Chapter 3: Call Me Thorin

Thorin had received Bilbo's proposal by around 6.30pm that day. He had declined his nephews' invitation to join them at the pub to hold a celebration for Bilbo's welcome party. In fact he was the only one that was still in the office right now. Even Gandalf had left early that evening to go down to the pub. What did he care any way? They were all a bunch of writers, writers that didn't think before they published their work. He shook his head; thinking about his past wasn't going to help.

He picked up the stack of papers that Bilbo had handed him now, his eyes scanning Bilbo's work. It was typed out and on the edges of the paper were neat little scribbles. Bilbo's handwriting, Thorin had to say was very neat for a journalist; on the post it he held now, there was a note from Bilbo.

Dear Mr. Oakenshield,

I do hope that this little summary of events is to your liking. I took the opportunity to write something small out for each of the events, just incase you might like to test my standard of writing.

Bilbo

Thorin also had to say that Bilbo was very unlike the other writers here, he'd only asked for an outline and there Bilbo was trying to show him more than was necessary. Defiant, but also…good. He put on his glasses now before he continued reading through Bilbo's work.

His depictions of the situations were wonderful. Bilbo's writing seemed to call to him, it enticed the readers to feel the emotions of the writer and Thorin could just feel the passion in Bilbo's writing, the determination to be accepted, recognized by him as a good writer. He was a highly skilled writer. No wonder Gandalf had hired him. Not that Thorin actually cared anyway.

By the time Thorin was done with reading through Bilbo's outline of the events, it was close to eight. He decided to head down to the pub for some reason, just to check out what they were doing. He kept his glasses, taking his jacket off the coat rack as he pulled it on, he took his car keys and headed out from his office, closing the door behind him.

The music was softly playing as Thorin entered the pub, he could hear boisterous laughter coming from the back where the VIP rooms were. He knew by that alone that the gang was still here. Thorin checked in with the waitress who showed him into the VIP section and then left. He found the whole department laughing, eating and drinking together. Bilbo was apparently very well liked amongst them, seeing as he was seated right in the center and all the rest were crowding in to ask him a question or just to talk to him. He didn't like it. Instead he walked over to where Gandalf was and took a seat next to the old man.

"Oh you decided to show up after all Thorin," Gandalf said, pouring a glass of beer for him and pushing it across the table to him.

Thorin merely grunted his response, eyes flicking across the table to where his nephews were at with Bilbo, fawning over the newbie as they offered the man another glass of beer. They were possibly already too far-gone being drunk to even notice that their behavior was inappropriate.

"They like him," Gandalf said noticing Thorin's looks.

"They're drunk," Thorin replied as he took a gulp of the beer, calling the waitress over as he ordered something light to eat.

Gandalf raises a brow at him now, "Are you telling me Thorin that you don't approve of who I've hired."

"It isn't as if I can say anything. Besides even if I do, I know you most likely won't change on my accord."

"If you could only forget your past Thorin," Gandalf says, shaking his head.

His past…the waiter sets the food down in front of him and Thorin picks up his utensils cutting a piece of meat as he puts it in his mouth, chewing slowly. His eyes moved over to watch Bilbo the writer. It reminded him of a significant other. Tall, slender, with the fairest of skins and the bluest of eyes. Betrayer. He thought as he stabbed at his food again. Writers were a stupid bunch of assholes.

By the time their little celebration had ended, it was late. Most were taxi pooling. Thorin with the help of Gandalf had lugged his drunken nephews into his car and he was about to get in on his side when Gandalf stopped him.

"You should give Bilbo a ride home," he suggested, indicating the figure of Bilbo who was headed down the road alone, "He's taking the bus home, I don't think there's any out at this hour so, why don't you just save him the trouble of finding that out too late."

Thorin couldn't help but to roll his eyes at the elder, "What about you? Can't you take him home in your car?" Thorin asks, "You don't have two noisy drunks in the backseat," he reminded.

At that Gandalf laughed, "Oh I'm not headed on home just yet. I've still got a few more things to do."

