A/N: Because you're all so lovely, have another chapter! This one's a bit of a filler chapter and not much really happens but it sets up everything else. So I hope you enjoy! (And I do apologise that this one's nowhere near as exciting as the other chapters! But there are some Thilbo moments - kind of...)

Ori was well on the way road to recovery when Bilbo made his peace with Thorin. He was embarrassed at his childish behaviour and ashamed that it had caused his friend injury, so Bilbo set aside his hobbit pride and sought out Thorin, who had been spending much time with Dwalin as of late. He found him in his chamber, though, sitting with a mug of ale and staring broodily into the flames of the fire flickering in the grate. Bilbo shut the door quietly behind him, and Thorin turned at the small thud as it closed. When he saw Bilbo he gave a small smile, which Bilbo returned readily. He sat down in the chair next to Thorin, joining him in staring in to the fire.

'Why are you nervous?' Thorin's deep voice came from beside him; he sounded lightly amused.

'I'm not nervous,' Bilbo replied.

'Yes you are. You're tapping your foot and you only do that when you're nervous.'

Bilbo immediately stopped tapping his foot on the floor – he hadn't even noticed he was doing it – and turned to Thorin. 'I wanted to say sorry for behaving like I did - for storming out and avoiding you. It was childish and silly and I'm sorry,' he said in a rush, feeling slightly put off by Thorin's crystal sharp and unblinking gaze on his face.

Thorin didn't say anything but he smiled, a true smile, warm and happy and Bilbo felt his own face mirror Thorin's. He leant back into the soft cushions of the chair, surprised at how much better he felt, how much tension had left his shoulders. Thorin didn't need to say anything for Bilbo to know he was forgiven.

'How about a mug of ale?' Thorin asked suddenly, pushing himself up out of his armchair and striding over to the decanter on the mantelpiece and pouring another cup for Bilbo. He handed it to the hobbit and settled himself back down. He was almost drunk with relief that Bilbo had come to him – as if the hobbit needed forgiveness! Thorin was the one who should be apologising, for he had been too harsh; he had learned his lesson, though, when Bilbo had refused to speak to him the day after. He had known Bilbo was there, in his room, listening to him but refusing to answer. He supposed he hadn't deserved anything else, but now he was perfectly content just being here and sitting with his hobbit.

Bilbo gave as small chuckle. 'Do you know how hard it was to ignore you when you came to speak to me? It was incredibly distracting knowing you were just on the other side of the door.'

Thorin looked up at Bilbo, sitting next to him with a bright smile on his face as he stared into the flames, feeling his heart tug. Truly, Bilbo's smile was like glimpsing into the Halls of Mahal themselves. At Bilbo's words, he felt that treacherous hope rise up in him again, surging up and threatening to overspill before he swiftly crushed it. Bilbo would have found anyone's presence a distraction; it didn't mean anything.

But that fact didn't stop Thorin from admiring Bilbo's bright emerald eyes, or the way the firelight transformed his hair into strands of spun gold.

When Ori walked into the breakfast room the next day, resting his hand lightly on Dwalin's arm as his only support, a great commotion sounded as everyone tried to congratulate the pair properly. Dori only looked miserable. Ori and Dwalin finally managed to sit down at their places and everyone resumed eating and talking. Bombur was having trouble getting his dwarflings to stop stealing Bofur's hat (honestly, Bilbo thought, it was incredibly amusing how fascinated they were by it) and Dís and Balin were having an animated conversation about something or other. Dís was laughing at something Balin had said, and the older dwarf was grinning merrily like a dwarrow half his age at her loud chuckles. But what was commanding Bilbo's attention was a different pair of dwarves entirely.

Bofur was keeping half an eye on his hat but mostly he was teasing Nori, who was sitting beside him, about Ori.

'Yer little brother's all grown up, Nori! Found his One!'

Nori was just smiling as he ignored Bofur, continuing to eat his breakfast.

'Now Dori's just got to worry about you finding yours!' Bofur teased.

