A/N: Wow! Almost 2,000 views?! I'm honored. Thank you. :]
I want to offer major thanks to myxbeautifulxidiot for helping me out with a few scenes and to loreyulia and iggle731 for your reviews!
CHAPTER WARNING: none
Breakfast was rather ordinary, even though it was a little closer to second breakfast than Bilbo would have liked. The hobbit-sized breakfast almost made up for the rumbling in his stomach – as did his nephew's content smile.
Plates of over easy eggs, scrambled eggs, toast, hash browns, and bacon scattered the table. Bowls of porridge, sugar, and sliced strawberries were set in the scant space between plates. A jug of milk sat on the table as well, as much for the porridge as for Frodo's breakfast.
After all, milk is essential for growing hobbits to have strong bones, Bilbo thought as he poured Frodo a glass.
Once the table had been set, the hobbits dug in. Bilbo filled his plate and bowls with all but the scrambled eggs. Heaping amounts of hash browns and bacon went next to the eggs, a slice of toast perched on the edge of the plate. As usual, he put strawberries and milk in his porridge.
The dining room was quiet as the two began their breakfast, the morning sun streaming in through the window. Frodo took all the scrambled eggs and as much other food as he could fit on his dishes. When Frodo added the fifth teaspoon of sugar to his porridge, Bilbo had to focus his attention on his own breakfast. Far too sweet for my tastes, he thought as he stirred some milk into his tea.
Their breakfast continued in relative silence, the sounds of utensils on plates and birdsong filling the room.
This is an enjoyable way to start the day, although we haven't really had much time together to establish any sort of routine. Bilbo set his spoon down and took a sip of his tea, smiling as Frodo filled his mouth with another heaping fork of scrambled eggs. If I'm being honest with myself, I could be quite happy with this life. I could make something worthwhile come from this tragedy.
Bilbo suddenly stood, brushing imaginary crumbs off his trousers as he did so.
"Frodo," he began as he started to consolidate the morning's leftovers, "how would you feel about getting a dog of your own, hmm?"
Frodo froze, eyes wide as he stared hopefully up at his uncle.
"I had a dog as a boy and I figure these old bones aren't quite the playmate you desire. So, Frodo, if you're up for the responsibilities of having a pet, we could go look into adopting a dog later this week."
Whatever response Bilbo expected, he never expected a bundle of excited faunt to leap across the table – screaming. I certainly don't appreciate that surprise meeting with the floor, he thought, rubbing at his sorer elbow. Although Frodo's unguarded happiness more than made up for any resulting bumps and bruises.
I would have expected this kind of behavior from Kíli - Fíli, even - but Frodo? Bilbo thought, shaking his head as he pulled a wooden pipe from his waistcoat. He ran his fingers over the worn edges of the angled runes that covered the wooden pipe. Having found no cracks in it, Bilbo pulled some longbottom leaf out from another waistcoat pocket for a mid-morning smoke.
After what was left of breakfast had been cleaned, Frodo began clearing out a spot in each bedroom for the dog. While Bilbo hoped a dog would help Frodo feel more comfortable sleeping in his new room in Bag End, he was fully prepared for Frodo the furry menace to join him in the master bedroom.
Oh look at me, Bilbo thought as he puffed away, already writing this dog off as a menace. I fully blame you for this turn of events, Thorin. You've gone and left me and even then you're still warning me to watch out for mischievous nephews.
Bilbo took the pipe in his hands, careful to not dump its contents on his lap, and looked down at it. Although there had hardly been a day in decades that he had not looked at, if not used, this pipe, Bilbo always felt amazed by the details of the craftsmanship that went into such a little thing. Dwarves, he thought, I will never understand the lot of them.
The more Bilbo thought of dwarves, especially his dwarves, the closer he wandered towards events he thought would have been better left forgotten; to memories soaked in blood and caked in mud.
This pipe was one of the few unbroken things left after the battle, Bilbo thought; memories of a once-bright face came rushing out. Tears stung at Bilbo's eyes as more memories of that face came forth. It was pale and bloody, bruises that would never heal in full bloom on a shattered cheekbone and an unnaturally crooked nose that would never heal.
I should have been more careful. I could have saved you, saved all three of you, if -
"Uncle Bilbo!" The pattering of feet in the hallway, complete with the loud bang of the door hitting the wall, jolted Bilbo out of his thoughts. "Uncle Bilbo, I did it! I made a space for the dog!"
Bilbo smiled, finding it easier to push unwanted memories aside. Perhaps it's because I have something else to focus my attention on, he thought as he brushed off his waistcoat. "So, Frodo, are you sure you're ready for the responsibility of a dog?"
"Yes, Uncle Bilbo! I'll feed it and water it and play with it!"
"Mmm, but so much more than just feeding and playing goes into taking care of a dog," Bilbo said as he gestured for Frodo to take a seat next to him on the bench.
"But," Frodo said, his face scrunched up in concentration, "what else is there?"
