Chapter 3
Burglar Baggins
It was frustrating for the Dwarf to be owned up by a lone hobbit; who was unintentionally invited to his company. The tall and dark dwarf was not pleased with Bilbo's petty insults and how he said 'intelligently' irritated him. The homosexual relationships work out regardless anyhow in this decade, even if it's not much known as plenty of single-minded creatures draw hatred for it, Thorin knows the majorly of people appreciate it as an act of freedom. There were lots of species that have done this and besides... it sounds better than 'female' spiders killing of the 'male' spiders. How obscure.
Thorin sighed as he cracked his knuckles walking side by side to one of his closest friends; Bofur. Thorin noticed Bilbo was still trailing along behind them with the twins that won his affection.
With a hissing fuss, Thorin took in a very deep breath. "Why is he still following us?" He said with an automatic pout where Bofur couldn't help but laugh.
"You're being silly, Thorin. Bilbo will follow us to end of our journey regardless, no matter how mean you are to him."
"Me? What have I done to be spat at?!" As the comment angered the new founding King.
Bofur couldn't help but shake his head in shame. "You surprised him is all, I mean really who sneak into somebody's bedding and sleep beside them no doubt?"
The Dwarf King was confused as he thought the times when he was helping his sister raise Fili and Kili. Every so often those young twins would sneak into his bed at night and just cuddled with him, which made Thorin sort of honored to have the younglings love him so much and considering he never had dated; it was only natural for Thorin to enjoy the surprises for having someone he cares would sneak into bed with them.
"I don't understand when Fili and Kili was young, the twins would usually come sneaking into bed with me and I would usually be pleased." Thorin looked over to Bofur as he said it.
His best friend dropped his jaw as he immediately remembered that Thorin hardly goes out on dates. "Well... that's..." Bofur sighed as he couldn't believe it himself that he had to explain to his King about his Nephews' complex bond. "Just not the right way to do it, Thorin."
"Oh? And you're a love expert?" Thorin sneered as he sensed an insult coming from his voice.
The younger dwarf just nodded his head. "Of course, I got a lovely wife at home! And I even hook Bombur a woman as well!" Bofur bragged as he did himself proud. Thorin was not impressed, he knows that Bofur's wife was drunken ditz, but at least she has her full attention on Bofur. As Thorin thought how well their farewells were when Bofur decided to join him on this journey. "Anyway," As Bofur walked up ahead. "This is how you do it, you woo him just like how I woo the dwarf women back in Erebor!"
Erebor... Thorin didn't wanted to be reminded but it was kind of the similar situation as much as he much wanted Erebor back, he wanted to have Bilbo to like him too. But to what; Bofur said, he started to think too logically.
"He's a halfing if you have forgotten." Thorin thought he had to point it out as Bofur told him not to worry when the younger dwarf pick up a random thing from the ground, coming back. He showed him what he picked up. "That's a rock."
"Not just any rock! This is what you do; find a special rock and try to win his heart with it. This is a rock which most dwarfs dig for but what you really wanted is that you rather dig him. Get it?" Bofur told him as he passed the ordinary rock to Thorin. "If the dwarf women likes that sort of thing, I'm sure Bilbo would be pleased!"
"Ahem, that is the stupidest pick up line you thought of, Bofur." Gloin said as he walked pass the two dwarves that stood for a moment as suddenly out of nowhere over their heads, Gloin was tossed with a bundle of betting coins.
"What do you know about women, Gloin!" Bofur shouted as he chased after him.
"Enough that my wife is raising our prized treasure!" Gloin said out loudly as Bofur frown and following closely behind while the King was out of the social circle.
"Oh really, what's that?"
"My boy, Gimli!" Gloin said as he showed his picture locket of the two photos of his wife and his son. As hairy as they can be, Bofur wasn't very interested in continuing to stare into that picture of his woman, nor his kid and downright he thought those pictures were repugnant.
"If they weren't so hairy." Bofur accidentally blurted out that caught Gloin's angry glance.
