A/N: I'm posting two chapters because it took me so much to update! Hope you like!
The one that was chatting happily with him was called Bofur. He was a tad taller than Bilbo, with a young face filled with wrinkles where he smiled. He seemed to do that a lot. He was wearing a funny hat, and everything about him screamed craziness to Bilbo but also the comfort of meeting someone so easy to be around of. He studied Sculpture, and was very famous around the Plastic and Visual Arts Faculty thanks to his Star Wars figurines made out of erasers, which wasn't even the bestest of materials, but everybody seemed to think that was the appeal. His brother, was Bombur, a very round guy with long orange hair that seemed to meet his beard. He was studying Gastronomy, and everyone claimed he had been born to cook and that was where he belonged. They had a cousin, who was very shy and barely spoke, called Bifur. He had a very big scar on his forehead, and when Bilbo didn't ask about it nor stared at it, Bifur was a little more open. He was a Classic Languages student, and very fluid on many of them already. Then there were Gloin and Oin. They were brothers as well. Oin was almost about to finish Med school, and he was a very funny guy. He was always in for jokes and liked to tease his brother, who was an Accounting student and was more reserved, he liked to joke around of course, but most of the time he had a serious face and if he talked, all he spoke about was his girlfriend and his future life plans. Dori and Nori were bickering next to Bilbo. Dori was a Law student, and Nori was supposed to be studying some weird Engineering but didn't attend his classes, and Dori kept telling him that wasn't the best life example for their little brother Ori, who was on his second year of highschool. Nori jut rolled his eyes and said he could teach so many things to Ori that couldn't be taught at school. The last two brothers were Balin and Dwalin. Balin was the eldest of the group, on his last semester of Universal History. He had a kind face and it looked as if he had the secrets of the world under his long beard. Dwalin looked scary. He had a glare on his face and a bald head with tattoos. That wasn't even his most frightening feature. He looked as if he was ready for war. He was studying Forensic Science and no one bested him at their practices.
Bofur had introduced every single one of them to Bilbo on their way to the burger place. He had spoken very quickly but Bilbo had taken in all the information. As Thorin had already introduced himself back in the alley, Bofur skipped him, and he walked behind Bilbo, and he could feel his stare on the back of his head, making him very uneasy.
He had never known a group so varied and different and yet so organised and in happy harmony. Smaug's friends were all studying to be great businessmen an inherit the company of their fathers. There was no difference from one to the other. They were boring. But this small group, with the weirdest hairdos and so many different points of view gave Bilbo a lot of energy to chat and be part of conversations. Unlike with Smaug.
But he wasn't with Smaug because of his friends, he was with them because that way he could be with Smaug. With this group, he felt like he could be friends, but he didn't want to only be friends with Smaug. That was why it was even harder to be with his friends, and because Smaug didn't really want to be with Bilbo. It sucked to accept it, but Bilbo had a long while ago.
"So, which one would you like to try?" asked Bombur, walking behind the counter putting on an apron and washing his hands.
Bilbo looked at the variety of burgers and sandwiches they served, and it was a very hard decision. Every choice made his mouth water.
"I don't know, they all look so good."
"Well, let's do this, Bombur will give you any burger he wants and we are ordering one different each and you can have a bite of each!" said Balin patting Bilbo on the back.
The pat felt so familiar, even if he had never even seen Balin, or any of the others, before. And that felt really nice.
"Sounds good to me" said Bilbo and after everyone shouted their order to Bombur, they went to take their seats on the largest table there was in the restaurant.
Bilbo sat on a chair Balin added from another table, placed next to the spot Thorin took at the head of the table. Bilbo sat nervously, not everyday a man this good looking offered Bilbo his company so openly.
"So, Bilbo, what do you study?" asked Dori from across the table, before munching over a bread with jam.
"Oh, well, I'm studying English."
"Oooh that's nice! Another man of letters!"
"Yep, but we should wait until he tries the burgers, and see what he thinks, shouldn't we?"
"Are we really measuring him with what he thinks of a burger?"
"Well it's not just any burger, it's Bombur's cooking, right?"
Everyone nodded at Bofur's comment, but Bilbo was confused. Why would they be measuring him?
"Excuse me, but, you will wait for me to try the burger, for what exactly?"
They all turned to look at him and then to Thorin. Bilbo turned to look at him as well, and it dawned on him. They were trying to see if he was good for Thorin. Apparently, they didn't know Thorin liked him until that very day, and now that they did, they wanted to know if Bilbo would be a good addition to their group. Why with his thoughts on a burger, he had no clue.
Well, as much a Bilbo had enjoyed the company so far, an would like to be friends with them, he had no intention to be a part of it as Thorin's partner, at all. While the man was very handsome, and wild, which Bilbo kind of liked, he didn't want any kind of intimate connection with him. He was very sorry, but no.
When he was about to politely decline any advances, his attention was caught in one of the most appealing and delicious scents he had ever smelled. He turned to look at Bombur carrying his burger, which looked glorious, Bilbo's mouth watering when it was placed in front of him. He stared at it as the burgers of the others were placed on the table.
"Well come on then, munch in!" urged Bofur, holding his own burger in his hands.
Bilbo took his and gave the first bite, which was as glorious as it looked, every flavour making his tongue explode with delight. As he gave a moan of satisfaction, everyone roared in triumph and started at their own burger.
Bilbo felt a pair of eyes on him, heavy and expectating. He turned and looked at Thorin. He smiled at Bilbo, such a simple and honest smile before biting his sandwich, that Bilbo felt like he could be in this man's company forever. It was not a simple feeling, but it felt like it could be, and he relaxed a little. He smiled back and joined in the new conversation, laughing and even offering a joke or two.
He couldn't remember the last time he had had such a good time in the company of others.
When they were out of the restaurant and he was ready to go home, feeling full and sleepy, saying his goodbyes to everyone, Thorin caught up with him a few paces away from his loud group.
"I hope you had a good meal?"
"Very good, thank you!"
"Good. So... Um, so listen, about what I said..."
"Look, I'm very flattered, and I really had a great time, but, it doesn't change the fact that I want to be with him, no matter what. I would have changed the way our relationship goes a long time ago if I cared, but I don't, so I haven't, and I don't want it to change. I'm sorry."
Thorin looked taken aback, and a flash of hurt flew through his eyes before being hooded by his frown.
"Well, if that's so, why did you come? Why not go back to him right away? We didn't make you come, you chose to, you said yes."
Bilbo didn't know what to say because he didn't really know why he had said yes. He didn't know any of them, so why accept an offer of meal from a group of complete strangers that had just made a disaster in one of the guy's he liked parties? He didn't know.
Thorin looked at him like he knew what he was thinking, and only nodded knowingly. Think about it, his look said, and he turned around to join his friends and take their leave.
Bilbo waited until their voices had died out before leaving as well. He wanted to be with Smaug, there was no doubt, was there? He knew he didn't want to change how things were because otherwise he wouldn't be able to be with Smaug at all. Besides, he had just as good times with him as he had today, with strangers, didn't he?