I'm back early, my wonderful readers. I am so happy for no reason whatsoever. Could be the amount of reviews and views I get. Yeah, that's it.
Leona2016: Thanks for the prompts you gave me; I'll be sure to use them. Though there will be no guarantee that they'll show up in the near future, OK? I have some of my own and I intend to post dome of them first. But good news, I'm already working on one of your prompts.
Thilbo4Ever: You're welcome! Please continue to review. Also, here's the Bagginshield you asked for, though this may not be what you had in mind!
Oh yeah, this just popped up in my mind. Thank you everyone that followed, liked, and favorited (is this the correct word?) this story, plus read this story so far. Thanks!
Anyway, I just can't help but imagine the way Thorin would get so mad over the fact people are flirting with his Hobbit (in his eyes) and he can't do anything obvious except break them apart and Bilbo is so oblivious and the Company is just waiting for those two to confess! Gaah, they're soo cute together!
I hope you'll like this one, guys!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit. If I did, Bagginshield would be canon and the Durins wouldn't have died.
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I.
Thorin glared at the pompous elf and his trouble-making sons. Why are they so near the Burglar? Don't they have other businesses to take care of than to flirt with one of his Company members? Like jumping off a cliff or into an active volcano? Surely the Halfling wasn't that interesting. And why was Master Baggins even with them anyway? This was preposterous!
He needed to be with the Company this instant!
"Master Baggins!" he called, interrupting one of Elrond's spawn in mid-sentence. He ignored his fellow kin's bewildered looks and Gandalf's smile. He was focused on the Halfling alone.
The Burglar looked at the damn leaf-eaters, 'probably excusing himself like the polite hobbit he is before turning to the Dwarrows. "Yes, Master Oakenshield?"
The soon-to-be King was at a loss for once in a long time. For once, he acted on impulse. He caught sight of Fíli and Kíli. "My sister-sons wanted to speak to you."
"What?" Kíli started. "But we - oof!"
Fíli had elbowed his brother in the stomach upon seeing Thorin's fierce glare. "Yeah! Can you come here, Master Baggins?"
The Hobbit shrugged and walked towards the Company after excusing himself. The Dwarf King couldn't keep back a smirk as he watched the small being come closer.
Thorin didn't notice the elves', Gandalf's, and the older dwarrows' knowing looks. His eyes were on the Shireling the whole time.
II.
"Master Baggins!" Bilbo's curly head leaped up. "I have something to ask of you!"
Bilbo looked at Fíli, Kíli, and Bofur, asking silently if it was OK. They all smiled at him, Kíli and Bofur with a grin, making him really uncomfortable somehow. Did they have to grin that mischievously?
(It reminded him of the times his cousin Flambard would plan a prank on their relativescousin and somehow get Bilbo in trouble as well.)
"Aye, lad," Bofur started. "If Thorin's askin' for yah, it's best yah hurry."
The brunet prince nodded heavily, brown hair flying everywhere, adding, "Uncle Thorin gets really angry if you're not there in a minute or less."
"His patience isn't that good," Fíli supplied, 'sagely' nodding his blond head, or as sagely as the young prince could look.
"Burglar!" the dwarf leader called again, sounding rather vexed.
"See?" the three dwarfs Bilbo was talking to intoned.
Bilbo walked away, sad that their conversation was cut off so abruptly (who knew that the brothers had so many pranks piled up in their lifetime or the fact that Bofur could sing just about anything?). Thorin stood in front of hin, glaring again with arms crossed. The Hobbit looked up to the taller being.
"Yes, Master Oakenshield?"
"Go and help Bomber cook. I will not have you be a burden to this Company," Thorin ordered. "And stay away from my nephews and Bofur. They don't need anyone distracting them from their training and duties, Halfling."
The dwarf left, leaving an angry and confused Hobbit behind.
III.
