/ / / Missed and Seen Overtures \ \ \

Two days after Thorin gave Bilbo his new clothes, the King left his tent for the first time in days. Bilbo helped Thorin dress in his own fresh clothes; delivered by Balin when the dwarf had confirmed the King wanted to meet with his Kingdom's elders. Thorin had said they needed to plan; plan for improvements, plan for relocation, and plan for the dwarves to get back to work. Bilbo was worried for Thorin's health with all the planning he had to do. Bilbo had not realised just how little reclaiming Erebor would end up fixing, it was only the very beginning.

"This is the same material as my waistcoat," Bilbo said, smoothing his hands over Thorin's coat.

"Yes, I had a coat made at the same time as the Men were making yours. My old clothes were full of holes," Thorin said, looking away from Bilbo and over at the tent flaps.

"Oh," Bilbo said, and finished doing up the buttons. "It is a little big without your armour but you look very regal."

"I should be wearing my mail," Thorin said, running his fingers over his braids.

"Are they suitable for your council meeting?" Bilbo asked. "I am not very skilled at braiding."

Thorin shook his head. "They are most satisfactory. I shall have to let you practise if you would like your skills to improve."

"You cannot wear your mail," Bilbo said not sure what to say about braiding Thorin's hair. He could remember the feeling of the dwarf's surprisingly soft hair between his fingers and it made his fingers itch but he knew that Thorin was simply being a good friend. "It will aggravate your wounds; you are still too injured for this."

"I am the King. I need to get my dwarves and our move back into the mountain organised. Balin has been doing a great job but there are things only I can do."

"Just please," Bilbo paused and fiddled with his own buttons. "Please take care and look after yourself."

"Are you getting sick of caring for me, hobbit?" Thorin asked, as he did the belt up over his coat.

"No, I am happy to look after you but the more you take care of yourself the sooner you will not need my care at all. The sooner you will be able to do everything you want."

Thorin smiled down at him. "So glad to hear it. I will be careful but I do need to return to my duties."

"I know," Bilbo smiled. "Should I braid something else so that you go into battle properly?"

Thorin stepped towards Bilbo but he stopped when Balin walked in.

"Are you ready?" Balin asked.

Thorin turned to him and nodded. "Yes."

"If you need me," Bilbo said. "I am going to visit Fíli and Kíli and then have some lunch."

"Did you have your elevenses?" Thorin asked with a smirk, before he disappeared out the tent flap.

Bilbo smiled at his back and then walked out after him and watched as Thorin walked slowly towards the meeting tent and his elders. When the King had vanished into that tent Bilbo turned and headed towards Fíli and Kíli. Bilbo walked in to find both of the brothers sitting on Fíli's bed and Biorn nowhere in sight.

"Is Thorin in the meeting?" Kíli asked.

"Wait," Bilbo said, looking at them. "Should you not be there?"

"Oh no," Fíli said. "We do not want them to know that Thorin's entire line is damaged."

"You are healing," Bilbo said, sitting on Kíli's bed.

"As we get better we will be more involved but at the moment we are meant to just recover."

Bilbo smiled sadly with a little shake of his head. "He wants you to recover but he is pushing himself."

"He is the King. Thorin has been pushing himself since the moment that Smaug took over his home," Fíli said. "He knows no other way to be. When we are better we will do our jobs as heirs to the line of Durin but until then we cannot do any more than that."

"Thorin did promise to be careful, so that is something." Bilbo said, with a shallow smile.

Fíli and Kíli looked at him sharply.

"Our uncle…" Kíli said.

"Thorin Oakenshield…" Fíli jumped in.

"Agreed to be careful?" Kíli finished.

"Yes," Bilbo said. "He has not been clear of the fever for long and he…never mind."

"He is still weak," Kíli said. "I know the feeling."

"What are you doing?" Bilbo asked, changing the subject.

"Playing bolóngo," Kíli said, showing Bilbo the stone balls and wooden cubes. "Would you like to learn?"

"Yes," Bilbo said, moving closer. "Is this a dwarf game?"

"A very old one," Fíli said, "all about strategy. Thorin taught it to us when we were young."

"How do you play then?" Bilbo asked, picking up one of the stone balls to examine the markings.

The brothers taught Bilbo the rules and they played a game; talking about little else except rules and questions for over an hour until Kíli won.

"That was fun," Bilbo said, scratching at a spot just between two braids. "If Thorin likes it, I might ask him to play while he is getting better."

"He does," Kíli said. "We will teach you some other games if you like."

"Yes, please," Bilbo smiled at them just as his stomach rumbled. "Not today though. Next time I shall teach you some hobbits games as well."

"Excellent," Kíli said, and Bilbo realised that Fíli was staring at him strangely.

