DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, NOR AM I MAKING ANYTHING OUT OF THIS EXCEPT MY OWN AMUSEMENT
The next morning, everyone woke to the astonishing sight of Kili cooking. Bofur sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Have I died, or is Kili actually doing something useful?"
Kili stuck his tongue out at him then went back to stirring the pot of stew hanging over the fire.
Thorin entered the clearing with Gandalf. The two of them had been discussing orcs. Thorin looked grim and serious. A heavy frown hung low over his forehead and his keen eyes were hooded. He gave a general grunt of greeting before slumping moodily on a log to clean his sword.
Bilbo gazed at Thorin sympathetically. The dwarf was enmeshed in a net of anger, pride and suffering and Bilbo didn't know where to start untangling it. Thorin's moods were so changeable that he never knew where he stood with him. Sometimes he seemed to despise Bilbo, others to enjoy his company. Bilbo respected Thorin immensely – he was brave, strong and noble. He couldn't help but feel a little unworthy to be part of the kingly dwarf's quest, and this feeling of inferiority made him more reserved around Thorin. He held back from entering conversation with him and made way for him at all times. There might even have been a hint of fear in Bilbo's behaviour around Thorin that could be interpreted by others as dislike. Thorin himself had no idea of the little hobbit's devotion to him.
But Kili and Fili did. Though the youngest and most inexperienced of the dwarfs, they were by far the most sensitive to emotions. Perhaps this was because they had been raised solely by their mother Dis, who spent many hours working to increase the happiness of those around her. Primarily through match-making. As a result of her expert training, her sons had sensed Bilbo's admiration of Thorin within the first few days of their journey. After all, it was impossible not to notice those wide-eyed stares when Thorin wasn't looking, or the averted gaze when Thorin was addressing the company. The faint tremor in his voice when Thorin addressed him directly. It made Fili and Kili laugh to see the prim, self-righteous hobbit fawn over their strong, dark, stern, mysterious uncle.
By now, Kili was dishing out the stew into bowls. If sharp-eyed Bilbo had been watching, he would have seen that Kili's hand lingering over Thorin's bowl longer than the rest. Instead, it was Fili who noticed and he sent Kili a quizzical look. He received a demonic smirk in response. None of the others noticed this exchange. Once the food had been dished out they all dug in enthusiastically. Thorin glumly spooned his into his mouth whilst frowning out over the mountains in the distance behind Bilbo's head.
Kili bounded over to Fili and whispered hurriedly into his ear. Fili's eyebrows rose into his hair and his mouth dropped open. He stared at Kili. Kili stared back. Then they both began to roar with laughter, rolling about on the floor and hugging their sides. This was a regular habit of the young dwarves so none of the others even bothered to ask (past experience had taught them not to), and all they received was a rolled eye or two.
Bilbo, on the other hand, felt strangely suspicious. As they all mounted their ponies to move on, Kili and Fili kept darting glances at both him and Thorin between their chuckles. Bilbo glanced at Thorin to see if he had noticed and felt a sudden thrill of surprise. Thorin was staring at him in an odd manner, his lips slightly parted and his eyes wide. When Bilbo met his gaze he quickly looked away and kicking his horse into motion. Bilbo noticed that weak sunlight was shining in Thorin's long raven hair, making the silver adornments in his braids burn bright. For some reason, he felt the oddest urge to reach out and run his fingers through it. Once Bilbo caught himself with this thought his face turned bright red. He coughed and shook his head, muttering ridiculous repeatedly under his breath. Then his attention turned to Thorin's broad, muscular back swaying to the rhythm of his pony. He started with shock and nearly fell off when Thorin threw a glance over his shoulder at him. Those ice grey eyes that were usually so strong and hard seemed to have melted, making him appear dazed. Bilbo began to feel puzzled. Thorin always looked straight ahead as though he was made of iron and he never made eye contact with Bilbo unless to ask him an important question.
The morning wore on. Kili and Fili, at the back of the group, watched with fiendish delight as Thorin's gaze continually strayed to Bilbo, who blushed the colour of a ripe tomato every time they made eye-contact.
"How much did you put in?" Fili asked Kili in a low voice.
"The whole bottle." Kili smirked with satisfaction. They both laughed again.