Even if Bilbo tried, even if he wanted to, he would not have been able to hold back his laughter. "Frodo, oh Frodo," he said, gasping for breath, "there is so much more to raising and training a dog than that!"
It had been a long day for the Bagginses of Bag End, filled with talk the merits of certain dog breeds, dog training, and the myriad of responsibilities that came with caring for a dog. Bilbo was hoping for a smaller dog, preferably one from a breed that was known for being easy to train, while Frodo was insistent that the dog that needed a home the most was the dog perfect for them. Suspecting that this stemmed from Frodo's own recent orphaning, Bilbo relented.
After all, this is to help him heal and move on. Maybe I shouldn't have been alone for so long; having Frodo here has already helped considerably, Bilbo thought as he watched Frodo practice the non-verbal commands for 'sit,' 'stay,' 'come,' and 'down' for the umpteenth time. I have to admit that Frodo certainly seems serious about making sure he is ready for caring for a dog, I've never seen a faunt so dedicated to something that doesn't involve food.
Later that day the duo went out to get some groceries, additional shops were visited to get dog toys, a dog bed, and a collar that would later be embroidered with the dog's name and 'Baggins of Bag End.' That way if the dog were to get lost and could not find their way home on their own, a kind hobbit could return the poor pooch.
The rest of their day was dedicated to getting Bag End ready for a dog. Rooms were cleaned, breakable things were put higher up on shelves and walls, rugs were removed from certain rooms in case there were any accidents, and a latch was put on the door to the panry. Once the house was made a little more dog-friendly, Bilbo established which rooms the dog would not be allowed in. While Bilbo had originally intended for this rule to save his study from a teething pup, he realized it would also help keep the smial cleaner so he added a couple of the more difficult-to-clean rooms to the list, as well as the kitchen, and Bilbo hoped that his garden would be safe from holes if he did not put a little fence up around it.
Throughout the day, the two hobbits had also discussed a variety of dog names, from the silly (Dioji) to the serious (Prim or Drogo) and everything in between. But by the end of the day, Frodo still had not decided on a name for the dog. Bilbo insisted that it might be better to wait until they meet the dog so they could choose a name that suits them, while Frodo remained thoroughly convinced that the dog's name was the single most important decision he would ever make. Luckily for Bilbo, he was able to convince his nephew to learn more about how to train a dog even if they did not have a name picked out yet.
"Uncle Bilbo!"
"No," he mumbled, burying his face into his pillow as he reflexively pulled the blankets closer. "Go back to sleep."
"But you said we could go today!" Frodo whined as he tried to shake Bilbo into consciousness. This only soured Bilbo's mood and he attempted to swat Frodo's hands away.
"Frodo, no, the sun isn't even up yet. We'll go after breakfast. Which," Bilbo hastily added, "we will not be eating until it's fully light out and a decent hour of the morning so go back to sleep."
Bilbo slightly curled back up on his side, pulling the edge of the blanket down to his chin, and just like that he was asleep again.
Bilbo opened his eyes to find his nephew staring intently at him, Frodo's face unsettlingly close to his own.
"Good morning, Uncle!" Frodo said with a smile that lit up his entire face. "I let you sleep like you asked so let's hurry and make breakfast so we can go get my dog!"
Bilbo just stared at his fully dressed and chipper nephew for a moment, wondering why Frodo had flour under one ey- Oh no.
Bilbo narrowed his eyes, moving his head forward slightly; the two hobbits were now so close that their noses nearly touched. "Frodo, how long have you been awake?"
"Since this morning!"
"Frodo," Bilbo sighed, sitting up so he could start his day, "it's morning now. Surely you didn't wake up and get dressed and get breakfast started all since I woke up." He got out of bed and stretched enough to crack his back as Frodo followed him.
"Well, I tried to go back to sleep, honest! I really did! But I was too excited to sleep because today is the day we get a dog!"
Bilbo chose his clothes - gardening trousers with an old but respectable cream shirt and red waistcoat - before looking back at his nephew. The circles under his eyes are rather suspicious, although they could just be from waking up before Yavanna herself. "Did you even sleep last night?"
"Yes," Frodo huffed. He put his hands on his hips and started tapping a foot in impatience. "Can we eat breakfast now? I made eggs and they're getting cold."
"You what?!" Bilbo asked, the shirt over his head hiding the panic on his face. He pulled the shirt down, tucked it in, and whipped his waistcoat on as he rushed to the kitchen. It's going to be gone, my poor kitchen just like that! Oh, I should have woken up when Frodo did before he could get into any tr-
The kitchen, clean as ever, stopped Bilbo in his tracks. The table was set, with their plates and bowls already filled with their preferred breakfast foods.
Even if this tastes horrible, I am going to pretend as if each bite was the single greatest thing I have ever eaten.
A/N: This is only about 50% of what I had planned for this chapter, but considering it's been weeks since I updated I cut it off here and hopefully will have another chapter up for you guys sometime after April 14th :3