'Shut up!' Nori laughed, and he gave Bofur a cuff on the head, which Bofur ducked to avoid and returned in kind, displacing one of the points of Nori's elaborate hairstyle. Bofur looked slightly guilty but was still laughing while Nori looked like he was about to retaliate, but stopped as Bombur glared at him when the children started copying them.

'I'll get you back,' Nori whispered to Bofur, who only laughed loudly and Nori grinned.

Thorin saw Bilbo looking at the two thoughtfully, a little frown creasing his forehead as he observed. Thorin thought he knew where this was going.

Dís was leaning towards him now. 'Are we going to have a party to celebrate our newest couple?' she asked, looking hopeful. Fíli and Kíli looked up, expectant expressions on their faces too. Thorin shrugged.

'If people want to have one. If Ori and Dwalin want to have one, we can have a party,' he stipulated. Ori was a quiet soul and Dwalin wasn't good at being in the spotlight so there would only be a party if they decided they wanted one.

Dís immediately stood up.

'I'd like to announce that there will be a celebratory party for Dwalin and Ori!' she said to the room at large. 'Well, if you two would like one,' she added as an afterthought, nodding to the now-red-faced Ori and Dwalin. Thorin heaved a sigh; of course Dís would do that! But when Ori and Dwalin agreed that they would very much like a party, Thorin couldn't be angry at her. Especially when she took on the role as Official Party Planner, appointing Dori, Golma and Bím as her deputies, and taking all responsibility off Thorin. He felt eyes on him and looked up to see Bilbo smiling at him amusedly, his little crooked grin practically stopping his heart.

He excused himself from the table and went to see Lorin, the dwarf in charge of those refurbishing Erebor, who had requested a meeting.

Bilbo watched as Thorin left the room. He had his political face on, the one he used when he had business to attend to; it was almost mask-like in its lack of emotion but Bilbo knew the smiles that would sometimes break out across Thorin's face. Thorin smiled so rarely that when he did, it was like watching the sun break through the grey and miserable clouds in the depths of winter.

Some of Bombur's children had brought out some sort of game, small tiles with letters on them which they were sorting into words. It seemed the child who managed to create the longest word won, and there were many cries of alternating excitement and disappointment as each child won or lost. Bilbo remembered playing similar games as a child, and wandered over to watch them play. Bombur's youngest daughter - Bani, Bilbo could now remember - looked up at him and grinned.

'Will you play with us, master Bilbo?'

Bilbo smiled back and knelt down to join them on the floor. Some of the others were looking on, so Bilbo said, 'why don't we all play?'

The dwarflings immediately began bouncing up and down -'I want to be on Bilbo's team!' 'So do I!' - and Fíli and Kíli were, unsurprisingly, the first to agree. Gimli sighed and at their insistence joined too, joining them on their team. Bofur and Nori agreed, and made a pair, Dís and Balin making a team, and Ori and Dwalin offered to let Dori join theirs but he declined and said he'd help Bifur. Bombur and Bím said they'd act as judges - because there'd be need of one sooner or later, Bombur assured them.

They relocated the game to the table to accommodate all the players - Bilbo was on a team with Bani and Borin - and the tiles were divided up between them.

'Can I ask that we only use Westron words?' Bilbo asked as he and the dwarflings studied their tiles. 'Only I don't speak Khuzdûl.'

The others chuckled but readily agreed.

'After all, we must give our Mister Baggins a fighting chance,' Bofur chuckled, and Bilbo just made a face at him good-naturedly. They studied their tiles a while longer, Bilbo pleased as he could spell hobbit from their set.

'What's a hobbit?' Bani asked him, looking confused.

'Erm... I'm a hobbit,' he said, and she immediately looked happier. But then a frown appeared.

'But Papa just used to call you a burglar.'

Bilbo heaved a sigh, and explained that he'd been the burglar on the exciting journey her Papa had gone on, while the others had all been the brave warriors.

When it was time to reveal the words, Bilbo's word made everyone chuckle but it wasn't enough to win as Dori had managed erudite.

The next round Bilbo managed garden, then won the next with maudlin, but the third round had him stumped. He just couldn't think of anything .

F , U, D, X, N, R, O, L...