Dwalin, riding in front of the pair, was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He checked to ensure they hadn't stuck anything on his back. "What are you two up to now?" he demanded.
"Nothing!" Kili and Fili protested together. Fili gifted him with a sweet, gentle smile full of sunshine and rainbows, whilst Kili's eyes widened into innocent chocolate-brown pools of innocence.
Dwalin turned his head to face the front again. "How utterly reassuring…" he muttered dryly. Once his back was turned the cackling resumed.
Eventually evening came and the group once again settled to make camp. Bilbo had just dismounted his pony and was heading over to make a fire when he tripped over something and fell flat on his face amongst the leaves.
"Oh gosh, sorry Bilbo!" Fili gushed, withdrawing his leg from where it had suddenly stuck out across Bilbo's path.
"Master Baggins! Are you alright?" a voice asked from somewhere above him.
Bilbo spat a few leaves out of his mouth and raised his head to find Thorin staring down at him with his strong brow furrowed in concern. "I'm…fine, I'm okay." He managed to squeak.
"Do you need me to…that is…shall I assist you?" He made a vague gesture of helping Bilbo to stand.
Bilbo had never heard Thorin ask permission to do anything before, much concern himself over Bilbo's misfortunes. It was very odd and unsettling. "I'm fine, thank you." He said firmly. He picking himself up and dusting off his waistcoat indignantly. Thorin watched as if wanting to help in some way. Bilbo was beginning to feel a little annoyed. He may be smaller and frailer than Thorin, but he could handle a fall. And since when did Thorin care about him?
"Right. Well." Thorin said gruffly as Bilbo met his gaze almost challengingly. Then he strode off sulkily into the surrounding trees. "I'm going to bathe." He stated over his shoulder.
The other dwarfs were standing about Bilbo, slightly bewildered by the awkward atmosphere. After a pause, Bofur said "Who's hungry?" and things continued as normal. A few of the other dwarfs decided they would also take advantage of the nearby lake for a bathe, including Fili.
As Fili was stripping off his shirt at the water's edge, he saw Thorin floating aimlessly on his back further out in the lake. He plunged in toward him.
"Hello Uncle!" he stated cheerfully.
Thorin looked at him moodily from under charcoal brows. "I told you to always call me Thorin."
"Oops! Just a slip of the tongue." He flashed another of his special winning smiles. "Everything okay? Anything you want to talk about? I'm always here, just so you know." He winked cheerfully.
Thorin stared at him as though he were insane. "Since when have we had that kind of relationship?"
"What, a caring one?" Fili half-joked as his smile became rather fixed. This wasn't what he'd planned to talk about but it just slipping out.
"Fili…" warned Thorin. "I'm not in the mood for this discussion."
"What discussion?" Fili asked innocently. "Oh wait, you mean the one where I ask why you act as though we're not even family? Why you never seem to care for me and Kili like you promised mother you would? That discussion?"
Thorin sighed wearily. "You're my heir, Fili, not my son. I have never been a father. Don't expect some kind of paternal bond with me."
"You've never had any kind of bond with anyone. You are so self-obsessed and wrapped up in your own temper you don't see anyone else around you."
Usually, Thorin blamed his sister for her son's soft nature and tried to rectify it. But today Fili's harsh words caused a strange burning sensation behind his eyes and a dull ache in his chest. "Fili, you know I love you and Kili."
"Maybe you should tell him that sometime." Fili shot back bitterly. "He's young- "
"-so are you."
"-and this quest is real, not some game to play in the woods around home. He may pretend not to be, but deep down he's frightened. Brave, foolhardy, strong but frightened. And I think he could have a little more support from you. He loves you, yet you always turn away from him. One day, he might turn away from you."
"…your right Fili." Thorin said softly, looking him in the eye. "I'll try harder, I promise."
After an initial moment of surprise Fili said "You do that." rather insolently, considering Thorin was his king and leader. He muttered under his breath "though it's too late anyway."
Thorin heard. "What was that?"
"Oh nothing!" Fili sighed breezily, but as he began to swim back to the shore an unpleasant feeling welled up in the pit of his stomach. His uncle was certainly more sentimental than usual today. He had expected Thorin to give him a firm whack to the head for his impertinence. He needed to ask Kili more about the nature of the love potion he had given him.
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