Chapter Text
Bilbo Baggins looked at the old clock on the wall of the waiting room and, with frustration, he realized that only two minutes had passed since the last time he had looked at it and checked what time it was. 'Why do the minutes take so long to pass when we are nervous or in a hurry?' Bilbo wondered, bringing his hand to his hair to brush his golden curls away from his forehead perhaps for the tenth time in the last half hour in a sign of anxiety. To distract himself - since he had arrived too early for the job interview and therefore, he would have to wait until Mr. Fundin had finished whatever he was doing in his office so they could start the interview - he began to look around, his green eyes scanning the place.
The waiting room was large and decorated with expensive furniture. There was two gray couches facing each other - Bilbo was sat in one of those and he couldn't believe how comfortable it was - and a coffee table between them. There was a tray with a teapot and some cups on a sideboard in the corner, an electric fireplace and several pictures on the wall, making the place look like a common living room.
Even the clerk and his desk next to the door of Mr. Fundin's office seemed to integrate to the homely style of the waiting room just fine. His name was Ori - Bilbo had read on his tag - he was young, he had freckles, his red hair had a weird haircut that Bilbo thought was one of those modern hairstyles that he would never have the courage to try it himself, he was wearing a black waistcoat over a white dress shirt and his tie was black, and despite his weird hair, he seemed friendly. Bilbo thought it was much better than some old lady with a frown instead of a face and smelling of mothballs.
Bilbo had to recognize, someone had worked very hard to make the waiting room looking so comfortable, but Bilbo couldn't feel at ease. In retrospect, it had been wise on his part to have refused the tea that Ori had offered him earlier, because his hands were shaking and he would end up spilling the hot drink on his suit, nervous as he was, and it would have been a disaster of biblical proportions.
Suddenly, Ori stopped typing on the keyboard of his computer and lifted his head, looking directly at Bilbo. The clerk smiled amiably and Bilbo tried to smile back, but he was sure it came out more like a grimace. But that was not his fault, Bilbo was terribly nervous and he was never one who could disguise his feelings. Ori smiled again in a more sympathetic way and went back to typing on the keyboard, leaving Bilbo with his own thoughts.
Bilbo started fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket, pulling it up, instinctively adjusting it on his wrist so that the sleeve would not roll down - it would be just terrible if that happened in the middle of the interview - then he brushed imaginary dust of the lapel of his jacket and sighed. That was a good suit, but it was a little loose on Bilbo. It was dark blue and probably it would look much better on its true owner, Drogo Baggins, his cousin, who had given that suit to Bilbo so he could look presentable for Mr. Fundin, and thus, get the job on Oakenshield Inc.
Drogo was a great cousin and friend and if not for him, Bilbo would be wandering the streets as a beggar by now. Or worse.
But his life had not always been like this.
The young man with curly golden hair didn't want to think about how much he had lost in the past few months, how his life had changed and how much it still hurt. But he still had the scars in his heart and in his body to remind him every day of what had happened and that there was nothing he could do to change the past.
Bilbo Baggins once was a respectable young man, living his life quietly in his home in the small town of Bag End. He was not wealthy, but his parents - may they rest in peace - had left him with enough money to go to college and live comfortably. But then... one day he found himself homeless, broken and alone. However, when everything seemed lost, when Bilbo thought it would be better for everyone involved if he just crossed the street with his eyes closed praying that a bus would hit him - because in the situation he was in, to kill himself didn't sound like a bad idea at all - when it seemed that there wouldn't be a light at the end of the tunnel, Drogo had found him.
Drogo and Primula were angels sent from heaven. They had welcomed Bilbo in their house in Erebor, a big city near Bag End, and they didn't make any questions. They just said that everything happens for a reason and, at the age of twenty-seven, Bilbo was still young and he could rebuild his life and that it would be better than before. They assured him that he could stay as long as he needed to get back on his feet and once again he felt what was like to have a family and belong to somewhere.