"Who gave you such very pretty braids?" Fíli asked, finally.

"Thorin," Bilbo said. "My hair was getting in the way and I have not had time to find someone skilled in cutting hair."

Fíli and Kíli shared a look and started to smile.

"What?" Bilbo asked.

"Nothing," the brothers said sweetly, at the same time.

Bilbo frowned at them. "You are hiding something."

"It is a nice thing – Thorin braiding your hair."

"I braided his as well," Bilbo said, slowly, "after his dip in the river. He said comrades do it before going into battle so…is it acceptable that I did?"

"It is what dwarves do for individuals they care about. I have plaited Kíli's hair," Fíli said, seriously, "and Thorin's. There is nothing wrong with braiding his hair."

Bilbo let out a deep breath and relaxed. "Well, I had best get back. I should bring him some food too. I will see you both later."

"Goodbye, Bilbo," the brothers said, before Bilbo left the tent.

/\/\/\

"Uncle is finally courting him seriously," Kíli said, after Bilbo was gone.

"He is." Fíli said.

"Bilbo has no idea."

"Nope."

"It is going to be fun to watch," Kíli said, with a laugh.

"Very, want to take bets on when Bilbo gets a clue?"

"I will find some paper. I know at least ten other dwarves who would love to be a part of our pool," Kíli said.

"We are going to have a hobbit for an uncle," Fíli said, with a smile.

"Maybe when Thorin is finally enjoying the pleasures of the flesh he will be more pleasant and he may learn to relax and allow someone else to do things for him."

Fíli held up his hand, fingers crossed, and grinned at his brother.

/\/\/\

Thorin returned from his meeting and sat heavily on his cot. He looked pale and tired but there was a happy air around him regardless.

"I got you some food," Bilbo said, and handed the King the bowl. "I also learned how to play bolóngo. I am not very good but maybe we can play sometime."

"I would like that."

"You should rest now," Bilbo pointed out, as he poured boiling water over some tea leaves.

"I know," Thorin said, with obvious annoyance. "Damn those orcs. I shall have to be more recovered in two days when Thranduil of Mirkwood and Bard of Lake-town come with their envoys."

"So soon?" Bilbo asked. "If they are coming in two days can I convince you to rest until then?"

Thorin nodded slowly. "That is also what Balin said after the meeting. I cannot wait to be well. Bilbo, I want the meeting to occur in my halls under the mountain. I may have to play nice with that elf for the moment but I will do it where I am strong; not where he is."

Bilbo nodded. "You can go whenever you are ready, but the walk would…make things worse."

"Could I ride a pony?"

Bilbo shrugged. "It would be the best option."

"I shall have two ponies organised for us tomorrow, for now I-"

"Master Baggins," Gani said, sticking his head into the tent. "There is a messenger from the mountain, from your home."

"Bring it in," Thorin commanded.

"Sire," Gani said, with a nod and handed the piece of parchment to the King.

"Thank you," Bilbo said, with a smile.

"You are welcome," Gani responded, and with a quick head drop he was out of the tent again.

"Here," Thorin said. "Can you read it?"

Bilbo accepted the note. "No, I do not read dwarfish."

"I shall teach you," Thorin said. "But for now it says..."

Arrived at Bag-End.

Strange hobbit said it was her home. Sackville-Baggins their name. Kicked out and removed all of Master Baggins' belongings from their cart. Hope we got it all. Have attached dwarf locks on everything. We were able to retrieve all that was requested in the note. Will arrive at Erebor with all haste.

Gimli, son of Glóin

"Those damned Sackville-Baggins," Bilbo said. "Would rob a grave if you told them where you were buried."

"Dwarf locks cannot be broken by any but magicians and then only with great power," Thorin said, and rested a big hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "Do you wish to return to the Shire and sort everything out?"

"Oh no," Bilbo said. "I am sure that if they were able to get everything that was in my note then those thieving Sackville-Baggins were not able to get anything. I will return one day, but I find I miss it less now than when we were on the road. I think a bed and food…and my friends," Bilbo said giving Thorin a smile, "it helps with my homesickness."

"But you will return there?"

"I shall have to one day, it is my home."

Thorin nodded and dropped his hand. He took his coat and belt off before he laid out on his bed. Abruptly he sat up and looked at Bilbo. "If you would like it to be, Erebor could be your home."

"Oh, thank you, Thorin, I…I would love to stay. I would miss you all terribly and really I only have a second cousin that I would miss in the Shire. One day I will have to return though…at least for a little while."

Thorin nodded and gave Bilbo a small smile before he settled down to sleep.

/ / /

I had a dream, yes it was about this story...don't judge me and my obsession...and I got some excellent ideas. And one porny one...