"Don't you find it – well, odd?"
Gandalf gave him a look that conveyed that he did not find it odd in the least. Bilbo sighed, running a hand through his honey curls. He stepped further into the house, eyes flitting everywhere, not settling on a single spot.
It was strange to return to his childhood home. He suddenly felt five years old all over again, his paintings taped to the wall, his father in the garden and his mother calling him in for lunch. Now, the house was empty, vacated by its last owner some months earlier.
Bilbo found it all rather suspicious if he was being honest with himself. Gandalf swept his way back into his life, nattering on about his retirement, and suddenly Bilbo found himself with Gandalf's old position, playing Kindergarten teacher to the same school he had given four years of his early educational life to. And now here he was in the house that had been his home for those same years. What did Gandalf do? Threaten the previous owners?
"I don't know, Gandalf," Bilbo finally said, flapping his arms against his side anxiously. "It's rather big for just me."
"Nonsense!" Gandalf exclaimed, putting his arm around the younger man. "You said you wanted someplace just like your old house. And I have delivered."
Bilbo huffed, maneuvering his way out of Gandalf's grasp. "I didn't literally mean my childhood home. I meant someplace… familiar, I suppose."
Gandalf was silent, a pensive look on his face. "This is familiar."
"Homey, small, something comfortable," Bilbo continued. "I can't buy this house, Gandalf. I cannot and I will not. End of discussion." Bilbo nodded his head in affirmation.
Thorin was in that state between sleep and awake, where he knew in the back of his mind it was probably in his best interest to get out of bed, but he was so warm and comfortable, he couldn't help but lay there for a few minutes more. And if it hadn't been for his loud and boisterous nephews, he would have.
But in they dashed, slamming his bedroom door open and jumping atop him, all squeals and giggles. "Wake up!" Kili cried, putting his grubby hands on Thorin's cheeks and trying to open his eyelid. Thorin merely grunted, even as Fili rolled on his back.
"Uncle," Fili pouted, taking a spot beside Kili and moving Thorin's hair out of his face. Both boys leaned forwards, heads pressed against one another, glaring at their sleeping uncle.
Suddenly Thorin opened his eyes and both boys shrieked as Thorin let out a yell, picking up his nephews and hugging them close to his chest. Fili and Kili kicked and squirmed, trying desperately to get out of his reach, but it was to no avail. They were trapped.
"Stop wasting time," Dis scolded, standing in the doorway. Thorin let his nephews go and the boys hopped out of bed, placing sloppy kisses on Thorin's face as they ran out of the room, shoving each other.
Thorin sat up, running a hand through his messy hair, blinking at his sister. "God, what time is it?" he asked, yawning loudly.
"It's the first day of school," Dis said instead, wrinkling her nose as Thorin sat up, baring his naked chest. "Get dressed."
"Stand still," Thorin muttered as he fidgeted with the camera Dis had thrust into his hands. She had bought one of those new ones recently and Thorin couldn't figure out what half those buttons did.
The camera lifted to his eye, he used his other hand to motion the boys together. Fili was half carrying Kili, his shirt pulled up to reveal his tummy. Thorin grinned as he told them, "Say pterodactyl."
Kili struggled heartily with the word while Fili laughed at him. Thorin took the picture and the boys jumped atop him once more, fighting one another to get a clear look. Thorin held the camera above his head and handed it off to Dis. "Get these beasts off of me," he gruffed.
Dis swatted him, kneeling to show her boys. "This is actually good," she said.
"Shut it," Thorin responded, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He ran a hand over his stubble, cringing at the feel of it. Maybe he shouldn't have skipped the shave that morning. "And Vallis still sleeping?"
"There was a car crash down on Main around midnight," Dis told him. "He didn't get in till two."
Thorin nodded, biting into a piece of stale bread. He spit it out with a grimace as Dis laughed. "Don't forget you're taking the boys to school."
"Why me?"
"Because unlike you, I have a real job."
Thorin laughed at that. "I have a very important job."
