Bilbo could hardly get his mind off tomorrow, not even with all of Smaug's coddling and cantankerous insistence not to let Bilbo lift a finger until he was perfectly well. He had Lily Rumble coming over, and a pie to make, and he needed his whole hole and his whole house guest to be absolutely commendable.

"Smaug, listen- listen to me right now!" Bilbo snapped suddenly as the dragon man tried to light his pipe for him and narrowly avoided singing his nose in the process. "Lily is coming over and I won't stand for this badgering! I am a well-to-do hobbit and you need to be on your best and most respectful behaviour! She's a fine soul and she has a good heart, so you will not scare her!" Bilbo gave Smaug that look, that pinched pale-cheeked look that meant he meant business, and he said: "She is doing us a great service coming over here in this weather to offer her sewing skills so be grateful for land's sake. No tricks, no fire. Understand?"

Giving the dragon some credit, he at least tried to look stunned by the request, a hand touching his chest.

"Why, thiefling, I'm wounded. Here you have a paragon of good graces, a modicum of mannerism, and yet you stand to accuse me…" The dramatics were right on point, the dragon eager to user his clever tongue, and Smaug curled up a little as his contentment soared, It made Bilbo swallow, sweating, and he scowled at his guest sternly.

"Yes I do!" He huffed, puffing his little chest out and clenching his teeth. "My neighbors are good people and you'll be good to them while you're invading my hole!"

Smaug, for all intents and purposes, didn't look too shocked by the outburst, his mouth curling downwards thoughtfully before he let his eyes wander into the fire. Bilbo just grumbled and he forced himself up to his feet to get ready.

Watching Smaug stare into the fire like that, eyes dark even as the flames danced into them, Bilbo felt a little older and he had to shiver slightly as he hurried away down the tunnels. He didn't want to think too much about it all, swallowing tensely as he shuffled into his bedroom, and he groaned softly at the mess he saw. Blankets all over, wet towels strewn over this chair and that patch of floor… Bilbo rolled up his sleeves hurriedly, mortified by the state of the place, and he swallowed down a cough before he got to picking everything up and tossing it into the hamper. He'd have a lot of washing to do if he wanted the place spick and span, and he just thanked his lucky stars that he always had a spare chest of clean linens stowed away for emergencies just such as this.

Maybe he'd become a bit neglectful of his proper housekeeping habits ever since he'd gotten his things back, but he was still searching for those last few spoons so he couldn't really be blamed. He'd been a burglar, an adventurer, the thirteenth man of their company; he wasn't just a hobbit anymore, as much as he tried to deny it.

Setting the final armful of clothes down, Bilbo let out a wet wheeze and he coughed heavily as he moved from room to room. He stood there tugging at the chest for the longest time, feeling that tugging feeling in his chest only get worse, but when he turned around he didn't expect Smaug to be watching him from the hall.

Well, Bilbo nearly leaped a foot into the air and that was pretty high for a little hobbit.

"Good lord!" He blurted, looking mortified now as he regained some composure and his little hand pressed firmly against his tightening chest. He hated to come down sick with anything, least of all something that kept him so breathless, but he wasn't about to let Smaug have his way. Human and imposing, the dragon had a few deadly tools in his power, but he wasn't one to bend to such intimidation.

Huffing, Bilbo stood up a little straighter and hurried to smooth out his rumpled clothing irritably. "Smaug, honestly, skulking about and stalking me like some predator moving through a field is going to do me in! What on Earth are you lurking for? Is it time to eat already?" He had gotten quite used to the badgering, to their stomachs ruling their schedules, but he was surprised to find Smaug was the only guest he was not eager to feed.

"I could hear your infernal wheezing from there." Smaug snorted, letting the soft plume of smoke leave his nostrils at the words and happily glowering at him in return. "You've been about putting yourself beyond your capabilities, stirring up such racket, and it's intolerable. All this to court some abominable female? Preposterous."

Bilbo sighed, sitting on the chest he'd been shifting, and he said: "For the hills' sake, Lily is not here for anything like that. She's here to help me keep you from destroying all my good things. Some shirts and trousers of your own are first off, so that you're not tearing through all of mine. Secondly, she wanted to patch that cloak you came with, the ratty thing it is. She's very sweet. Something to eat, some time to fit you with proper stout garments, and a bit of friendly chatter."

"As if any of it is necessary." Smaug snorted. "Garments are a waste, your rations are for us to share, and chatter is the idle prattling for songbirds and other such irritants. Your measures of possessions alone should sway her in our favour, thiefling. Your little hole seems well stocked with such things, as far as I can ascertain. Nothing of value, surely, but some pretty cheap things. Perfect for a mating display."feeling fru

"Is the only reason you've come down here to torment me?" Bilbo questioned finally, feeling frustration set into his shoulders as he stood there playing at a conversation with him. "I don't have time to play riddles."

"No," Smaug said, arms crossing over his chest now as Bilbo turned the conversation around to give him the floor. "you told me to come find you when that fanciful fruit tart you put in the kiln is ready. It smells ready."

Letting out a small, shocked gasp suddenly as he remembered what else he'd been doing to prepare for Lily's visit, Bilbo jumped up in a rush and he hurried to catch Smaug's arm.

"Oh good heavens! The pie!" He exclaimed, eyes wide. "You, make yourself useful here and shove that chest into the room across from the pantry. I need to clear up to make some place presentable for her to do all her work, and the front room is in such a state with you and your fire napping!" He was frantic, harried, and Bilbo was glad to go darting down the tunnel to the kitchen hurriedly, catching his oven gloves on the way by. "And pick up all those infernal blankets you've brought in there! We need room to walk and stand and it's by no means presentable! Pile them in the guest room if you're so particular about inhabiting a hearth!"

He was just glad to scoop the lovely pastry out of the heat before it cooked too harshly, bemoaning the golden crust and cautious as he set it down on a hot plate. He wanted it to be perfect, glad to at least be mostly presentable now as he hurried over to start whipping some fresh cream, but it wasn't more than halfway to stiffly whipped when his bell tinkled.

"Lily," He gasped, cheeks flushing, and he set the bowl down with a clearing of his throat.

Marching through his front room, glad to see the towering figure disappear down a tunnel with his 'nest', Bilbo straightened his rug and he tried to make himself up a little more before he opened his big round door.

"Lily, thank you for coming." He beamed, thrilled to have some reasonable company at last as he welcomed his pretty guest in out of the snow. "Here, please, let me take your things and hang them up. I was just whipping some cream for us, getting the finishing touches together… I thought my front room might be suitable for measurements and such today."

And he could only hope his draconian companion didn't harass her as well.