But all good things must come to an end.
Primula was pregnant, she would soon give birth to a boy they would call Frodo and while Bilbo had been happy for them, he knew what that meant: A baby demands space and money. Bilbo knew it was only a matter of time until they realized that he was a burden in their lives. There was only one thing to do.
Bilbo had to leave.
He was grateful for everything they had done for him, but Bilbo could not live from their charity for the rest of his life, not when they were a young family trying to live their lives and with a baby on the way. He was not a parasite.
"What am I going to do?" Bilbo wondered every night, too worried about his future to allow sleep to take him. He needed a place to live, but for that to happen he first needed a job.
The ad that he had read on the newspaper three days earlier was the answer which he was waiting for.
The Oakenshield Inc. was one of the biggest companies in the world. What Bilbo knew was that they produced the most expensive jewelry the money could buy and - just like every rich men had an Armani suit and every rich woman had a Channel dress - everyone who was famous or had enough money to be called rich would have at least one jewel designed by Thorin Durin, the most renowned jewelry designer nowadays and the company's president. They extract the gems and all the gold and silver from mines they had spread around the world. Then, after the gems were polished and turned into jewelry, they were sold for ridiculously high prices in jewelry stores around the world.
Bilbo was surprised to see that they were hiring. They were in need of assistants in their workshops, miners, security guards, but what had called his attention was the position of administrative assistant. That was something he could do. He had scheduled an interview with Balin Fundin, the Human Resources Manager, and now he was there in the waiting room of his office, silently praying that all would went well.
Drogo was putting a lot of faith on Bilbo and he simply could not disappoint him. He had no choice, he had to get this job.
"Huh... Mr. Baggins?" Bilbo heard Ori's gentle voice calling him, taking him out of his reverie. Bilbo raised his head and looked at the clerk who just smiled understandingly. "Mr. Fundin will see you now."
Bilbo swallowed and forced himself to calm down. It was just a job interview, there was no reason for him to be so nervous - except for the fact that he had to get this job, or else...
He didn't want to think about it. It wouldn't do him any good to think about this things right now. Bilbo took a deep breath, stood up and walked toward the door of Mr. Fundin's office, opening the door with a forced smile.
Balin Fundin's office was like any other office, who would say, with a bookcase, a wooden desk beneath a large window and two comfortable chairs in front of the desk so the visitors could sit. Bilbo then looked at the man sitting behind the desk in a large brown leather armchair. Balin Fundin was an old man, his hair and beard were completely white, just like his eyebrows. His eyes were crystal blue and he was smiling.
For a moment it made Bilbo thought about Santa Claus and, seriously, Bilbo couldn't help but smile at that. Suddenly he didn't felt so nervous and the heart beating violently inside his chest slowed the rhythm to a steady drumming.
Balin Fundin rose from his chair and Bilbo could see that he was wearing a suit that was obviously much more expensive than his poor borrowed suit. Bilbo felt a bit intimidated by it, but he would not let his insecurities ruin the only opportunity to regain his dignity.
Bilbo straightened his jacket, smiled, and stepped forward.
"Mr. Fundin," Bilbo said holding out a hand to greet the interviewer. "I am Bilbo Baggins."
"Nice to meet you." The old man said, holding the hand that Bilbo had offered and shook it firmly. “I’m sorry for have let you waiting.”
"It's okay, I came early anyway." Bilbo said, trying to sound casual.
"Please, have a seat." Mr. Fundin gestured toward the chair in front of his desk.
Bilbo nodded and sat down. Instinctively, he brought a hand to brush his golden locks from his face and it didn't go unnoticed by the old man's that Bilbo's hand was trembling slightly.
"Calm down, lad. That's just a conversation." Mr. Fundin said with a friendly smile. Bilbo smiled nervously and nodded. "So..." he continued, leaning back in his chair and crossing his hands on his lap "…tell me about yourself, why do you want to join the Oakenshield Inc.?"
