Pressing Flowers

Author's Note: I'm really glad that this story is going over so well here on FFN. I hope once the poll is over I don't lose readers or anything. I just think it surprises people how much I actually want my readers input in my stories. The character wins the poll on my page will be the pairing, no changing my mind. So make sure you all vote on the poll. The poll is going to turn off at 3:00 PM EST on the 26th of this month so make sure you get your votes in! While I am taking verbal votes on AO3, I'd rather not take verbal votes on FFN, so if you would make it easier for me and just use the poll I would be so pleased. Thank you for your favorites, your follows, and your reviews. They mean the world to me! Love you all – CAS

Chapter Three: Bilbo Baggins and the Thirteen Dwarrows (Pt. 1)

Not but an hour later found Bilbo settled with a book by the hearth in his gathering room. Food settled around on the cooling oven surface in the kitchen to keep warm, yet not overcook in the. Bilbo wished desperately that Gandalf would have given him a round about time that his guests would arrive, but he couldn't complain. Firik was settled on the large couch at his side, his head resting in Bilbo's lap.

Bilbo hoped it wouldn't offend his guests, but as he himself could not move the two large unused tables from the farthest guestroom in the back of his hobbit dwelling. He had been able to gather a few chairs from his rooms to set it just inside them in his library so they would be out of his way.

The Hobbit had been so engrossed in his story that if Firik hadn't jerked his head towards the door, he likely wouldn't have noticed nor heard the twin knocking at his door. Firik's lip curled into a protective snarl, but Bilbo simply patted him atop his regal dome before placing a kiss to follow it.

"Easy Fir, I-I'm sure it's just our guests." He whispered quietly to the animal at his side as he stood. He padded with ease to the door, the wolfling right on his heels. He attempted to remain calm, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something traumatic was about to happen. "It's going to be fine Firik. I'm sure of it." He said as the wolf offered a small -rumbling growl. "O-off with you, you'll frighten our guests. Go into the back room. I'll bring you some food later." He said with a wave of his hand, watching as the wolf sulked off.

He braced himself with a small shiver reaching his hand to open the door, not even bothering to check out the window, knowing he would lose his faith and nerve the second he did. He swallowed thickly he could feel a bead of sweat slip down his brow in a simply move, and could practically hear it hit the floor, but he could not wait any longer. With care he slowly opened the door in an act that would change his life. He peeked around the corner of the door to be met with a sight he hadn't exactly been expecting.

There right before his eyes stood two male Dwarrows, if Bilbo's eyes weren't so sharp he likely would have thought them night and day, but the Hobbit saw the obvious signs of blood relation. The shape of their jaw bone, the curve of the nose on both of their faces, and even the texture of their hair.

His eyes fell on the taller of the two, his hair was a deep shade, not completely black, but not light enough for one to think it was brown either. His eyes were only a bit of a lighter shade, but light enough to tell that they were indeed a different color. He had weapons on his being, a bow strapped to his back with a quiver slung over his shoulder. He had a blade attached to his hip, and Bilbo was sure that he had more blades hidden under his large fur cloak. Bilbo would have paid more attention to the man, but a flash of Gold caught his attention.

When he turned his head he was staring straight at what could have been a wild cat in Dwarven form. The Dwarf's mane was a golden blonde decorated with an intricate weaving of braid and bead. His eyes were a deep yet bright blue that held a mischievous youth, yet a serious and regal tone. His face seemed to be frozen in an arrogant sort of smile that made him look extremely smug and beautifully alluring. There was a blade attached to his back, and one rested on his hip, Bilbo could guess that like his brother there were more blades hidden away out of sight.

Finally after what seemed like hours the two noticed that the door had opened and their attention focused on Bilbo. They seemed to take in his appearance as he had taken in theirs; though in their gaze were amazement and interest, rather than caution and hesitance. The Dwarrows exchanged a look as Bilbo opened the door wider before turning to stare at him once more.

"Fili," The blonde lion spoke with a smirk, his voice flowing over Bilbo like a river of honey. The thick and luscious tendrils of his voice made Bilbo shiver slightly.

