of the other Dwarves.
He laughed when he was tugged from between the two dwarves so that Kili and Fili could hug him and wish him happy Yule, and then he was making his way around all of his other Dwarrows, getting hugs and kisses from them. When he finally stood back and listened to Kili, Bofur, Fili and Nori attempting an off-tune Yule song that he had been trying to teach them.
This was his family, and this was the place that he belonged, a sense of belonging that he had not had for a long time. And he had his two loving Dwarves that he was not letting go come hell nor dragon. This was his future, and he could not wait to see where he was next Yule.