Bilbo took a deep breath and started talking. He vowed to himself not mention anything about his personal life, trying to stick to just his academic training - Bilbo had a degree in Accounting - but suddenly it did not seem to be enough for him to be considered 'qualified' for the job, and his professional experiences, which were not very significant, after all, he never had to work before. But then, Mr. Fundin started making some personal questions and Bilbo was put it in a tight spot.
Bilbo really didn't want that his soon-to-be boss knew about the things that had happened to him, but the old man was sitting there in front of him, waiting for answers. And he looked at Bilbo with a gentle expression on his face, open, receptive. He was analyzing Bilbo, but he was not judging him, and when Bilbo noticed, he was telling everything to Mr. Fundin.
The white-haired man stood there and listened Bilbo's story without saying a word to stop him while the young man opened his heart to a complete stranger. Bilbo told Balin things he had not even told to Drogo, and to his utter surprise, Bilbo felt lighter as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He knew it was not appropriate, though, Mr. Fundin wasn’t a psychiatrist, not even a friend, but once he started he could not stop until he had finished.
"... and then I saw the ad in the newspaper and I made the call." Bilbo ended his story with a sigh. "And now I'm here."
"You've been through a lot, lad. I'm sorry." Mr. Fundin said with a sympathetic look.
"I don't want to seem desperate and I'm not the type of person who usually beg... but I can't leave this office empty-handed." the determination on Bilbo voice was remarkable.
“I’ve never seen someone with so much hope in their eyes.”
"Hope is all I have left." Bilbo looked down and gave a tug on his jacket "Even the clothes I'm wearing are borrowed." Bilbo shook his head "Mr. Fundin..."
"Call me Balin, please." The old man interrupted him waving a hand.
"Balin..." Bilbo said letting out a breath. "I know I might not be the most qualified or more experienced candidate you had interviewed for this job, but I can learn everything if there is someone willing to teach me. I just need you to give me a chance to prove that I am capable to do what is asked of me."
That was it. There was nothing more to say. Bilbo had given his best to convince the old man that he was worthy of the job and now he would hear Balin's decision. But the Manager was silent.
'What is he thinking about?' Bilbo thought, looking at the unreadable expression on Balin's face. Bilbo shifted uncomfortably in his chair when the silence in that office became so heavy that he thought he would be crushed under its weight. So Balin leaned forward, resting his forearms on his desk and intertwining the fingers in a contemplative manner.
"I've interviewed dozens of lads and lasses since we announced we were hiring." Balin began with a serious tone in his voice. "They sat right there where you are sitting now and I'm not gonna lie to you, they were much more qualified for the job than you are." Balin said, his voice somber.
He was silent again. Bilbo felt a lump in his throat. That was it, Balin didn't like him, he had failed again. Bilbo felt his eyes burning and looked down at his hands that were resting on his lap, trying to hold back the tears. Why had he thought it would be different? Why Bilbo had dared to hope for the best?
"All of them had convinced me that they were capable..." Balin said and Bilbo just wished he could disappear forever. 'Why don't you stop? I'm already feeling bad enough without you making fun of me, thank you.' Bilbo thought bitterly, but then Balin continued: "... But none of them could convince me that they deserved to be here as you just did."
Bilbo lifted his head up. He looked at the old man across the desk who was smiling at him.
What? He had heard it right?
"Uh, I... I'm sorry?" Bilbo stammered confused.
"Apologies accepted." Balin said with a pretentious smile.
He swiveled in his chair and opened one of the drawers of a file cabinet behind him and from there he pulled out a folder that he unceremoniously threw on his desk. He opened the folder and from inside he took a sheet of paper which he handed to Bilbo. The young man with curly blond hair stared at the paper somewhat suspicious.
"What's it?" He asked, taking the paper of Balin's hand.