"And Kili." The brown haired said, continuing his brother's sentence. Though the look on his face was much more serious than the other's Bilbo could tell that this Dwarf was younger. He could also tell that the Dwarf was not used to being so serious, as the strict and stern expression did not match his young face in the slightest.

"At your service!" They said in unison as they bowed respectfully to Bilbo. Though when they stood at full height they seemed extremely relaxed. The blond whom he now known as Fili seemed to become a bit brighter, and seemed to sag as if he had done a great deed and was in need of not only praise, but rest. Kili on the other hand, who had the more serious expression seemed to also sag, but he unlike his brother broke into a childish grin.

Bilbo, not knowing what to do simply stuttered for a moment. Looking nothing less than lost as if not sure if he could stand them in his home. He felt awkward for a moment, shivering slightly in fearing what was to come of the evening, after a few moments Bilbo nodded opening the door even further. But before he could introduce himself, one of the Dwarven men spoke again.

"You must be Mr. Boggins!" Kili spoke, seemingly proud of himself for remembering Bilbo's "name".

"Ah, B-Baggins actually Master Dwarf." Bilbo said with a small smile stepping out of the doorway to let the brothers inside his home, "b-b-but B-Bilbo will do just as well, p-please do come i-in." He said with a small smile, "I o-only ask you to r-remove your boots!"

The Dwarrows seemed awkward about taking their boots off at first, but in their shock of how welcoming Bilbo was. Bilbo likely was a completely new thing for them; they had never seen a Hobbit before, just as he hadn't seen a Dwarf before. It was exciting for them as it was for him. He happily accepted their cloaks, and even though it was difficult he even balanced their weapons on his pile. He stumbled blindly into one of the guest rooms further down the hall to keep out of the way of everyone else, completely unaware that he had been followed.

"Are we the first to arrive, Master Bilbo?" The voice of Fili sounded directly behind the Hobbit. Causing the poor soul to leap into the air and trip over his own two feet stumbling into the wall clumsily.

"Ah, y-yes. About t-that. How m-many of you a-are there?" He asked, shyly eyeing the brothers over his shoulder. They were both leaning on the door frame of the extra room as if it was their own, obviously extremely comfortable in the presence of Bilbo.

"Gandalf didn't tell you, little Master?" Kili questioned with a confused expression.

"N-no, he didn't t-tell me anything actually. J-just to make a s-small hobbit f-feast." Bilbo said, obviously quite flustered by that fact. He carefully walked forward slipping between the brothers, but keeping an ear out for their response.

"There are thirteen of us in total, Master Boggins" Fili paused to hear the Hobbit's soft protest of 'it's B-Bilbo, Master Dwarf'. "Not including Gandalf or yourself." He jumped slightly when Bilbo spun around to face him with a loud exclamation.

"T-Thirteen?!" He said, suddenly very worried. "T-then it seems I s-shall need your assistance M-master Fili, M-master Kili, my every day table will not be b-big enough for us all!" Bilbo said, bustling back past the two down the hall.

The Dwarrows exchanged a glance between them with a wide grin before padding down the hall after the flushed and worrisome hobbit. The hobbit wasn't what they had been expecting in the slightest. His curls and slightly chubby cheeks made him look childish, and his height hadn't helped anything. The creature, from what they could tell from the few moments inside the smial he was a bashful thing, who had a range of emotions. The Hobbit's fear when he first opened the door was palatable, his muscles were tense, and though he was still fearful, it was a distracted fear.

"We will help in any way we can, Mast- Um. Bilbo. Since you did not know our numbers." Fili said with a small huff, obviously spotting what they were searching for he gently tapped the shoulder of the hobbit and moved him out of the way. "Just give us directions; we shall do the placement of the heavy things." He finished, only be cut off by his brother,

"And a taste of dinner!" Kili said, large smile on his face. He grimaced due to an elbow he received in the ribs by Fili before he seemed to spit the first thing he could think of as an apology. This random sentence just so happened to be, "You have a lovely face Mr. Boggins" To which he received another elbow and sprouted another bazar sentence of, "I mean a lovely home. Y-yes such a lovely home!"