"Uncle!" Kili cried, standing in the doorway wearing Thorin's uniform jacket. "I'm a forest ranger just like you!" He spun around in a circle, the green sleeves flapping in the air as Fili stepped on one of the sleeves, causing Kili to fall. "Hey!" he yelled, picking himself up off the floor and tackling his brother.
A flash interrupted the scene and Dis showed Thorin the amusing photo of her boys wrestling in the hall. Thorin grabbed his keys before pulling the boys apart. "Alright monsters. Time for school!"
The boys scrambled off one another, running towards Thorin's beat up station wagon. "Shotgun!" Fili cried.
"You're in the back," Thorin told him, opening the back door.
Dis kissed each boy on the cheek as she buckled them in. Patting the driver's door, she leaned into the window and told Thorin, "Make sure to put out all forest fires today, big bro."
"I will bite you."
Dis cackled as they drove away.
Bilbo sat in his classroom, head in hands.
He bought the house.
He wasn't quite sure how Gandalf had done it, but done it he had. Bilbo found himself signing the papers and holding the keys to the house he had lived in over twenty years ago not two days before. Of course Gandalf had convinced him. The man was practically a wizard.
Looking at the clock, Bilbo rose and headed towards the playground, grabbing his sign with: K-1, Mr. Baggins, written in large letters.
Now was not the time to worry about his own personal issues. Though he knew the moment he told his mother, she'd laugh for hours. She'd probably be at his doorstep by the end of the day, demanding he let her help him move in. And then she'd drag his poor father along and Aule knew he'd lose himself in trying to rebuild the garden.
The sound of high pitched screams greeted Bilbo as he stepped into the courtyard where dozens of boys of all ages ran around, dirtying their school clothes. He glanced at his fellow teachers who already looked harried and tired. It was going to be a long school year.
Glancing at his watch once more, Bilbo felt he'd give his students a few more minutes before he started wrangling them in. Planting his sign into the dirt, Bilbo took a step back and watched the children.
They had revamped the playground since he had attended all those years ago. The woodchips had been replaced with a giant rubber mat, and the metal and wooden slide, swings, bridges, and monkey bars had been torn down to make way for a more child friendly plastic monstrosity. Bilbo wasn't usually nostalgic, but he was saddened by this.
He had some wonderful memories of his times on this playground.
Bilbo blushed at that thought, coughing awkwardly despite being alone.
It was then he spotted two boys with long hair put up into sloppy ponytails, one with blonde hair, the other a brunette, hop out of an old car. The blonde, the eldest no doubt, nodded at the driver and waved goodbye as the car pulled away. He then pulled on his brother's hand (it must be his brother), leading him towards the line of teachers.
The boys whispered amongst themselves before the younger one stepped forward and headed straight towards Bilbo. "Hi," the boy greeted, a smile plastered on his face. "I'm Kili!"
He extended his hand and Bilbo felt obligated to take it. "I'm Mr. Baggins, Kili," Bilbo told him. "I don't suppose you're in my class…" Bilbo grabbed his class list and scanned it, eyes falling on the name: Kili Lombard.
Bilbo smiled down at the boy. "Yes, you are. Welcome to K-1." Kili waved at his brother who merely huffed, walking towards his own teacher.
"Mr. Boggins?" Kili asked, hands playing with the straps of his backpack.
"Baggins," Bilbo corrected, tutting silently at the state of Kili's laces. The boy was bound to fall over himself. He was going to teach shoe tying right off, Bilbo thought to himself.
Kili nodded. "Mr. Baggins," he amended. "Are we gonna learn about dinosaurs?"
"Dinosaurs?" Bilbo asked. "Not today."
"I love dinosaurs," Kili mumbled.
"Maybe later in the year," Bilbo reassured him, just as one of the older teachers began blowing a whistle, calling the children to line. Kili soon got lost in the shuffle of the other thirteen boys in his class.
Later that night, once Bilbo was tucked in bed, drifting off to sleep in what was once his parent's room, he couldn't help but find Kili's face, and love for dinosaurs, rather familiar.
Author's Note: And we are back! I'm really excited for this story, may I just say. I've got a lot of ideas and I've semi/planned them out. I've had this chapter on my computer for at least a month. So I've been preparing. Enjoy!