"Fili! We've got ourselves a small problem!" Kili yelled as soon as Nori was out of their door, on his way back to his job.

Today he was working on something or another, but Kili didn't really care about the secretive man right now. He had more important things on his mind that were a tiny bit more important than Nori's odd jobs.

Fili growled as he walked out of his room, scratching at his head and in the foulest of moods. Today was the only off day he had from college and Kili was already screaming up a storm. He was not amused at all.

"What in the world is wrong with you, brother? You know today is my only day off." Fili glared at his younger brother, who glared right back at him.

"Our uncle is trying to steal our Bofur!"

Fili, admittedly, had to think and process what his brother had just said. Had he really just whined about what he thought he had whined about?

"Excuse you?"

Kili now crossed his arms, clearly not amused with his less than attentive brother. "You heard me! Uncle Thorin is going to take Bofur and keep him for himself!"

Fili actually blinked at his younger brother in confusion. He had become accustomed to the younger's eccentric ways and, really, there weren't that many things that Kili could do to shock him anymore. But it seemed like the dark haired man still had some surprises left in him because this really shocked Fili.

"You just heard yourself, right?" Fili asked, and when he got a nod from his brother, asked, "Just what in the world is wrong with you? This is a good thing!"

Kili gasped at him, "Good thing?! Fili, Thorin is going to take Mr. Funny Guy away from us!"

The blonde man rolled his eyes at his brother's theatrics and made his way into the kitchen, where Kili followed him. "You are overreacting, Kili. Our uncle would do no such thing. Besides, what's a little attraction for Thorin? It's been so long since he's last dated."

Suddenly Kili appeared in front of him, in between his body and the kitchen's counter. Fili jumped back in shock but Kili continued as if what he had done was completely normal.

"He last dated Bilbo, Fili! And we all know how that ended!" Kili announced, "We cannot allow him to date another friend!"

"And just why can we not allow our uncle to have an actual love life?" Fili asked, quirking an eyebrow as he moved to the refrigerator, only to have his path blocked once more by an overly excited Kili.

"Because he is going to muck the relationship up and then Bofur will not want to be around us anymore! Just like Bilbo! Because who would want to hang out with their ex's nephews?"

At Kili's exasperated state, Fili noticed something very important. Even though his younger brother was extremely excitable and seemed to be the most carefree person in the world, he'd always had his serious and actually thought out moments. Those moments were few and far in between, but when he had them Fili knew better than to ignore them.

So he sighed, "Bilbo never did like hanging out with us as much as he did before Thorin after they broke up..." He admitted, remembering how hurt he had been every time they'd invited the man out only to be turned down by some lame excuse.

Their uncle had dated their elementary school teacher, Bilbo, about five or six years ago. Their relationship had been a happy one and seemed as if it would last, but not even a year in and they decided to call it quits. Fili and Kili both loved Bilbo as if he were another uncle so they had taken the rapture the hardest, but had grown to live with the differences in their lives. But it still hurt to know that they had almost loved a beloved school teacher because of Thorin's decisions.

"Exactly. Now put Bofur in the same place Bilbo was in the beginning. Now he's all enchanted with our uncle's good looks and deep voice and is even more grateful because of the chance to get himself a good job." Kili started to explain, Fili now seated in front of the kitchen's island, any thought of food vanished as his thoughts took a darker turn for Bofur and Thorin.

"But imagine if they get to where they clearly want to get to. Our uncle is a hard headed man and he clearly isn't the kind that takes stupidity for too long. Bofur thrives because of how we are. Bilbo did as well."

"But Kili, you cannot possibly say that Bofur and Bilbo are the exact same-"

Now Kili placed a finger in front of his brother's lips, "I am not saying that, my brother! I am saying Bilbo was fond of our stupid ways until Thorin got his claws on him! And now, where is he? He scolds us for the dumbest of things! Always going on about respectability and what not!"

Fili pursed his lips, pushing his brother's hand away. "But Bofur would not wind up like that. He is clearly-"

And once more Kili interrupted him. "I do not wish to know what would happen if our uncle got a hold of our newest friend, Fili." Now the black haired man leaned in, eyes narrowed dangerously. "He may end up fine and well and our friendship would continue... Or he could be changed so horribly that he'd pack his bags and leave for Ireland in the next few months, never to be heard from again."

Fili's eyes widened in both fear and shock. Over the short period of time he had come to know Bofur, he'd come to really like the older male. He liked his fun yet knew when to stop. He was the perfect balance for the brothers. And they already had a very good dynamic between the three of them. Having their uncle muscle his way into their group could devastate the whole thing.

With this the blonde jumped up from his chair, hands slamming onto the counter-top. "We cannot allow our uncle to date Bofur!"

"Are you sure this is okay for my interview?" Bofur asked for the seventh time that hour, shifting slightly in his seat as he waited for Thorin to pack up all his things.

"I've told you enough times already, Bofur. You are going to an interview for a family friends. You will be applying for a job in a bakery. Believe me when I tell you that they do not expect you to be wearing a Ravazzolo."

With this Thorin looked at the mustached man, who was wringing his hat in his hands, only to find Bofur giving him a questioning look.

"Ravioli?"

Thorin's mouth twitched into a faint smile at this, then he shook his head and picked his briefcase up from his desk. "It's a suit designer, Bofur. And that's what I mean, they won't be expecting you to know things like that."