And so started the setting up of the smial. Kili and Fili set up the tables thanks to Bilbo's directions of "S-straight down the hall, take a r-r-right. No Master Dwarrows a right! Y-yes that way, good lads!" while the Hobbit fussed around the kitchen, putting another loaf of bread on, and starting just one more desert. He knew likely that he had more than enough, if just by the reaction of the Dwarflings when they followed the scent of food into the kitchen.

He made a small plate for both Dwarfs, filling it to the brim with just about everything in arms reach before he started to take foods to the tables. He put out his second best China, not wanting to risk one of the last things he had of his mother. He found his largest of mugs and set one at each place setting. He set up a chair at each place, put silverware at each setting (even if he knew it wasn't going to be used), and even placed a special dessert at each place.

He was soon joined in the dining hall by the two Dwarfs and soon bombarded by questions. Bilbo found himself charmed, even enough that his speaking was starting to smooth out, and he was hardly stuttered. Bilbo hated people, he was horrified of them, and rightly so. But for some reason he couldn't help but relax around the brothers, something in them made his walls fall easily. He knew that he would likely be on guard once again after everyone arrived, so he sucked up their attention and kindness as long as he could. He didn't doubt that their attitude may change once the others arrived; he simply hoped that the rest of the company was half as careful and observant of him as the brothers were.

He was barking out in laughter over a joke that the brother's had been telling. The two were vividly trying to interpret it through dances and wild hand gestures when the sound of knocking rang through Bag End once more.

"That will be the door!" Both boys were up and running towards the door before Bilbo could even push himself out of the seat. All Bilbo could hear was the door opening, and a large noise of happy shouts and greetings from what he could only guess were old friends. With that in mind, Bilbo was half expecting to be ignored the rest of the night, not that it would have bothered him too much. He still was slightly wary of the brothers, let alone eleven more.

Bilbo could briefly hear Kili comment on how "Mister Boggins didn't even know how many of us were coming! Gandalf didn't even tell him why!" while hearing Fili bark about the dwarf taking his boots off, and giving his weapon and cloak to the blonde. From what he could hear the Dwarf put up a bit of a fight until he heard Bilbo hadn't an idea of why he was having guests, only that they were going on a quest, and they were to be his companions through it all he eventually acquiesced.

When the brothers came busting back into the eating room of the large smial Bilbo's blood ran cold, before him stood a Dwarf so fearsome looking he thought he would faint right there. In fact he was sure he would have at least started panicking if he would have been standing.

The man was tall, a full head taller than Kili, if not more. That meant he towered over Bilbo like the mountains where the man called home. Bilbo swallowed and stood to greet the man when the brothers brought him to stand in front of the Hobbit. The top of the man's head was bald, but the back and sides were thick with deep dark colored hair. His face was covered with a dark beard and mustache that was only just barely brushed with a hint of grey. His eyes the color of the steel plated gloves he wore on his hands. He had an assortment of breathtaking patterns inked into his skin just about everywhere you could see, even the top of his head. Bilbo was both amazed and slightly horrified, that must have been painful!

Bilbo was clearly nervous of him, well who wouldn't be? He sized the Dwarf up as the beast of a male did the same before noticing the man had indeed removed his boots. The corners of the Hobbit's mouth tilted skywards and he looked up to cautiously meet his newest guest in the eye.

"T-t-thank you for r-removing y-your boots, Master Dwarf!" He said with a rather grateful smile, "I d-don't know if t-the boys t-trounced through the p-pig sty, but they s-sure smelled a-as if they did." He said carefully. Before nodding his head slightly in recognition to the Dwarf. "B-Bilbo Baggins, at your service!" He said quietly, slightly startled when the large man let out a snort of laughter.

"Dwalin, at yours." He said his body language said that he found the slight jab at the princes entertaining, but he did not show any other emotional recognition. Bilbo seemed to deflate slightly that the Dwarf didn't respond. Bilbo supposed not all Dwarrows were as personable as the brothers, but he couldn't help but be disheartened slightly. "The boots didn't help much, Master Burglar, they always stink like swine." Was all the Dwarf let on before he sat down at a spot at the table he claimed for his own, and started to eat. Bilbo only smiled as the younger Dwarrows squawked about being told they smelled.