Thorin stared at the Hobbit, who was talking to the skin-changer. He looked remarkably well for one who was dazed and shivering the whole way up the mountain, battered and ran down by goblins and orcs down the mountain, and then traveled to this house. It was a nice change from the usual defeated and weakling look.
He knew the Burglar was hiding from him and was still confused and possibly a little irritated at him for interrupting most of his conversations (frankly, seeing a frustrated Bilbo Baggins was adorable and he did not regret his actions at all).
Well, he would have to interrupt again; he needed to discuss things with the giant. (And if it meant separating the two, so - WHAT IN MAHAL'S SMALLCLOTHES IS THE DAMN SKIN-CHANGER DOING, HUGGING AND CALLING HIS HOBBIT A RABBIT?! HE'S KILLING BILBO, DAMN IT! Time to intervene now!)
"Excuse me, Master Beorn, " Thorin gritted his teeth as he glared at his host. "May we talk? Outside, if you do not mind?"
Beorn grinned widely (he had to be doing this deliberately!), canines bared like a, well, canine. "Of course, Thorin Oakenshield. I shall talk to you more later, little bunny." He put Bilbo down, who looked a little winded.
"As you wish," Bilbo gasped, breathing in more air.
'No you won't, you stupid giant,' Thorin thought angrily, stomping towards the garden. 'I'll keep you from my Company if I have to.'
The last thought he had before he exited the house was, 'Since when did the Shireling became Bilbo?'
IV.
Bard had no idea why that unsettling dwarf by the window was glaring at him. He wasn't doing anything aside from resting next to the Child of the West, a Hobbit, if his memory served him correct.
Oh... OH!
Did the dwarf like the hobbit? Was that why he looked like he wanted to commit murder? He already have kids and will always be loyal to his wife (even if she was dead). He's not going to steal his fancy; that was not his kind of style.
Looking around at his guests, his guess was correct. The older-looking dwarves and even the younger ones were looking at the two with the universal look of 'Just kiss already!'
'Should I tease the two?' Bard thought silently. 'Perhaps I should. There's not much entertainment around here, aside from antagonizing Alfrid.'
The bowman leaned down considerably to softly comment in the Halfling's ear. "Is Master Thorin always like that, Master Baggins."
"Certainly. I have no doubt he would drag either you or me off soon, as he did every time I strike a conversation with someone, save Gandalf or the older Company members." Bard admitted silently that frowning gave the shorter creature a certain cuteness. No wonder Thorin Oakenshield fancied the Baggins.
The man eyed the fuming dwarf. If looks could kill, he would be buried twice the size of the Lonely Mountain underground. He chuckled and continued, "Do you know the reason why he is like that? "
"No, Master Bard, but if you do, please te-"
Bard was pulled away from the Shireling by the arm. He gazed down at the dwarf that had his arm in a vice-like grip.
"Come, Master Bard," Thorin all but snarled. "I have business to discuss with you."
Bard grinned at the frustrated hobbit and the smirking dwarves. It was worth teasing the dwarf even if he entered a shouting match.
V.
"STAY AWAY FROM HIM, YOU WEED EATER!"
"Why should I, Oh Fool Under the Mountain?"
"I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH A SINGLE HAIR ON HIM!"
"You dare threaten me, Oakenshield? My healers are the ones healing you; I was the one who saved you from the hands of Mandos. You owe me."
"I owe you nothing, traitor!"
"Perhaps I would take Master Baggins as my payment."
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO HIM! AT ALL!"
"And you do?"came the cool reply.
"HE'S MY HOBBIT-BURGLAR!"
Now the cool voice heated up. "THAT DIDN'T STOP YOU FROM NEARLY THROWING HIM OFF THE BATTELMENTS!"
"YOU POMPOUS ELF! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"YOU CAN'T EVEN GET UP FROM YOUR BED, YOU FOOL!"
Bilbo snapped at the two squabbling knows before Thorin could retaliate, fed up with all the yelling. "Enough, you two! This has been going on for the whole day, and it isn't even Lunch yet!"