He stared at the letters, squinting as if they would transform themselves in front of him. He heard giggling and looked up, to see Bofur and Nori laughing. He looked back down at his letters, and grinned.

The others revealed their words - weather, beard, candle... Bilbo revealed his word, smiling innocently.

Nofur.

The others all frowned, staring at the word.

'Does that word exist?' asked Dori.

'Maybe it's hobbitish?' Ori supplied helpfully.

'Hobbits speak Westron,' Bilbo corrected.

'It's almost Uncle Bofur's name!' one of Bombur's other children suddenly laughed.

'But it's got an N. N for Nori!' Bani giggled, grinning at her uncle, who was sitting stock still staring at Bilbo's word. Nori was bright red and looking at anywhere except Bofur or Bilbo. There was silence while everyone waited for either of the two to say something, anything; but neither did anything other than avoid the other's gaze.

Bombur broke the silence. 'Well I don't think that's actually a real word, so I'll have to declare you forfeit, Bilbo; sorry...'

Bilbo's grin had slid from his face at the lack of response from either Nori or Bofur, but he forced a smile up and managed a small chuckle, appearing unconcerned as he graciously retired from the game. He only seemed to be hurting people at the moment, or making them uncomfortable; but the more he thought about it the more he realised...

If Nori and Bofur were merely friends and weren't affected in the slightest they'd have sat and laughed about it. And once Bilbo realised that, he knew with a certainty that their silence spoke volumes.

Nori and Bofur were in love, and it was not unrequited.

After the game finished everyone dispersed, Bofur hurrying out of the room quickly. Bilbo felt a little trickle of guilt seep in and settle in his stomach as Nori watched him go but made no move to follow. Bilbo left the room soon after. He felt too restless to sit and read and the little pebble of guilt sitting heavy in his stomach meant he couldn't settle to anything. He wandered the halls of Erebor, not entirely sure where he was going but just walking.

He travelled further down into the Mountain and stopped outside a door. He pushed it open and saw Thorin seated at a long stone table, a dwarf talking in rapid Khuzdûl and pointing things out on a scroll of parchment.

'Oh,' Bilbo said before he could quietly back out and pretend he wasn't there. 'Sorry.'

Trust him to have found his way to the room where Thorin was holding his important meeting - out of all the rooms in Erebor he managed to find this one! His face was flaming as he tried to back out.

'Bilbo!' Thorin said, looking up at him with such relief at the interruption that Bilbo would have laughed if he hadn't been so embarrassed. Thorin was indicating he should come in, so Bilbo did and went to join Thorin at the table, smiling apologetically at the other dwarf. Thorin drew out the seat next to him and Bilbo sat gratefully, staring at the stone table in embarrassment.

Thorin looked more alert now as he gestured for the dwarf to continue. When the dwarf spoke again in Khuzdûl Thorin shook his head. 'Now Mr Baggins is present, Master Lorin, we shall speak in Westron.'

The dwarf paused for a moment but then nodded. 'As you wish,' he said in heavily accented Westron. 'As I was saying, now that the mines are rebuilt and in working order you can start bringing your people back; repopulate Erebor once more. I have written to my Lord Dain to tell him of the news and he sent word back...'

Bilbo felt incredibly awkward sitting here, superfluous and unneeded, but Thorin's large frame kept him in his seat and he didn't mind, not when Thorin looked at least a little more engaged than he had done before Bilbo interrupted. Lorin was handing Thorin another scroll, covered in Dwarvish runes. Bilbo could make neither head nor tail of it, but judging from the way Thorin's brow deepened to a scowl whatever it said wasn't good.

Thorin folded it back up and clutched it tightly in his hand, but he said nothing of its contents to Bilbo. He nodded to Lorin and stood up, his chair scraping on the flagstone floor.

'Everything is understood. I take it that is all...?'

Lorin nodded, and began clearing away his scrolls. Thorin looked at Bilbo, who stood up too. 'Then until next time,' Thorin said, inclining his head towards the other dwarf, who sketched a bow. Thorin motioned to Bilbo and the two of them left the room, Thorin's scowl still deep-set. Bilbo placed a light hand on the dwarf's arm, which immediately made Thorin look up and relax his fierce gaze.

