AN: So y'all, I have quite a few chapters that I posted on AO3 that didn't make it here so I have a few (like thirty+) that I will attempt to stagger out. Hope y'all enjoy.
As Ori stands in front of a hauntingly familiar green door he runs through every reason this is a bad idea. The main one that keeps cycling through his head is that he is here because of dreams! But Ori wants to see if it's true; is if the kind hearted hobbit who joined thirteen dwarrows to reclaim a home that wasn't his. He knows that his brothers live that Fíli and Kíli live, he can hardly turn on the TV without seeing them for one reason or another so Bilbo must be alive...Right? Which brings him to the next reason is a bad idea, what if Bilbo doesn't remember him?
The door swings open so shortly after he knocks that he wonders if Bilbo was waiting for him to knock. Seeing the flustered red face, curly chestnut hair and hazel eyes he can't help but smile shyly.
"Mister Bilbo?"
He watches Bilbo's eyes widen and worries that maybe his dear friend may faint as he did after reading the contract.
"O...Ori?"
Relief floods him as Bilbo staggers forward to hug him tightly. His mister Bilbo is as he remembers him, warm, soft and soothing even without talking. Bilbo was the first person outside of his family to never laugh at the fact that he knitted, never laughed that he used a sling shot instead of real weapons. And much to Dori's envy was the first person to ever get him to eat greens.
"Oh, where are my manners! Please do come in," Bilbo shuffles back and the inside of the now two story home are almost as he remembers the smial to be. Hard wood floors and cozy decorations. He smiles at Bilbo who is hurrying toward the kitchen. Ori takes in the home as he follows Bilbo. He is surprised when he finds Bilbo standing in the middle of the kitchen with a stern look on his face.
"Do your brothers know you're here? I don't want Dori knocking down my door or Nori breaking into my home in the dead of night," the slight tilt of Bilbo's lips lessens the severity of the admonishment. Ori smiles bashfully, he brought up another reason that this was possibly a bad idea. His brothers knew, only because he left a note explaining where he had run off too. Bilbo sees the smile and sighs playfully.
"I will make sure to have two extra plates set out then."
Ori shuffles slightly as excited as he is to have Bilbo back he's confused why Bilbo accepted him so readily. It is too easy, his mind whispers and he fears this is all a dream. He jumps when he feels a hand on his own. Looking just as he feels is Bilbo, eyes searching as if to confirm that what he sees, what he feels is a reality. So Ori smiles at Bilbo and gently knocks their heads together.
"I still don't like green food Mister Bilbo, I still enjoy knitting and I miss the night where we sat around the campfire knitting and talking. I remember you helping find flowers that would let me express my feelings without my brothers overreacting. I remembered you Mister Bilbo and I had to see," It's the most he's spoken in a long time and he tries to keep from crying. Something soft brushes away the few tears that have fallen.
"And I remember you too Ori," Bilbo chuckles softly looking toward the top floor "I have all our Adventure typed up. I dream almost every night and every morning I hoped you would come back."
"Would it be possible for me to read it, I wanna see the Adventure from your point of view."
Bilbo blushes nodding his head. He hadn't planned on anyone reading it but he could see no harm in allowing Ori to read it. And then he remembers why he was heading out in the first place! He needed to buy groceries! Ori sees his look of panic and fidgets.
"It's alright, I don't need to read it," he says quickly.
"Oh no, that's not what I'm worried about," Bilbo says patting Ori's arm "I've just realized something dreadful! I haven't gotten anything to feed you or your brothers if they come tonight!"
Ori lets out a relieved sigh, only a hobbit would find that dreadful and it so blissfully Bilbo that it makes him feel at home.
"Would you mind coming shopping with me or would you rather stay here while I shop?"
"I would love to come with you Mister Bilbo but won't it cause even more of a scandal than me just being here?"
The smile he receives reminds him of the nights where he and Fíli and Kíli would sit around Mister Bilbo and listen to all the different ways hobbits courted one another and how they could court their preferred dwarf without him knowing he's being courted. It reminded him of the nights in Rivendell where they would prank each other until Elrond's twins got caught in the crossfire. They were so scared they would get in trouble but the two boys had smirked and playfully declared war. Seeing it yet again made him giddy and wonder who was going to be on the receiving end of Mister Bilbo's passive anger.
"Oh yes, so very scandalous, but really it's none of their business is it?"