A/N: IMPORTANT NOTICE! THERE IS FANART FOR THIS FIC! Bloubell, who has been reading this fic over on AO3, has drawn a few adorable pictures inspired by this story! They're amazing, so go take a look! Link is on my profile page. :D :D :D

Eheheheh. Now... Will Bilbo find out in this chapter? Only one way to find out... Please enjoy this chapter!

The pages were heavy and Bilbo relished the noise they made as he gently turned them. Unfortunately they weren't clearly marked so he struggled a little to work out which page he was on. Finally, he reached the page with 'Dwarven Courtship and Rules to Adhere to' written at the top in large, fancy dwarf script.

Bilbo settled himself down on his armchair by the fire and began to read.

Courtship among dwarves is a complicated business, involving many subtle gestures. It should be reassured however that the complexity of the courtship means it is generally very short...

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Trying not to heave a sigh, Bilbo called for whoever it was to come in; the door opened and a dwarf entered. Dain.

Immediately Bilbo was on his feet, bowing to the dwarf lord and stutteringly inviting him to sit, leading him to the armchair he'd just been sitting on. He quickly hefted the book out of the way and set it on a side table.

'Good afternoon, Master Baggins,' Dain said, smiling.

'Oh, please, call me Bilbo.'

'Bilbo, then,' Dain nodded. 'You're probably wondering why I'm here.'

Bilbo shrugged a little, smiling a little. Yes, he was; but he wasn't going to question what a dwarf as important as Dain did with his time.

'Don't worry, you won't offend me! I merely wish to get to know you a little better. The dams seemed quite taken with you and we didn't have a chance to talk earlier - especially not with Thorin breathing down my neck.' At Bilbo's small frown, he waved a hand in protestation. 'No, no, I don't mean any offence. Only I know Thorin doesn't trust me very much.'

Dain grinned and motioned that Bilbo should sit too, on the opposite chair. Bilbo settled down in it and when he looked back at Dain the dwarf was staring at Bilbo's feet. When he realised Bilbo had noticed he looked up and laughed a little in embarrassment.

'I'm so sorry,' he said, 'I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just... You're the first halfling I've seen and I'm... Intrigued, to say the least.'

'It's fine, please, my lord Dain-'

'Dain, please. I don't hold much with titles.'

'Alright.' Bilbo grinned. 'When I first met the others, we spent the first few weeks sizing each other up. You aren't the first dwarf to give me or my feet funny looks,' Bilbo said good-naturedly, smiling. Dain laughed and Bilbo decided he liked Dain. He didn't seem to be any of the things Thorin had warned him about and when the conversation moved to books, Dain proved to be well-read and fond of the written word; Bilbo found himself to be laughing with Dain as if he'd known him for longer than the hour or two it really was.

At a pause in the conversation Dain's eye roved its way around the room, passing appreciatively over the desk piled high with books, and then it found the book on the side table. As Dain picked it up, eyebrows raised, Bilbo felt a knot of uneasiness settle and he decided against telling Dain of his reason for reading the book.

Dain looked at him, still holding the book - Bilbo silently thanked the Green Lady he hadn't left it open! - and Bilbo shrugged.

'We don't have kings in the Shire,' he said, 'so I decided to read up on it a bit more.'

'Really? You don't have Kings?' Dain sounded incredulous, and he set the book down. 'How do you keep order?'

Just as Bilbo was going to explain that hobbits don't really care for much beyond good food, a warm hearth and pleasant company, there was another knock on the door and it opened.

'Bilbo, I-' Thorin stopped short when he saw Dain sitting comfortably in Bilbo's chair, Bilbo opposite him and obviously in the middle of speaking.

Well.

At that moment in time Thorin couldn't hear anything above the roar of blood in his ears and he almost saw red. He froze as he battled with the - the jealousy threatening to consume him when all he wanted to do was knock Dain to the ground and pull Bilbo into his arms and never let go.