Thorin could just guess, an old man like him… "Fine," he said grudgingly as he stepped past Gandalf, opening his door as he got in to his car, Kili and Fili in the back seat mumbling nonsense.


Bilbo was just minding his own business, fiddling with the strap of his satchel as he walked down the asphalt. The shops in this area were either already closed or closing. The bus stop was still a little ways more up ahead and the roads were already quiet in this quaint little area of town. Kili had mentioned that it wasn't a very busy part of town. Just then, he could hear the soft purring of a car's engine coming from behind him, before the car stopped right by him.

The car, Bilbo realized was a shiny black BMW. The tinted windows spelt trouble and Bilbo continued walking, speeding up just a little. The car followed him and before long the window was rolled down.

"Bilbo Baggins," the gruff voice that came from the car called. At that he stopped, it sounded familiar. He bent to look into the open window of the car and he saw Thorin Oakenshield there at the wheel.

"Mr. Oakenshield," Bilbo greeted.

"Get inside," Thorin said, it was an order.

"I'm sorry, what?" Bilbo asked, he hadn't heard correctly, grumpy Mr. Oakenshield had just offered him a lift.

Just then the back window opened and Kili popped his head out, "Uncle wants to give you a lift back to your motel so that he can get in bed with you," he says, his speech a little slurred due to his drunken state. He is pulled back into the car by what Bilbo guesses must be an angry Mr. Oakenshield and he can hear Kili and Fili's laughter in back as the tinted window rolls up again.

"Ignore them will you," Thorin says, a little awkwardly as he leans over to open the door for Bilbo now, "The last bus around here already left. Gandalf told me. He asked me to give you a lift back," Thorin explained, "so which motel is it?"

Cautiously Bilbo slipped into the leather seat and gently closed the door, "Thank you, Mr. Oakenshield, and I'm sorry for imposing on you," he says reaching for the seatbelt as he tugs on it, "Golden Sands, it's just out of town, it's…kind of far," he murmurs. It seems to be stuck for some reason and the harder he tries to pull at it, it just doesn't seem to budge.

He is startled when Thorin leans over him, feeling his boss' fingers push his away, taking control as he tugs at the seatbelt. Bilbo gulps, he is so close and the strong scent of Thorin's cologne along with his unique scent fills Bilbo's nostrils and he cannot help but to blush at their close contact. Finally, Thorin pulls back, the click of the seatbelt sounding as his boss clears his throat.

"You were going to spoil that seatbelt," Thorin growled still rather uncomfortable at having been so close to the other as he put on his own seatbelt, pushing the gear into drive as he stepped on the accelerator and took off now.

"Uncle Thorin just wanted to get a whiff of you," Fili piped up in the back as he burst into laughter with Kili now.

"Shut up boys!" Thorin muttered, setting his jaw as he drove, a hand on the wheel, another letting his fingers drum on his thigh. "I'm sorry you have to sit through this," Thorin finds himself saying to Bilbo as he takes the next exit, moving into the highway now. He had indeed gotten a whiff of Bilbo, it smelt faintly of body wash and something uniquely Bilbo and Thorin couldn't say that he hadn't liked it or wasn't attracted to it.

Nervously, Bilbo laughs, "It's alright. I'm the one who should apologise Mr. Oakenshield."

"You know you can stop with that right?" Thorin asks, glancing over to Bilbo, he can tell from the way Bilbo is twiddling his thumbs that the other is nervous over what had just happened. The seatbelt issue, as he would call it from now on.

"Stop with what?" Bilbo asks, looking to him and catching him staring before he looks away quickly, cheeks coloring a soft pink again as they pass under the light of a streetlamp.

"I said you can drop the Mr. Oakenshield, it just gets irritating," Thorin grumbled, then continued, "Just call me by my first name like you do with the rest."

"Okay, Thorin."


AN: Extremely sorry for the time that i took to post this up! I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter though! Also just incase i don't make it in time for the next update, i just wanted you guys to know that it's because i'm currently in a writing competition and i've got deadlines to meet so i might be a little slower in posting! I apologise in advance! Anyway, do leave me a comment to let me know what you liked about this story and i'll see you in the next chapter! :)