"This, my lad, is the list of the documents you have to bring me tomorrow." Bilbo furrowed his brow even more confused. Balin smiled. "Congratulations, now you're part of Oakenshield Inc."
Bilbo's eyes widened, he was unable to say anything. He just stood there gaping like a fish out of water.
"Are you all right, lad?" Balin said with a smile.
Bilbo was shocked. He had actually thought for a second that he hadn't got the job, that he would have to return to Drogo' house, look into his eyes and tell him he had failed. But Balin was telling him that he was in, he had succeeded, and it shocked him.
"Yes... I ... I mean... Mr. Fundin, Balin, I..." stammered Bilbo.
"Good. Then come here tomorrow, bring your documents and we'll talk about your responsibilities and the benefits to which you are entitled." Bilbo nodded. "You'll go through a training period that will last two months, here with me and Ori. Only then you will be ready to be Thorin Durin's personal administrative assistant."
"What?" Bilbo squeaked, stunned by Balin's words. "I mean... thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, lad. You don't know Thorin. He will eat your head if you let him. But don't worry, I won't let him scare you like he did with his last assistant. The poor lad still going to therapy." Balin shook his head.
"It supposed to make feel better?" Bilbo asked frowning.
"Ha ha ha!" Balin laughed. "I like you already."
Only then Balin’s words sank in.
Bilbo would be Thorin's assistant? The same Thorin Durin who was the owner of that company? The same Thorin Durin who was known to be a powerful businessman, one of the richest men in the world, dubbed by the press as 'The Prince under the mountain' because of his mines and the fact that he was a taciturn, reclusive man . This man would be Bilbo's boss? If he wasn't already sat on the chair his wobbly legs would not have sustained him much longer.
"I hope I will not disappoint you." that was all he managed to say.
"I'm sure you won’t."
Balin rose from his chair and held out a hand for Bilbo, ending the meeting. Bilbo took his hand and shook it.
"Thank you." Bilbo said again, but Balin waved him off.
"You’re welcome."
Bilbo stepped back, turned around and started to walk away toward the door, but Balin's voice calling him stopped him midway.
"Before I forget, please tell Ori to take your measurements so we can order your uniform."
Bilbo looked down at his own clothes and thought that yes, if he was going to work in a place like Oakenshield Inc. he would need to get better dressed that that. Thank God they would give him a uniform, Bilbo could not afford a good suit.
"Yes, sir." Bilbo nodded and went to the door, opening it and leaving the office.
Balin sat in his chair, smiling to himself. Bilbo was a good lad who just needed a chance to rise from the ground. Balin saw potential and passion in his eyes and that was the difference that made him choose the young blond man. He was tired of those people who only wanted to work for the money and for the status. Bilbo wanted to work to get his life back and if Balin could help him, he would do it.
A few minutes later, the phone on his desk rang. With a smile, Balin picked up the phone.
"Yes, Ori?"
"Mr. Balin, why did I have to take Mr. Baggins measurements? And since when do we have to wear uniforms?" Ori said and Balin could imagine his confused face.
"Now you do. Please call that tailor who made the suits for the security crew and order pants, shirts, jackets, everything. Also order a set for you and every other administrative assistants of the company. "
"But ..." Ori would argue, but Balin interrupted him.
"If Dwalin requires that all the security guards should wear uniforms, I demand uniforms for every administrative assistants as well."
"But… doesn't Thorin have to approve this?" Ori said a bit wary.
"I'll talk to him later. Just do it, okay?"
"Okay." Ori said and hung up.
Meanwhile, Bilbo was leaving the building with a ridiculously wide grin on his face. The sky was clear and blue, the air was pure and he felt light like he hadn't felt in a long time, when his life was simple and his heart wasn't filled with sadness. He knew the job would not be easy, he had much to learn if he would really work with Mr. Durin, but for the first time in a long time he felt that there was hope after all and maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright.
He didn’t know yet, but his life would change forever.