'Thorin?' Bilbo's small voice cleared the red fog and Thorin forced himself to move, walking stiffly over to join Bilbo.

'I'm sorry. I didn't realise you had company.'

His voice was wooden and he knew Bilbo was looking at him in concern but Thorin was focusing on Dain, narrowing his eyes and glaring for all he was worth. And damn him, Dain didn't look in the slight bit discomfited; he was smiling ever so slightly.

'That's alright, Thorin, I was just leaving anyway,' Dain said, standing up and bowing to Bilbo.

'No, you were asking about-' Bilbo said, but Dain interrupted him by saying he had to go and see his companions before dinner and make sure they were settling in.

'I shall see you both at dinner,' he said courteously. If his gaze lingered on Bilbo for just a second too long and his look at Thorin was filled with mirth, well, only Thorin noticed and it was enough to make him bristle in indignation.

'Thorin, you do your cousin a great disservice,' Bilbo said, smiling as he touched Thorin's arm and pushed him into the seat Dain had just vacated. 'He's nice. We were talking about books...'

(Had Thorin made his new year's resolution on Durin's Day? No, he'd quite forgotten; from now on, he was going to make sure to read more.)

He let his hobbit chatter on a bit, trying to ignore the prickling feeling that intensified as Bilbo talked about how nice his cousin was, how funny... Couldn't Bilbo see that that was why Thorin had tried to put Bilbo off him? Because Thorin had known Dain would manage to worm his way into Bilbo's affections, as he'd always done even as dwarflings, and he was going to steal Bilbo from him just as he'd always managed to win over all the courtiers at his grandfather's court in the years before the dragon. Thorin had thought his heart was heavy yesterday; it was nothing to how much it weighed now.

'Thorin? Are... Are you alright?' Bilbo's soft voice broke into Thorin's thoughts and he looked up at Bilbo, trying to smile but failing miserably. It felt stretched and fake and Bilbo could surely see right through it.

'I'm fine, Bilbo. I... I came to give you something.'

Bilbo's eyebrows rose. 'You've got something for me?'

Thorin nodded. 'Bilbo, you're a part of this company as much as any of us, and I want to you to know that. Please, I know you don't care much for jewels but... I'd like you to have this.'

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small silver ring, delicate metal slivers shaped into petals around a golden core. Bilbo gasped at it - even he, who was immune to the call of the gold and precious metals, couldn't deny that this was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.

'Thorin, I -' He stopped as his throat choked up, and looked up at Thorin. Thorin cleared his throat and reached back into his coat pocket.

'I think it's the right size, but I thought maybe you might like wear it on a chain...' He held out a thin silver chain, delicate and light but strong and handed it to Bilbo, who took them wordlessly. He slipped the ring on to the chain and fastened it round his neck, touching the silver flower gently with the tip of his finger.

'It's beautiful, Thorin. Thank you,' Bilbo whispered. He looked at Thorin and felt a rush of affection sweep over him suddenly, his throat constricting with emotion. How could he tell Thorin what this meant to him, this public display of their acceptance and embracing of him into their ranks...

Thorin just reddened slightly, running a hand through his beard. 'It's nothing I just... I found it in one of the old chests in my rooms. It seemed appropriate...' He trailed off as Bilbo's smile made him lose his train of thought.

It was not long until dinner and Thorin left soon after presenting Bilbo with the ring and chain. It made his heart race seeing Bilbo handling it so delicately and the look of wonder on his face as he regarded it, knowing...

At dinner time Bilbo made his way to the large dining hall where tonight's feast - for feast it would be to welcome Dain, as Thorin had explained before - was to take place. Most of the company and Dain's people were there, and Bilbo was immediately the centre of attention as the dwarrowdams once more swept him up into conversation. They all looked at him fondly and Bilbo was still amazed at how quickly they'd taken to him; he hoped their fascination would wear off soon, however, as it was quite tiring in the face of such attention.

