Written with and edited by: InsanitysxCreation

Bilbo smiles and listens as the boys go on about almost everything. Their childhood, what their home was like, their mother, and what was waiting for them once they reach the mountain.

"A mountain full of gold!" Kili exclaimed, "more jewels and riches you'll ever see."

"Hobbits don't care much for such things," Bilbo said bluntly, "we're simple beings. Very we even wear jewelry. The lasses were earrings from time to time, and you'll see a few pins, and of course wedding rings. But that is as far as we go in jewels."

Fili nods, making a mental note of that for his future courtship with the Hobbit. Though Kili looked shocked, "Really? How can you not love something so beautiful? Hobbit truly just care about food and plants?"

Though it sounded rude, Bilbo knew he didn't mean for it too. "We care about the simple things in life. Comfort, family, a good life. Gold just does not seem important to us."

Kili frowns, but Fili smiles "Hobbit are amazing creatures, we perhaps learn a thing or two from you."

Bilbo flapped his hand dismissively, still smiling. "Oh posh. We're simple folk, nothing so grand as that."

"Maybe the rest of the world needs to learn how to be simpler?" Fili offered, bumping Bilbo's shoulder with his arm.

Bilbo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I do believe you have a point there, Fili," he said, bumping his arm back.

Kili rolled his eyes. He could already tell he was going to have to put up with a lot of adorable flirting. Flirting he couldn't even complain about because it was all a secret. Such were the woes of being a caring and supportive brother.

He was happy for his brother, he really was. He's a brave warrior who deserves love. Even if he found it in a simple Hobbit. He was happy Bilbo had returned his feelings. He's a good younger brother, listening to Fili ramble on about how the confession went and didn't even mind how detailed he was about the kiss. He'll put up with their googoo eyes and sappy love. It was all the new-found lovers would have when they were not by themselves, Kili should count himself lucky it's just flirting and nothing else. He'll almost likely just have too be the watch guard for anything else. He blinks and then groans at the realizations, he'll have to play look out when his brother is shagging their hobbit in the woods! Fili and Bilbo look at Kili when he made the sudden noise, looking back at each other and shrugging it off.

"So how old were you when you left Erebor?" Bilbo asked. Fili and Kili blink at him and Bilbo frowns a bit. "From all your stories, I thought you had been born there."

"No," Fili shakes his head, "we were born in the Blue Mountains, Ered Luin. That's where the Erebor refugees settled."

"We get all our stories from them, or Uncle when he's around," Kili explains.

Bilbo's frown deepens. "He wasn't always around?"

"No. Many dwarves had to travel around and find work wherever they could. Uncle mostly worked in towns of Men."

Bilbo clucked his tongue, thinking back to his hometown. "It's too bad none ever tried work in the Shire. Our blacksmith died a good five years back. I'm sure my kin would have gotten over the oddity of a dwarf living among us as long as the craftsmanship was good and their manners acceptable."

Fili smiled and bumped their shoulders together. "When we reach Erebor, maybe I'll send a letter advising mother to send our friendliest smith to the Shire. It'll be months before they're ready to come back, so they could at least get some business in first."

Bilbo giggles, "that would be great. And surely worth the laugh. A large bearded dwarf beating iron in the middle of the Shire. Oh I can hear it now! But, once they see the fine craftsmanship, their lips will shut. No hobbit can pass down a fine metal pot or a sharp hoe."

"What about weapons?" Fili asked, "Do Hobbit ever have those?"

Bilbo nodd, "now and again. But mostly just small daggers. Not axes or swords. A bow is even rare. We get food from our livestock and crops. We have no need for hunting. And theft is rare as well. We mostly keep weapons to run off any wild dog after our animals."

Kili shakes his head, "Oh, I will have to get used to having such a weird brother-in-law. " he pats the Hobbit's shoulder, nearly knocking off over.

Bilbo laughed after he regained his balance. "If my cousins could see you, they'd run for the hills! Or think I'm even crazier than they already think I am." His smile wasn't entirely happy.

Fili noticed and felt his own smile dip. "Why do they think you're crazy?"

"Well, I don't really act like most hobbits do," Bilbo explained, kicking a pebble in front of him. "I enjoy my life as a bachelor instead of getting married almost as soon as I was of age, I like to read adventures and look at maps, and, well, I left the Shire on this quest!"

Fili frowns, watching him for a moment, before placing his hand on his shoulder. It was the most he could do, though he wished he could pull him into his arms. "..you are not crazy or anything of the sort...you..you're amazing...I mean you stood up to three trolls! So those old bags have nothing against you! You don't need to marry straight away. Why dwarves find that scandalous. Even our courting can take years. Though if approved by an older family member, it can be moved ahead." He squeezes his shoulder gently. "I wouldn't have you any other way.." Bilbo smiles at the sweet remark, bumping his shoulder against his, Kili rolling his eyes dramatically.

