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Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
So hey, not sure when I actually wrote this, cause the last time I looked at it, it was only pieces of a chapter, not a completed chapter, then I opened it today, and it was done so hey, here it is, everyone enjoy!
Thorin's POV
As he lays on the bed in Bag End and reflects on his day, he finds he is pretty pleased by how everything turned out. His welcoming was not what he expected, but then he hadn't realized that Bilbo thought he was a shade at first. As soon as the hobbit had realized he was not a shade he was startled by the smaller man kissing him! That he had not expected in the least bit. It was welcome though, gave him relief to know that his desires were at least partly returned. Then when he asked about courting him, well he never got a direct answer, but they discussed courting traditions of both races and agreed on a few things including a compromise about the touching policy. Surely that means that they are going to court. In that case he needs to explain the courting braids, though he had not brought any courting beads with him. Well he could always use one of his beads, but he has a feeling that the hobbits hair is slightly different texture than his meaning one of his beads might not stay in it, particularly since it is so short. Maybe he can convince him to grow it out a bit, not a lot, just enough so he can put a courting braid in it.
Tomorrow he will see about making that lock so it cannot be opened by this troublesome cousin.
When he had originally planned this, he had not considered coming back in the future, but if his hobbit wanted to return every half a decade or so, well that should be doable. Plus there was the messenger birds, they could be occasionally used for communication too, perhaps have one whose entire task is helping his little hobbit keep in touch. It is a small price to pay for his hobbit agreeing to come home without having to be talked into it.
With a smile on his face he drifts off to sleep.
In the morning he awakes to the sound of the front door opening much to his curiosity. Rolling off the bed and pulling his shirt back on, he rolls off the bed and pads out to the door. What he sees has him chuckling, it is Bilbo giving his pony a bucket of water and some apples.
"I'll show him to the stable later, they'll give you some nice oats and a brush down, with a comfy place to stay besides my front yard while we're preparing to go." He hears the hobbit murmur to the pony. "I am very happy he is alive. That I get a chance to win him over as my mate. Seriously, who decided to match a hobbit and a dwarf? Particularly a plain hobbit like me to a dwarven king?" he strokes the pony's nose for a few minutes, "Well maybe not completely plain, you know the Baggins family is one of the oldest in the shire, we've had more mayors than most of the other families, plus the Tooks, which I am related to as well since my mother was a Took, are almost always the Thains. I guess I am not as plain as I think. Hmmmm," there is a brief pause, "Don't tell him however I don't like to act like I come from one of the starting families, not when I can avoid it, even before I left on the trip I did not like to mention it because then everyone expects you to act like something other than what you may be."
Smiling, he withdraws back into the smial, heading to the small room that was his for the duration. Well that sure explained a lot about his behavior in the past. If he was raised as part of a leading family he would not have felt any problems with standing up to someone he sees as his equal, not his superior, particularly when the smaller man felt he was being silly or foolish. It also explains why he seems to be well read and more knowledgeable than the vast majority of hobbits he has previously met. Oh yes, it explains a lot.
Sniffing the air he notices that he is beginning to smell like horse and what not. Best if he gets cleaned up. After collecting up a change of clothes from his travel bag, he heads to where he remembers the cleaning room to be. He is happy to see that he was not mistaken about there being a small wash tub in the room. He carefully studies it so he knows how it works before stoppering it and pumping some water into the tub. Once it is a little over halfway full he stops pumping the water in before stripping out of his clothing and climbing in.
He is mildly surprised that the water is not as cold he was expecting, actually it is almost lukewarm. It's rather cozy. Smiling, he starts to wash carefully but is startled by a knock at the door to the bathroom.
"If you give it five minutes the water will actually be fairly warm," he hears his hobbit remark through the door.
Blushing even though the younger man cannot see him, he replies, "Err, alright, thank you."
"You're welcome, second breakfast should be ready when you're done," the smaller man comments before he hears him walking away.
Still blushing, he shakes his head, mentally telling himself to calm down. His little hobbit hadn't seen him without his clothes, and even if he had, it's not really that big of a situation, they had both seen each other bare at least once during the Quest for Erebor. Like the time they used the river to wash themselves after dealing with nasty trolls. Yeah, not helping, he was still blushing up a storm because in that instance it was not just him naked in the water, there was eight other dwarrows and the hobbit.
Several more minutes pass with him carefully scrubbing every inch of himself from the bottoms of his feet to the tips of his hair on his head. Since coming back his beard had grown slightly, though it was still fairly short by dwarrow standards. Still if it continued to grow, sometime next year he would have a respectable length beard finally, though he probably would never let it get as long as some. For too long he has had a short beard so he will not be allowing it to grow to the flowing lengths of many, but a bit longer, enough that he could place a few braids in it. Perhaps he should see if his hobbit had any views on his beard. After all by dwarrow custom his lack of full beard made him unattractive, but hobbits do not have beards so perhaps his hobbit would prefer he keep it short? He knew that many of his dwarrows would not understand but that was unimportant, what was important was his hobbit.