When Thorin and Dain arrived, Thorin looking slightly strained, they all moved to take their seats and Bilbo found himself placed in between Dain on his right and Dis on his left. He was grateful he was next to Dís, who wouldn't fuss over him like the other dams, and Dain would make for a merry meal, so Bilbo was overall quite pleased with the seating arrangements. Thorin, of course, was not; but propriety dictated he give Dain the seat of honour and Fíli, as his heir, the next, which meant Bilbo would have Dain's full charm unleashed upon him and Thorin was, for this meal at least, hobbit-less.

Throughout the meal Thorin kept an eye on Bilbo; watching and feeling the jealousy prick his gut whenever he spoke with Dain and protectiveness rise whenever he saw a dam smiling at him. Bilbo was his... A voice spoke in the back of his mind that no, Bilbo wasn't really his; and Thorin knew that he loved him too much to want to do anything to hurt him. But by Mahal, if anyone so much as harmed a curl on his head Thorin would not be held responsible for his actions.

As Bilbo expected, Dain was a good laugh and had the gathered company in stitches at many of his tales. He and Bilbo continued their conversation from earlier, Bilbo explaining about the four Farthings of the Shire and the Thain and introducing Dain to the concept of a Mayor - 'so the people choose their ruler? It's not a god-given right? And their sons don't inherit?' - and if Bilbo was aware of Thorin's ever-present watch on him throughout the meal he didn't show it. Soon enough Dain was asking Thorin about the Company, Bilbo explaining they were like a family to him.

'Even my cousin?' Dain asked, laughing and clapping Thorin on the back. Thorin grit his teeth. 'He's always been such a grump though. You should have seen him after I best him in a sword fight, once, Bilbo - he glowered at everyone, refused to talk and spent the next week practicing in the training grounds.'

Thorin was scowling at Dain's words, trying to resist the urge to punch him for bringing up his younger days - Thorin had many tales to tell about him, after all - but he froze when he heard Bilbo's light laughter over Dain's deep chuckle.

'That I can well believe!' Bilbo said, and to Thorin it was like a kick in the gut. He supposed it was only to be expected... But that Bilbo would laugh at him, and with Dain of all people; it hurt Thorin like no physical wound could. He felt his face darken and knew he was only adding fuel to the fire, but it was the only way to stop them seeing quite how much Bilbo's ridicule pained him.

Bilbo saw the scowl on Thorin's face deepen and felt a sudden niggling doubt. He felt bad, then - he knew Thorin tried, and it wasn't fair to laugh at someone like that... His hand flew to the silver flower round his neck; what if Thorin took it back because Bilbo had offended him?

'Oh!' He heard Dís' exclamation next to him and turned to ask her the matter, but found her eyes fixed on the ring he wore. He looked back down again and touched it protectively.

'I didn't think I'd ever see this again,' she breathed. 'Where did you...?'

'Thorin gave it to me,' Bilbo said. 'As a symbol of your acceptance of me.'

'Thorin gave this to you?' Her gaze sharpened and flicked to her brother, who was looking at her almost beseechingly.

'What of it?' Bilbo asked, confused.

So Thorin hadn't told him... Well of course he hadn't. Thorin was too stubborn to just tell him. Dís made up her mind then, ignoring Thorin's pleading looks.

'Oh, no particular reason. I just remember him making this.' She turned back to her food but watched Bilbo from under her eyelids, flashing Thorin a gleeful, triumphant smile.

'He... He made this?' Bilbo asked in a small voice.

'He did. We were living in Ered Luin at the time, about fifty years ago it was. We were settled enough, we had a stable income from Thorin's blacksmithing and my cooking. We'd sold most of our gold - traded it for food. But Thorin had always kept safe in a pouch these few slivers of gold and silver, even when times were tough he kept them safe.