They traveled on, moving over rocky terrain and rolling green hills. Finally after after hours of moving on soar acing feet, Thorin called for camp. "Fili, Kili, go scout the area. Make sure we don't have an unwanted neighbors like last night." He looks over at Bilbo, "..don't want something getting us into trouble again."

Bilbo flushed a bit at the accusation but held his ground instead of looking away or retreating. In fact, he went over to where Bombur was setting up their food for dinner and offered his assistance. Fili listened jealously as their uneasy small talk soon turned into laughter over culinary tales and comparing recipes. He tried to distract himself by scouting the area extra carefully.

Kili grabbed his shoulder after about twenty minutes and pulled him to a stop in a clearing. "Fili. You are going to have to deal with this better, or hide it better."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. He wanted to scout and get back to camp already.

"This. You can't get jealous over every moment Bilbo spends with someone other than you. Especially after he's already agreed to court you. I doubt he is the kind of person to cheat or anything like that." Kili squeezed his brother's shoulder and caught his darting gaze. "He just wants to make friends. It'll be easier on everyone if he does, and it will draw less suspicion towards your relationship. Calm down, okay?"

Fili sighs, "Okay, okay..." he nods, "you're right, hate it when you are right... I..just can't help it. I want everyone to know he is mine, but I can't. I have to act like I am just is friend, watching while everyone is all over him or Thorin treating him like dirt." He kicks at the ground, looking between the trees "...just want him to myself, really talk and be with each other. We haven't even had a chance to really discuss what we are going to do." Kili nods, he understood, dwarves were a jealous race. Everyone was protective of their One. But this was different.

"I get that, I do. But it's not that easy. You two can't be open about this. You can't show so much possessiveness over him. Thorin won't want anyone of us going off by ourselves. And it'll get attention if you two go running off every night. You just have to bear with it for now. Bilbo is doing fine, he is happy with the time he can get with you. So you need to be happy too."

Fili groaned but didn't say anything more. They scouted around and Kili managed to hunt a few rabbits to add to the stewpot. They returned and joined the circle around the fire with grins. Kili presented his kills with a flourish. Bombur and Kili set to skinning and gutting the rabbits while Bilbo tended to the pot. Fili wanted to immediately go to him, but instead he sat on the ground near Gloin and Nori and watched them play some sort of dice game.

Every now and again the two's eyes would meet, Bilbo giving him a soft smile. Fili returning it with a slight nod. After a while Bilbo waves his hand over, motioning him to come over. Fili blinks and hesitates, but then stood up and went over. "Would you like to help?" Bilbo asked, "Bombur has been on chopping duty." He hands him a knife and some dark herbs. "Getting the broth together, for the rabbits." Fili watches him as he began to chop of the herbs and other ingredients for their dinner.

"You're really good at that," Fili commented, watching him cut leafy things and add them to the pot. Bilbo offered the knife and plants to him, but Fili held up his hands and shook his head.

"No, there's a reason I'm banned from cooking in our house."

"Yeah, everything he tries to cook ends up burnt or tasting like," here, Kili said something gutteral and harsh in his native language that had Fili scowling and the others chuckling. Bilbo drew Fili's attention with a gentle nudge. He smiled.

"I could teach you the basic some time, if you wanted. I've cooked for myself for many years now, which is how I got as good as I am."

Fili nods immediately, ready for any excuse to spend time with him "I'd love that"

"We'd all love that!" Kili added, "maybe you can actually teach him to make good food."

Fili rolls his eyes and Bilbo chuckled, "anyone can cook, just have to know a few simple steps. What to put in and how long to cook it." He places the knife in his hand, guiding it over the herbs "now surely you can cut these up? I've seen you handle a knife well enough. Just get them nice and small, and don't take your finger off. It won't taste good at all." Fili couldn't help but smile, starting to slowly chop up the small leaves.

He carefully chopped the leaves as Bilbo and Bombur added the rabbit to the pot. He was content to sit beside the fire as Bilbo stirred and explained basic cooking to him. The hobbit lamented his lack of kitchen, but said he would make do. Ori sat down beside Fili, also expressing an interest in cooking. Fili wanted to have this time with Bilbo to himself. But he bit back his anger; having Ori learn as well would look less suspicious. He would probably always have to share his time with Bilbo.

This is just what they would have to make do with. But how could Bilbo act so normal about it? He acted completely unfazed by all of it. Is he not bothered by the fact they get no time together? Granted, they only started courting each other a few nights ago, or well not exactly courting, but close enough. Truly it does help with hiding their relation. But he couldn't help but be annoyed by how easily he took it. As if he wasn't serious about it at all. He shook his head, sighing deeply. No, Kili was right. He needed to calm down. Bilbo was just being Bilbo. He excepted his courtship, nobody would except if they weren't serious about it. Of course Bilbo cared for him. He's sure Bilbo wants alone time just as much as he did. But they can not have that so easily. Which started his planning of a secret get away for the two of them. 'We need a night to discuss our future.'