Work Text:
Bilbo sighed and readjusted his keyboard for the eighth time as the toddler in his lap banged his toy cars together. He managed to type another paragraph before he had to stop and readjust the keyboard again. “Frodo, dear, you have to sit still. I’m trying to work, sweetie.”
Frodo looked up at him and nodded several times. He said, “Okay, Uncle Bilbo,” before he turned back to his cars. Bilbo kissed the top of his head and smiled. He stretched out his arms above his head before he put them back around Frodo to continue typing. He was working on the third book in his first series and his editor had been hounding him for weeks because he was behind schedule due to writer’s block. The day he finally had some inspiration and was making progress also happened to be the day he was home alone with all three boys and Frodo, who was getting over a stomach bug, wanted nothing else but to be held.
Frodo managed to sit still for fifteen minutes before he forgot and his cars starting roaming all over the top of the desk. Bilbo sighed and pushed the keyboard out of the way completely and leaned back in his chair. He could write later, after Thorin came home. He spent the next few minutes playing cars with Frodo when his two other nephews ran into the study, both talking fast over the other trying to be heard. Bilbo swiveled his chair around to face them and waited for them to take a breath before he spoke. “One at a time, boys, one at a time. Fili, what is it?”
Fili skipped up to Bilbo’s chair and leaned on the arm. He kissed Frodo’s cheek, making the toddler giggle, and then looked up at Bilbo. “Can we have some pudding, Uncle Bilbo?”
“I want ice cream!” Little Kili said petulantly, moving next to his brother. He shoved at his brother who returned the shove before Bilbo put his arm between them.
“Knock it off, now. It hasn’t even been an hour since you both had a snack. You can wait until your uncle comes home to have dinner.” Ignoring the disappointed look on their faces, Bilbo ruffled Fili’s hair and leaned down to kiss Kili’s forehead. “Now, Fili, go turn on the DVD player and you can watch a movie in the living room. Decide on a movie together, but if you start fighting over the movies you’ll sit in your room until your uncle gets home. Understood?” Both boys nodded and then they ran from the room.
Bilbo exhaled and swiveled his chair back to his computer. Frodo leaned back against his chest, apparently done with his cars, and picked up his picture book off the desk. He flipped it open and tried to read it out loud. Bilbo smiled and pulled the keyboard to him. He waited three minutes until he heard a movie going in another room before he started typing again, this time helping Frodo with words he didn’t know as he worked. The next hour went by fast this way.
Frodo read his book three times total, Bilbo finished the chapter and started the next one, and Fili and Kili watched their movie quietly. Finally, just when Frodo’s stomach growled and the toddler voiced his hunger to Bilbo, Bilbo heard the front door open and Fili and Kili both shouted excitedly. Frodo hadn’t heard anything so Bilbo whispered, “Uncle Thorin’s here.” The toddler yelled and, after carefully setting his book back on the desk, climbed down from Bilbo’s lap and ran from the room as fast his little legs could carry him.
Bilbo slowly stood up and stretched, his muscles stiff from hours spent sitting. He walked to the living room and smiled when he saw Thorin kneeling with all three boys in his arms. Bilbo leaned against the doorway and watched as the boys loudly and eagerly talked to Thorin. Thorin somehow managed to listen to them all at once and responded to each boy separately. After five minutes, the boys were talked out and Fili and Kili returned to their movie. Thorin stood up and lifted Frodo into his arms. The toddler wrapped his arms around Thorin and grabbed onto his ponytail. He pressed his face against Thorin’s neck and played with his hair, feeling tired again. Thorin finally looked at Bilbo and he smiled tenderly at him as he walked towards him.
Once within reach, Thorin cupped Bilbo’s face with his hand. Bilbo leaned into the touch and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them Thorin was in front of him. He looked up at Thorin and asked, “How did it go?”
Thorin stroked Bilbo’s cheek before he responded. “Nothing major, just some kids playing with matches and a bonfire out in the woods. They were burning trash bags without checking what was inside them. They got lucky they didn’t throw any hairspray or anything into the fire.” He leaned down gently kissed Bilbo, eliciting disgusted noises from Fili and Kili. Bilbo and Thorin both chuckled and he pulled away. “How have you guys been since I left?”
Bilbo shrugged. “Frodo’s fever is gone but now he doesn’t want to be put down. Fili and Kili have been good, well, good for them at least. And I managed to get some work done. So, overall it’s been a good afternoon.”
“Uncle Thorin, I’m hungry,” Frodo mumbled, still playing with Thorin’s ponytail.
Thorin kissed Frodo’s curls and said, “We’ll have dinner soon, baby.”
Bilbo reached up and rubbed Frodo’s back soothingly. “It won’t be long, darling. I’m going to go order some takeout.” He turned to go into the kitchen, but Thorin grabbed his arm, frowning.
“I thought you wanted to cook that new recipe Bombur gave you? You had everything planned out for it when I left.”
Bilbo shrugged and patted Thorin’s arm. “I had the energy for it earlier. I’m too tired now.”
Thorin pulled Bilbo against him and wrapped his arm Bilbo, hugging him tightly. “I’m sorry, love. I hate leaving you alone with the boys so often.”
“It’s alright, Thorin,” Bilbo reassured him and kissed his chin. “I knew what I was signing up for when I married a firefighter. I’ll be fine and I can do the recipe tomorrow. Besides, I’m an expert at multi-tasking. Now come on, I’m feeling like some Thai would be good right now.” Bilbo grabbed Thorin’s hand and pulled him into the kitchen, where Thorin backed him against the table and kissed him apologetically. Bilbo smiled into the kiss and cupped Thorin’s face in his hands.
They kissed for a minute, takeout forgotten, until Fili and Kili sprinted into the kitchen and made gagging noises at them, prompting Thorin to hand Frodo over to Bilbo so he could chase them through the house. Bilbo sighed and shook his head. He shifted Frodo onto his hip and followed after them.