Chapter Text
Bilbo woke up to the smell of breakfast and decided that, for now, he would just focus on filling his stomach. Clearing up whatever blunder he had committed could wait. He got up and stretched, thinking of the day ahead. He had never walked so much in all his life! Hearing his stomach grumble, Bilbo remembered just how hungry he was and walked over to get his portion. However, Bombur was looking at him with gentler eyes than Bilbo had ever seen. It reminded him of his father. Mesmerized, it took Bilbo a second before he looked down at his bowl and realized that he had received extra breakfast. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Bilbo went to sit down when he was called over by Fíli and Kíli.
“Come sit with us, Bilbo! Not those old grumps!” Fíli said, laughing. Fíli and Kíli both seemed to be excited to sit with Bilbo, and he thought, perhaps naively, that they were just acting their age. How old could they be, anyway? Barely the age of majority, probably. He sat between them and settled in to eat his breakfast. The peace lasted a good five seconds.
“We have something serious to ask you, Bilbo.” Kíli blurted out. Fíli punched him in the shoulder. “Way to be tactful. You have a gift, a real mirror of Uncle Thorin!” he said sarcastically. Fíli and Kíli began to bicker with each other and Bilbo tried to calm them down by stepping between them.
“Boys! Calm down!” Bilbo said, desperately trying to get them to see reason. Fíli and Kíli looked at him and laughed. Bilbo was a little offended. Sure, he was an outsider, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t trying to help! They should at least have the manners to know not to laugh at someone trying to give them advice.
“Stop this instant! You—“ Bilbo was interrupted by Dori, who simply picked him up and headed back to where he had been sitting. Bilbo said nothing until he was put down, mostly out of surprise. Did all the dwarves think they could just pick him up and move him wherever they pleased, like a doll? Dori suddenly got up again and Bilbo saw him talking to Fíli and Kíli. They both looked properly abashed and Bilbo felt a little bad. He hadn’t exactly helped diffuse the situation. Dori came back to where Bilbo was sitting and sat down with him. Bilbo was about to tell him that Fíli and Kíli weren’t fighting too intensely and that it was Bilbo’s fault, really, when something made him freeze. Dori was carding his hand through Bilbo’s hair! Bilbo got angry all over again. What is with these dwarves and their lack of personal space? Before Bilbo could say anything, Dori began to speak.
“Don’t you worry about those two knuckleheads. They should know better. Of all the people they could involve in their squabbling!” Dori huffed. What was that supposed to mean? Bilbo wanted to ask, but decided not to press the issue. His nerves were still all rattled from the fight between Fíli and Kíli.
Soon after, they set off for the day. But the oddness didn’t pass. Ori had fussed about the state of Bilbo’s coat, which they had meant to fix after the troll incident, but had forgotten to. What he had been carrying had been lifted off of him by Gloin, who said that he needed the help, as he is “weaker” than the rest of them. Bilbo wanted to proclaim his strength and carry his stuff but the allure of not having to stopped him from truly being upset.
At the end of the day, all of the dwarves but Thorin had fussed over him in one way or another. It felt good not to be a “bother”. Bilbo had forgotten, with all these odd events that had transpired, what exactly had sparked them. Something about his birthday? It probably meant nothing. He laid down to sleep, and for the first time in a long while, his dreams were pleasant.