"Don't make me slap you, boy!" The red bearded said as he angrily pulled at Bofur's collar and Thorin had to invade their boundaries to calm him down and rescue his close friend from getting his face smacked in.
Gloin snorted as he released Bofur by command. "Now if you plan to win someone's heart, you get them something special that they would really like!" He advised before heading off to the front of the line of his travelling companions.
"Something special?" Thorin started to think in gear as Bofur had once again picked up a rock and placed it in his friend's broad palm.
"A rock and good flirt is all you need to get him." Bofur then advised as Thorin wasn't too sure about that, but... if both Gloin and Bofur could win the hearts of their wives; how hard can it be? Thorin smiled as he clutched the rock in his hand and when he had stopped walking for a while; Bilbo and the twins had caught up the pace and just by passing by Thorin and noticing his odd posture. Bilbo had to look back with a raised eyebrow.
"I wonder what he was trying to do?" Bilbo said as Kili had placed his arm around Bilbo's shoulders.
"Our uncle is a nut, don't worry about it." The cheeky one recalled as the three, merrily went on their way following the path with the rest of the company. Thorin caught the perfect time when Bilbo had looked over to him and afterwards the hobbit was back facing forward while Thorin slightly had to blush.
'Stupid halfing.' He insulted from the inside as he reopened his hand to the rock that Bofur gave him. "Something special... yeah?"
Bilbo suddenly sneezed from the distance and Fili showed his concern.
"Did you catch a cold?"
"I don't think so," The shortest creature replied.
"Maybe someone was thinking about you, probably in a cute green dress." Kili giggled as he couldn't help but carry this on with a joke as both Fili and Bilbo sighed.
"Now that's just mean." Bilbo tensed as Kili had decided to snuggle his face with his rugged chin of facial hairs. "Kili! Stop that!" Bilbo fought back weakly as Fili joined in to embrace them both.
"Sons of Durin, more like sons of annoying!" Bilbo yelped as he was collided between the two little taller people.
The late afternoon came forward like a lightning; when it was time to rest their feet; Bilbo was at his most; absolutely pleased. A little sore on his hobbit's feet, Bilbo thought it was the perfect time to wash between his toes as it had gathered up fungus and dirt. Disgust, he stands by a shallow river that was connected to a large pond. It was enough for all thirteen plus Gandalf to share this pond as they past their due time to bathe.
"Clean water too, perfect." Bilbo suggested as he damp his fingers into the pond and thought of it right away that he should bathe first and not tell a soul until later on of his new found sanctuary. Because the last couple of times, traveling with the dwarves to bathing together, it was clear to Bilbo, he was not the type to strip down his clothes in front of anyone nor swim nakedly with other people around, it just makes him anxious. No way, no how. For the first time in a while, Bilbo decided this would be the only chance, he can finally get some alone time in bathing.
As his mind was made up, Bilbo set down his baggage to a nearby tree and did a little stretch before taking off his dusty red jacket. Unloosen his buttons, he remembered in the caves that he lost his golden buttons from his green vest when he encounter Gollum. He shivered as he recalled such a hideous creature that was lurking behind him and with a nasty breath too than Bilbo felt something in his pocket. He may have lost his golden buttons, but the 'thing' he got now was worth more than he thought of it when he pick it up from Gollum. His precious..
"Bilbo."
Bilbo jumped as his name was called for, taking a quick recovering, he looked at Thorin who had come by beside him.
"What were you doing?" Thorin asked as he noticed him earlier fumbling his fingers in his vest pocket. Bilbo quickly smiled.
"Oh, nothing, I was just admiring the scenery." He pointed out as he tried to draw Thorin's attention elsewhere.
Luckily the dwarf did follow and just watching the pond drift along with the gentle wind, Thorin gasped. "Oh... yes, it's quite nice." He said solidly.
