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Bilbo settled in a seat at the large table where supper was being served. He and Thorin had traveled to Esgaroth to meet with Bard, the current master of the town. Bard had been trying to secure funds to rebuild the small town as well as Dale. There had been some issues since the previous master of Esgaroth had fled the town after taking a sufficient amount of the gold that had been given to him to help restore things. Bard was trying to fix the mess that had been created along with Thorin’s help.
After the long meeting about the future plans of both towns and how Erebor would be a key factor in both restorations the three of them had decided to eat. Bilbo felt his stomach rumbling as piles of food were sat on the table. He was hungry enough to eat everything that was set before him. He watched as Thorin eyed the food in the same manner. Bard seemed oblivious to their hunger, only taking a small helping of the food. Bilbo wondered if men ate less than other creatures in Middle Earth. It was strange to see someone eating small portions, but hobbits were known for eating many meals during the day and eating plenty, same as dwarves.
After about an hour passed and most of the food was gone, Bilbo moved to sit by the fire. It had been a tiring day and all he wanted was to sleep. They had decided to spend a few days in Esgaroth so that Thorin could see what needed to be restored physically. Bard told them that they were welcome to stay with him and Thorin had agreed to that arrangement.
Bilbo felt a hand rest on his shoulder, turning to see Thorin.
“Are you ready for bed, my burglar?”
Bilbo nodded, standing so that they may go to their room. Bilbo noticed that Bard looked tired as well. He seemed defeated by something, but Bilbo didn’t want to seem ungracious or rude so he didn’t ask what was bothering the man. Instead, Thorin led Bilbo to their room and took refuge in cuddling for the night.
~
Thorin woke up to an empty bed. He sat up looking around, but Bilbo was not in the room. He pulled on his trousers and boots, moving through the house looking for Bilbo. He found him in the kitchen with Bard, who was cooking breakfast. Bilbo turned to look at him, smiling pleasantly.
“The smell woke me up,” Bilbo said. Thorin smiled and kissed Bilbo tenderly before sitting down at the table. Thorin watched as Bard made every effort to be close to Bilbo, which bothered him. The dwarf king was unnerved by the looks that Bard gave his husband. Thorin tried to let the feeling go, but he found it hard. He trusted Bilbo, but he wasn’t sure if he could trust Bard to be around his husband alone. Thorin tried to focus on the food he was eating, but he found it hard when Bard made goo-goo eyes at Bilbo, who was eating. After everyone was finished Thorin brought Bilbo back to the room to get dressed before they made a trip through the town.
“I’m not sure about leaving you alone with him,” Thorin mused as he straightened one of Bilbo’s suspenders.
“Thorin, don’t get jealous over this. He’s just being a good host.”
“I don’t know…” Thorin trailed off.
Bilbo placed a hand on Thorin’s cheek. “Don’t start anything with him, Thorin. You need to be on good terms with Bard for everyone’s sake. We will need his help later when we need food in the mountain. So don’t let your pride get in the way, okay?” Bilbo kissed Thorin’s lips lightly.
~
Walking through Esgaroth was tedious. There seemed to be destruction everywhere. Bard had left out a lot of detail about what needed restoring. Thorin knew that reconstruction would take a lot of materials for both towns.
‘We’ll need to take care of Esgaroth before we even attempt Dale,” Thorin noted. “This may take longer than anticipated.” Bard nodded at the dwarf king.
Thorin noticed that Bard was gazing at something beyond the dwarf at that moment. When Thorin glanced in the same direction he noticed that Bilbo was picking up a piece of chard wood. Thorin felt possessiveness rise up within him. Bilbo was his. He walked over to the hobbit and kissed him. Bilbo giggled when they pulled apart.
“What was that for?” Bilbo smiled curiously.
“Because I can,” Thorin said. The dwarf glanced at Bard who looked away knowing that Thorin had laid claim to the hobbit once more.