Once he felt that he was completely clean, he dresses comfortably, the clothes while nice are more like what he would wear for forge working. Since his hobbit does not wish to be loud about rank, he will respect that by not being showy about his.
After storing his clothing in the spare room, he joins the hobbit in the kitchen, finding him humming as he sets the food on the table.
"Perfect timing," the smaller man announces happily before glancing at him and freezing.
For a long moment he is self conscious, believing that something is wrong.
"I don't believe I have ever seen you looking so," there is a long pause as if his host is trying to figure out what to say, "relaxed." Beaming at him the smaller man continues, "You look wonderful."
Flushing, he smiles at the younger man before sitting at the spot he motions to. Glancing at the food, he is startled to see that it is many of the things he prefers for breakfast are laid out.
"Sleep well?" Bilbo inquires as he settles into his spot after pouring both of them cups of tea.
He nods once, as he makes his plate, "I did, thank you."
"That's great," his friend remarks before taking a few bites, "Today's plan includes seeing the old solicitor Ned Baggins to have him draw up protection papers for my home, speak with Hamfest about keeping an eye on my home, and perhaps I will send a letter to my cousins Drogo and Primula, offer them Bag End to live in as long as they leave a room for us to come visit. They want to start a family after all, and Drogo is a Baggins of closer relation than that viper who keeps trying to get my home."
He nods, understanding that scheduling and thinking it does not seem like much, however legal matters can take a great deal of time, so it really is best to give it extra time.
"Of course, we will need to go to the Hall at some point this week," there is hesitation in his hobbits tone, which has him arching an eyebrow questioningly.
"The Hall?" he repeats when no more information is forth coming.
Nodding slowly the smaller man eventually answers, "It's where the alphas and omegas gather, it is also home to the oldest un-bonded of the alphas and omegas in Hobbiton." He pauses for a moment, finishing his tea, "I got lectured for not alerting them I was leaving for a time before. They keep careful track of all children with the Blessing, the adults too, particularly those not bonded."
Bonded? He thinks to himself? What is bonded? Perhaps it is another way of saying married? Though why called it bonded instead of married? He should ask, "Is bonded married?" he inquires with a tilt of his head.
The hobbit's skin is flushing brightly, turning the normal golden caramel into a more orange tone as his head ducks a bit and even his slightly pointed ear change colors.
"I did not mean to upset you, please forget the question if it truly bothers you," he quickly tries to reassure the smaller male.
Bilbo gives a shake of his head, "It's a valid question, and one we'll have to discuss," there is a pause like the hobbit has to work up the nerve to keep talking, "Bonding happens between mates and only mates, during," he swallows hard, "ummmm, intercourse," the blush deepens, "a bond bite is formed when the mate bites into the alpha or omega's bonding gland." Again his hobbit blushes, his skin a very bright red now, "As an omega my bonding gland is on the back of my neck," one slender hand lifts to touch the back of his neck, "Only after bonding would I go into heat and we could have children."
Silence falls for a few long minutes as he takes the information in and then realizes exactly what his little hobbit means by heat. He can feel his eyes widen and several times his mouth opens and shuts as if he is going to say something though no words come out.
"Not that we have to have children!" his hobbit exclaims before getting up and nervously starting to put things away, his posture very tense and jumpy.
Blinking, he realizes his reaction caused something to go wrong. What did he do wrong? He hasn't said anything on the subject. He was too busy processing the idea that they could have children. After all, with another dwarf male he would never have a chance for children, there was no possibility of it and so he had taken it off the table for his life when he realized he preferred men. Now that the idea that he could still have his own dwarfling or hobbitling is a possibility, well that is something he could easily get excited about. Now how to tell Bilbo that?
Standing, he moves so he is standing before his hobbit, gently questioning, "Bilbo?"
When the smaller man keeps working without answering him, he reaches out to carefully take hold of the hobbits shoulders, turning him towards him. "Bilbo, I've never thought I would have a One, a mate, a spouse, particularly since I have always preferred looking at other males to females. So the idea that we could have dwarflings or hobbitlings is completely remarkable. It is a gift Bilbo. Particularly since you are even willing since I cannot imagine it is easy going through pregnancy as a male. I will be thanking your Earth Mother every day of my life for the fact I am alive and the gift of you."
For a several long minutes his hobbit stares at him before muttering, "Fauntlings."
"What?" he is confused, what's a fauntling? Does it have to do with the Blessed as he called alphas and omegas?
"Children and baby hobbits are called fauntlings," the smaller male replies quietly.
He nods, understanding, "Fauntlings," he repeats, "I understand. If we have fauntlings or dwarflings or if we don't, all that matters is that you are happy."
His hobbit stares at him, seeming to be in shock, so he tugs the smaller man closer, just hugging him for a time. They can get on with business in a little bit, this is important first.