Bofur smiled at the man's calm and soothing words, yet couldn't help but look down at himself. He felt so extremely under dressed for a job interview. He was wearing one of the button up shirts the boy's had been nice enough to lend him, along with some casual yet dressy enough dress pants and black shoes. His mustache and hair were groomed, but he felt like a complete fish out of water.

He was really missing his clunky coat right now...

"Are you sure, Thorin? I mean-"

"Bofur, trust me will you? Why would I set you up for failure?" Thorin asked as he turned from the door, giving Bofur a small smirk. "I am not a spoiled brat that has not worked a day in his life so, in turn, does not know the perils of the working class. I would never do onto you what I would not want done to me or my family."

With those strong words he opened the door to his office and stepped outside. "Now come on. I don't want you to be late."

Bofur rose up from his chair and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, then looked at Thorin and nodded softly. He really didn't know what to expect from the job interview but he was sure of one thing.

Thorin really was one very interesting man.

"Your résumé here says you worked for a bakery back in Ireland? How did that work out?"

Bofur smiled softly as he thought back on his past with Bombur baking by his side as they worked in their uncle's shop. The man in front of him was a very nice man by the name of Bard, and he seemed to be the owner of the small bakery Bofur was applying to work for.

Bard was an extremely tall man with long brown hair that he kept tied up in a ponytail, along with soft and inviting chocolate brown eyes and a neatly trimmed beard.

"Well that was my uncle's small shop. I worked for most of my high school and college years there and it was quite a dream. I did anything they told me to do- clean up, bake something, even run deliveries- until my uncle passed and we had to close it down." Bofur reminisced with a bittersweet smile, the memories hitting him now that he actually that back on this years.

Just how was Bombur now? And Bifur? And the rest of the family he had been lying to the whole time he'd been in America?

Bard's soft smile became a frown at the mention of his uncle's death, "Oh, I am sorry to hear that..."

"Don't be! Those years were what made me get a strong work ethic! Because I worked with my uncle, I knew I couldn't talk back to him so I know what the boss says goes. And no matter the job, I'll do it. One of the perks of being told to do something new every day!" Bofur smiled up at Bard, who returned the smile.

"Well, it seems like you'd fit right in, Mr. Broadbeam." Bard said as he stood up, moving to the front of his desk.

"Please, call me Bofur. You'll be my boss now, aye?" Bofur asked, rising himself as Bard offered him his hand.

It seemed like nothing could make either of them really stop smiling. "That I will be. Now, let me tell you a little something about our bakery."

With this Bard led him out to the bakery's main floor, where Thorin sat talking to a business associate. There were two more people in the establishment, but not many because the lunch frenzy had died down.

"The initial idea of this was a mom-and-pop type of operation with my wife. Unfortunately, she passed away a few months before our grand opening so it's become a pop-and-daughter operation." Bard told Bofur as he led the male to the cashier, where his daughter was reading a business magazine.

"I am sorry to hear that-"

"Nonsense. As you said so yourself, it's only made me stronger." Bard interrupted, then placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "This is my daughter, Sigrid. My eldest. She runs the front of the bakery while I am baking or working on something or another in the back."

Sigrid placed the magazine on the counter and smiled, offering her hand to Bofur, "So you're the new worker? It was about time Da finally hired someone."

"Bofur Broadbeam, pleasure to meet you, lass." Bofur greeted as he shook the girl's hand, making her smile broadly.

"And he has manners. Da, I think you chose right."

Bard rolled his eyes at his daughter and turned to Bofur once more. "She's got quite a mouth. But don't worry, she knows not to be too terrible to the customers."

Bofur smiled as Sigrid winked at him then went back to her magazine, only to have Bard lead him away once more.

"This, of course, is where all the magic happens." Bard said as they entered the door at the end of the counter, the one that led to the kitchen. "You'll be starting out in the front with Sigrid, filling out orders and delivering, but if you prove to be good, you might be promoted to working back here with me."

Suddenly there was the sound of rapid footsteps and before Bofur could really take in the situation, there was a small girl in Bard's arms, hugging the man tightly. "With me too, Daddy! Don't forget about me!"

Bard smiled at the girl in his hands, "Now how could I forget about my number one baker?" He placed a kiss on her cheeks before turning to Bofur once more. "This is my youngest, Tilda. She helps out back here from time to time when she's not busy with homework."

Clearly this was something normal because the girl groaned loudly at the mention of the dreaded work, "But Da! I already went to school for first and second and third grade! Can't I just drop out and start working full time with you already?"

Bofur chuckled softly at Bard's look of indignation, then knelt so he was looking Tilda directly in the eyes. "Now, Tilda, wouldn't you like to be able to open up a whole chain of bakeries so everyone could enjoy your father's sweets?"

The young girl nodded, clearly excited by the idea.

"Well, you'll need a good education to be able to do just that! But, don't worry, I'm sure will leave the number one baker spot open until you come back from your studies!"

The girl squealed in delight at the idea while Bard could only smile at how well Bofur interacted with his young daughter. "You better keep that promise, daddy!" Tilda threatened, glaring slightly at her father.

So Bard only raised his right hand and placed his left over his heart, "Cross my heart and hope to die, love."

Tilda's smile could have lit up a city.

After giving Bofur the whole tour of the bakery- which wasn't all that much because it wasn't a very big shop- both men stood in the office once more, big smiles on their faces.

"Bofur, I believe you'll fit right in my family." Bard told him, clearly happy with the idea. "They aren't usually so open with strangers that want to work here."

Bofur blushed slightly at the praise, "I guess I'm just good with people, sir."

Bard nodded softly and led him to his office's door. "That you are, Bofur. I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning."

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