A moment of silence occurred afterwards, taking longer than he expected, Bilbo grew tired and pretended to act busy by gently patting his pockets and then decided to end this awkward feel as he took off his red jacket and just started to flap it around to get rid of the landed dust on his jacket. Thorin watched as he continued to feel nervous, but then remembered what Bofur had said.
'Win his heart.'
Breathing in with his nose, he released the tension and gave Bilbo a demeanor stare. Bilbo was scared as he stops moving his jacket and suddenly Thorin thrust his hand to the hobbit's chest. He flinched as the red jacket got in the way as Bilbo thought he was going to hit him.
"Here!" Thorin said loudly and proudly as he finally did was he was told to do. "A gift for you."
Confused, Bilbo stared at the dwarf's fist that opened into a flower that contained a rock. With such a random item, Bilbo couldn't help but think that Thorin was a little screw loose. "Um, that's a rock." The halfling pointed out as he didn't really wanted to insult the dwarf, but he was hopeful that Thorin would think a little more clearly about what he wants.
"Of course it's a rock, but it something that I like to dig." Thorin explained as Bilbo just gave him awkward nod.
"Yes... you dwarves like to dig." The shorter creature tried to comment politely without trying to find the reason from the Dwarf King. And the halfling didn't really want a fight like he did last time... Wait, maybe the dwarf was trying to apologize? So he offers a rock? That's quite the engagement for dwarves probable... Nah. Bilbo smiled, thinking from the inside, but he decided to humor him. "Well anyway. Thanks." As he took the rock from his hand and Thorin could tell he wasn't very pleased nor moved at all by his odd 'gift'.
'Maybe Gloin is right... Bofur is an idiot.' Thorin thought it through as he turned around which leave Bilbo standing alone with his jacket in his hands and the rock that he was presented with. 'Stupid; stupid me.' Thorin angered, but he spotted a small patch of flowers. Which calms him down a lot as he recalled his sister always had pick flowers from the garden in Erebor.
Circled with a sunny yellow that was attached with white soft petals, Thorin kneed down to pick one up.
"Now if you plan to win someone's heart, you get them something special that they would really like!"
Thorin recalled Gloin's sweet advice as the Dwarf King turned around back to Bilbo and offered the flower.
"Here, this is probably a better gift." He said as Bilbo was startled.
Bilbo Baggins always have loved flowers and he grew a lot of them around his hobbit hole. No matter how feminine it was, Bilbo was astonished by them and to Thorin, who even offer such a great gift that reminded his home and especially his Mother Took.
Blushing really red, Bilbo noticed his cheeks were burning up. 'Gah! No way!' The hobbit screamed quietly in his mind as he looked away. 'No! I will not get carried away!' He repeated as Thorin was getting annoyed as Bilbo had refused this one.
Sounding desperate, Thorin grabbed Bilbo's arm that frightens the hobbit dearly. "Do you like it or not?" His voice was stern and Bilbo pulled away.
With a hence of his screams and just looked worried. Thorin knew what he was doing and did not want the hobbit to hate him so thus, he let go and apologized.
"I'm sorry.. I just got carried away."
Bilbo sighed. "Look, I know what you're trying to do, but it just couldn't work, Thorin.." Bilbo begun to say and realized he said 'couldn't'. How odd.
"You said 'couldn't'." And Thorin too, noticed it. "Why did you say couldn't? So it can work?" As Thorin was pushing it a bit far.
Bilbo shouted. "Maybe; that's not the point!" He gasped as he drops his jacket to his feet. "But I..." He looked away Thorin thought it was perfect timing to place the flower onto his halfing's hair.
On the right side of his head, Bilbo blushed as Thorin's smile was too close. Gently the dwarf played with his hair. "I'll wait for you when you're ready to admit to me." The Dwarf King gleam for awhile and then he steps away. "Bilbo Baggins the Burglar, please accept this gift from me." Thorin bowed and took off as he knew how he is.
He had to step away or else he'll become too forceful. Unwilling to trouble the hobbit any further, Thorin promised himself, he should let Bilbo decide whether he likes him or not and just admit that he, the King cannot have everything.