'Then one day he didn't come home from the forge. He didn't come back for three days; he didn't eat or sleep or stop to do anything. He worked solid until he came home one day, exhausted and dirty but grinning like anything and only this one small ring to show for it. It was an odd thing for a dwarf to make, so lacking in gems and a design more suited to elves... But Thorin didn't care.'

Thorin was staring stonily down at his plate, trying to ignore Dís but she could see him straining to hear every word.

'Why... Why did Thorin make this?' Bilbo asked softly.

'He said the Calling came upon him,' Dís explained. 'The Calling to create something for his One. Most dwarves will feel it at some point in their lives, will experience the pull to make something that represents their heart's one desire, even without knowing them. And Thorin's Calling called him to make that.'

'So Thorin made this for the dwarf he...loved?'

'Not necessarily the dwarf. Ones can transcend races, you know.'

'Oh.'

'Of course we all laughed that Thorin's one might be an elf, of all things; but that was before we knew of your fair land of the Shire and its nature-loving people.' Dís shot Bilbo a look which he didn't see, he was frowning at the ring on its shining silver chain.

'I... If you excuse me, please, I... I don't feel very well. I'm sorry.'

And with that Bilbo was up and making his way out of the room. Thorin made to reach for him, saying his name as he passed, but he pulled his hand back and let him go. He turned to Dís, his eyes glittering like two cold sapphires.

Bilbo stumbled back to his room, confusion and uncertainty making him unsteady. When he reached his chamber slammed the door and stood with his back pressed against it, feeling the rough grains against his skin and trying to still his fingers which trembled slightly.

When he could breathe he grabbed the book from the side table where he'd left it that afternoon and curled up under the blankets on his bed, cocooning himself within them as if to block out the rest of the world. He stared down at the book, tracing the ink-stained leather with one finger tip. Eventually he opened the book, turning back to the page he'd looked at earlier - it felt like a life-time away now.

He reached the page on courtship and stared down at it, uncertain. He took a deep, shuddering breath and then began to read.

His stomach began to twist unpleasantly, his breath coming shorter as he read the rules of courtship.

...The presentation of one's craft to a potential spouse shows the intention to marry. Usually this is a manuscript, if one is a scribe, jewellery, if one is a smith...

...Clothes are an important part of dwarven culture and one of the more intimate steps in a courtship is the sharing of clothes. Allowing another to wear one's clothes is a sure sign of courtship...

...Braiding is perhaps the most important part of our culture and it is therefore not surprising that it should play a large role in courtship. As well as courtship braids during the courtship, should a dwarf request another to braid his hair in the simplest of plaits, he is taking the final step of courting: proposing...

Images flashed through Bilbo's mind as he read - himself, wearing Thorin's coat on a walk back from a picnic; a ring on a silver chain; himself braiding Thorin's hair at the dwarf's request... Surely Thorin wasn't trying to court him?

Surely Thorin couldn't be in love with him?

No. It was just Dís. She loved to tease - he'd seen her rib her brother on many occasions and it stood to reason she wouldn't be above pulling Bilbo's leg a little... But still his stomach prickled, and not entirely unpleasantly.

He gave a snort then, shaking his head at his own foolishness. Honestly, he was just being silly now. Thorin did not love him, and most certainly was not trying to court him. He removed the necklace with its delicate silver flower and placed it carefully on the bedside table, staring at it as he snuggled deeper down under the covers.

Ignoring the little twist in his gut - (could Thorin really have made it for him? No, Bilbo, shush. Don't think about that. But maybe it's true- Wasn't dinner nice today?) - he laughed at himself, conversing with himself like a madman. Maybe he was one.

With a sigh Bilbo rolled over in his bed - strange, the large dwarf dimensions had never really bothered him before but now the bed was strangely empty - and fell asleep. It didn't stop him dreaming of sapphires and emeralds and silver flowers opening and closing around a heart of molten gold.

A/N: *evil laugh* How was that?! Now Bilbo knoooows... but does he believe? *sigh*. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter to see what happens :D