'Thorin?'

'I'm sorry. But this -' he waved the piece of now crushed parchment '- is a note from Dain, informing me that he is coming to visit.'

'What's wrong with that?' Bilbo asked, perplexed - Thorin and Dain were cousins; admittedly relations between them appeared to have been strained ever since the dragon and Dain's -what Thorin saw it as - betrayal. But surely a visit between cousins wasn't anything to be this displeased over?

'It's not just a visit,' Thorin replied, pinching his nose wearily. 'He's coming on an official state visit to - and I quote - "help me with the transition from being landless to being King". As if I need his help! He's just an interfering busybody with not enough to do-' Thorin broke off, before he said anything truly insulting.

'Of course he is,' Bilbo said soothingly, not removing his placating hand from Thorin's forearm, 'and of course you don't need his help. But you can't turn him away without starting another war so you'll just have to indulge him.'

Thorin still looked cross, but he gave a small smile to Bilbo. 'You're right, of course. You'll have to stay with me while he's here, Bilbo, to stop me doing anything stupid.'

If only Bilbo knew how Thorin's heart leaped at Bilbo's answering smile, or how it jumped into his throat when Bilbo looped his arm through Thorin's and began walking.

'So what does Dain plan on doing while he's here, exactly?' Bilbo asked. 'What does "helping you with the transition" entail?'

'I don't know for sure,' Thorin said, 'but it'll probably involve lots of feasting, to prove my wealth; lots of elaborate gifts, to prove Erebor's crafting skill; and lots of boring talks to prove my political capability - my diplomacy. Which is why I need you.'

Bilbo looked smug. 'Yes, you do,' he laughed, and the sound elicited a grin to break out across Thorin's face. The hobbit's cheerfulness was catching, and Thorin couldn't imagine what he'd do if -when - Bilbo announced his intention to go back to the Shire. He hadn't said anything or indeed made any allusion to it, but still Thorin feared that day and deliberately pushed all thoughts of it away.

They continued up, climbing the huge staircases to reach the living quarters. But halfway up Bilbo unhooked his arm from Thorin's, saying he needed to go to the library.

'Do you want me to come with you?' Thorin asked, but Bilbo waved away his offer, saying he only needed to get a book and he'd be back, and Thorin should go ahead. He did so, reluctantly, but Bilbo evidently wanted to be alone for a bit. The thought made him sad, but Thorin resolutely ignored his heart as he watched Bilbo's retreating figure.

At dinner that evening, Dís announced that the party for Dwalin and Ori's courtship would take place that weekend and everyone had to be there or else. Dinner was, for Bilbo, an awkward experience as Bofur and Nori were still a little skittish towards each other, laughing but never quite meeting the other's eye; Bilbo wondered if perhaps he'd made a terrible mistake. He sat watching them through the meal, not noticing Thorin's eyes on him.

'Thorin, if you insist on staring at Master Baggins, at least don't scowl so,' Dís whispered to her brother. 'You'll scare him off.'

Thorin turned instead to scowl at her, but she smiled at him unfazed.

'You might tell Balin to stop staring at you,' he said, a little waspishly, but Dís just grinned. 'But I think I have reason to scowl.'

'You're so melodramatic. If you told him-'

'That's not what I'm talking about,' Thorin snapped. He handed her the parchment with the note from Dain, and watched her eyebrows rise as she read it.

'I see,' was all she said.

'You know what he's trying to do! Bringing a cohort of his Iron Hills nobility? You know most of them will be dwarrowdams he deems a suitable match for the King of Erebor. He's trying to worm his way into our favour by marrying me to one of the daughters some petty, minor nobility!'

A/N: *Evil laugh* What a bombshell to leave you with! Heheeheheh. Also - Nofur as another side pairing woop woop. Bilbo is trying to match-make, after all... :D

Thank you all so very very much for all your comments - I really really do appreciate them and I love you all for revieing, fav/following and reading! Thank you! :')