The Elvenking and Dwarf king turned towards the Shireling. The Company, Gandalf, and the other elves in the tent were staring at him as well.
"Are you toddlers or are you kings? I seen fauntlings more mature than you two!" Bilbo exclaimed exasperatedly. He ignored the complaints from the monarchs and the muffled coughs from the others. "Thorin, why are you so against me talking to King Thranduil?"
"Because he's an elf! You can't trust elves!"
Thranduil interjected, "Clearly Oakenshield is deranged. Perhaps you shall leave, Master Baggins, before you are infected with his madness?"
"Why you -"
"King Thranduil, stop aggravating Thorin. He'll pull his stitches and I won't get the gold-sickness. Hobbits are not attracted to gold at all," Bilbo ordered. He turned to the ravenette. "And what about your nephews and Bofur? Ori? Beorn and Bard? Every time I talk to anyone, you interrupt us! Not to mention, he's the one who saved you from the brink of death!"
Thorin grimaced but didn't say anything. He looked away and Bilbo was ready to pull his hair out or shout, perhaps both. Annoyed, Bilbo stormed out of the tent, nearly bumping into Bard.
"Bilbo?"
"Go away, Bard!" He called back. "I'm annoyed at everyone, especially King Thorin the Stupid Grumpy Jerk!"
He knew that everyone could hear him, knew that he was being childish (even though the insults weren't that good), but he didn't care. Thorn was being childish for the whole quest!
Bino didn't know how long he walked around the camp but it was definitely past Lunch and was nearing Tea and while his stomach was rumbling for food, he was sitting on a log overlooking the desolate battlefield.
"You know," Balin sat down on his right. He would have fell if the dwarf didn't catch his arm, righting him. "Thorin has a reason for acting the way he is."
"He has a reason for ruining any potential friendships I can get on this journey?"
"Aye," Bard sat down on the other side of the Shirelingjourney, startling him too. "I remember when I was still courting my lovely Astrid. I kept scaring other suitors away every time they talked to her."
The Baggins eyed the Man. "Why are you talking about your wife? I mean no offense, but that has nothing to do with this situation."
"It does. I was jealous every time Astrid talked to others too," Bard argued.
"What does that mean exactly?"
The old advisor laughed. "Every time you talked to someone that was not Thorin, he drove them or you away from each other. He saw them as a threat, Bilbo." Seeing the blank look on the Hobbit's face, he continued, "He likes you, Bilbo."
"I don't know much about dwarf customs, but even I could tell in the short time you lot stayed in my house that he likes you."
It took a minute for Bilbo to take in the information before he leaped up from his seat."WHAT?!"
"He likes you, Master Baggins."
"That idiot," he muttered under his breath and turned to stomp towards the direction of the Royal Medical Tent.
Bard called, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going back to the tent to kiss that stupid dwarf then tell him off for being a jealous prat!" Bilbo called out.
If he had looked back at the two or to the side, he would have noticed the smiles on the two or the two hidden forms, one cursing violently and the other grinning as he received the bag of coins, respectively.
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Shadow: Thorin and Thranduil sure loves to argue, don't they, Bilbo?
Bilbo: You knew Thorin likes me?!
Shadow: Duh. it's rather obvious. For one that's so observant, you're rather oblivious.
Bilbo: Why didn't you tell me? I could have straighten him out while getting more friends and he wouldn't have to worry!
Shadow: That would have lost the point of the prompt, Master Baggins. Surely you would have realized that?
Bilbo: And the bets?!
Shadow: Retribution for the Company. They had to withstand all the unresolved sex tension between the two of you the whole journey.
Bilbo: Gyaah!
Thorin: *from a distance* GEEK! I GOING TO KILL YOU!
Shadow: Better run over to your boyfriend, Bilbo, before he gets out of bed. And before he kills me. Bye!
Bilbo: *rolls eyes* Bye Shadow. *runs off*