Bilbo felt the meeting of the first three Dwarrows went swimmingly, Dwalin hadn't said another word to Bilbo since the comment about the Princes stinking like swine, but that was fine by Bilbo. The Hobbit was being the perfect host, and seeing as how he still had piles upon piles of food in his kitchen, he didn't stop the three from eating what they wanted. He had of course used his entire immense larder which had been stocked full of food.

He had suddenly remembered that he had promised a plate full of food for Firik, and slowly started to make one, filled with foods that he knew Firik would eat with no complaint. It didn't catch the brother's attention until Bilbo had started out of the room with the large plate.

"Oh, too good to eat with us then, Master Boggins?" Kili cried with an indignant huff, catching Fili's attention with the exclamation.

"Yeah, Boggins! Can't eat with a couple of Dwarfs eh?!" Fili stood quickly.

"Oh, oh n-no! N-n-nothing like that! I'm just t-taking this back to F-f-Firik!" Bilbo cried, trying not to offend the new tentative acceptance that he had received. His chest clenched at the thought of offending the group so early in the game.

"Firik?" Kili questioned, his eyes narrowed that was until how panicked and hurt Bilbo looked,

"Calm now Bilbo, we're only playing. Who is Firik?" Fili questioned carefully. Eyeing Bilbo like he was hiding something from them.

"M-my guardian, Master Kili." Bilbo said quietly, his eyes drifting to the hall which held Firik's domain. "He was gifted to me just after my parent's passing as a protector. He isn't much on strangers, so I thought it best he dwell elsewhere in my smial." His voice all but a whisper, which seemed to perk the three male's interest quite a lot.

"Oh! A protector of a Baggins, can we meet this mighty protector? Or is he too good for us as well?" Kili called with an arrogant smirk. Looking at Fili who flashed his muscles with as saucy grin.

Bilbo thought for a moment, before walking to a corner and setting Firik's meal by one of his pillows on the floor. He didn't look at the Dwarrows as he stuck his two smallest fingers into the corner of his mouth and let an ear shattering whistle loose into his home. The action caused a reaction to spring instantly.

He could hear Firik's large yet quiet strides as he powered from the furthest most bed room. His rumbling growl could be heard down the hall as he slipped gracefully into the dining area with a narrow eyed glare. The wolf stopped at the entrance clearly not expecting three large males at the table. The creature curled its lips into a violent snarl that could have chilled the heart of any Elf, Man, or Dwarf. And Bilbo saw the youngest Dwarf slip his hand toward a weapon that Bilbo knew he hid there.

Bilbo gently rested a hand in the luscious pelt that covered the animal's body before lowering his head to nudge the beast own. His smile was bright as Firik returned his gesture with a low whine and a careful lick to the Hobbit's cheek. Bilbo's eyes turned towards the Dwarrows who now all stood gawking at the actions between the two.

"Firik, t-these are a few of our guests. The o-others have yet to arrive, and they w-wanted to meet you." He said to the animal that seemed to understand the words he said, "You are to treat t-them as you treat H-Hamfast." He smiled when Firik nodded and moved towards the three stepping up on the bench which two were standing by so he was even with them, before repeating the actions he took with Bilbo. Bilbo smiled as Fili awkwardly attempted to copy Bilbo's actions and Kili returned the actions of the wolf with childish glee attempting to hide how in awe he actually was.

"Firik, c-come eat." He said lowly watching as the wolf hopped back down and started to devour the food set before him.

Fili and Kili started going on about how large Firik was, asking countless questions about what he did, and how good if good at all Fir was a fighting. Dwalin asking a few questions through mouthfuls of food. Though before Bilbo could really even sit again, having stopped to refill plates and mugs of ale, a loud knock rang from the house.

"That will be the door, Master Burglar." Dwalin's voice drawled, slowly, as if acting on command, Bilbo headed toward the door, Firik trailing behind as a parent would behind a child.

Bilbo slowly reached for the handle, it was time to greet another guest.

What would this one be like?

TBC