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Bilbo never knows how he ends up in these types of situations. Maybe he just doesn't get dwarves, still, despite how long he's been traveling with them. He can't understand their humor and their ability to insult each other with some of the most public and quick-witted responses, he doesn't understand their hygiene, and he only can partially understand their penchant for betting (But that's because he's not very good at betting himself.) and it was troublesome.
Gandalf has them walking their way down the large rock, which is at least sturdier than the last mountain, after the eagles have left them- and Thorin stated he was fit enough to walk .
The company has a new lighter bounce to their feet. Well most of them have a better gait of confidence, despite the threat of orcs the mountain is finally in sight.
Bilbo honestly wished to never be put in that situation again, acceptance or not, any other hobbit’s heart would seize from all the adrenaline by that point. He still has bruises from the fall in the goblin mountain. And it makes each step is clumsy and noticeable.
When the sun starts lowering itself in the sky they stop for camp on the road to wherever Gandalf is leading them.
Bilbo is gathering sticks to feel useful again. Though with his newfound respect gained after he happened to kill an Orc (And if Fili and Kili don’t stop calling him ‘Orc Slayer’ he will- do something bothersome to those two he just hasn’t decided what yet.), he seems to get less judgmental and assessing stares from the dwarfs he hasn’t gotten as close to yet.
To the hobbit it was the reasonable thing to do rather than let Thorin get beheaded despite the words they have exchanged previously. Even if charging an entire pack of Orcs is rather stubborn and bull headed, and even Grandmother Took would shake her head at such foolhardy things.
But, that is all behind them now, he even swore that Thorin has a little more of a twinkle in his eyes now, may be a trick of the sun however.
“You know when you said you wanted to aid us in finding stuff for the fire, burglar, I thought that meant you’d have more than three sticks in your arms.” Dwalin grumbles, with a larger mound of branches in his thick arms.
“Right sorry, I was just- inspecting them.” He quickly picks up a couple more sticks and keeps close to the larger dwarf. The wild can hide many things if it wishes.
Dwalin rolls his eyes at Bilbo for the poor excuse.
Another set of boots lands behind Bilbo, from a branch above, putting the bronze haired hobbit on a nervous edge.
He is about to ask what was the purpose of that starling move, when Nori inserts himself between Dwalin and Bilbo.
“It’s wood it’ll burn.” Nori is the one Bilbo can say he knows the least, and yet lately he’s actually exchanged more than a few words with the dwarf. Though they have been rather abrasive words thrown at him and his well, Nori generally does not hold back in talking about all of Bilbo’s failures.
“But you don’t want them to burn too quickly, Or what if they’re rotten?” Bilbo points out, with a slow draw of words.
The dwarf side glances at Bilbo, his own pile not as big as Dwalin’s but more than enough to keep it going for the night, and snorts, one corner of his mouth raising.
The hobbit lifts his chin a little higher, and marches ahead – not without picking up another stick in their path.
Gloin sparks a fire (He seems to have an affinity for things flamed colored. If his wife’s portrait is any indication) as the sky starts to get inky. Bilbo contemplates going to sit near Gandalf, who looks rather pensive at the moment, but Ori sits next to him on one of the softest logs in the bunch, and pulls out parchment and charcoal. He starts sketching and Bilbo decides to try to mend his waistcoat with the needle and thread he’s borrowed from Oin.
And he feels a pair of eyes on him, a suspicious glance maybe, not the heavy gaze of Thorin or intimidating glance of Dwalin, but someone a bit more subtle and it isn't fleeting and he can not for the life of him figure out who it is.
Bofur is stretched out eyes closed, and back leaning on the rock his cousin is still and solemn upon. Gloin is preoccupied in conversation with Dori, and Oin is already setting to go to sleep.
"Are you ok Bilbo? You keep looking up and down and you're going to stitch you're finger at that rate." The scribe’s hazel eyes show a little concern.
Bilbo quickly sets down his needle. "I just can't stop feeling like someone is watching me. It's bothering me, I thought we had all wrapped up any issues since the orcs and now-"
"Oh.” Ori glanced around and then back to his sketch. “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about Bilbo, it’s nothing malicious.”
“So you know who it is?”
Ori’s answer is more cryptic than Bilbo would like. “Possibly, but you don’t have to worry about it.”
“As long as it’s not FIli or Kili, I’ve had enough of those two patting me on the back enough to bruise for one day. They seem very satisfied with themselves for something. “
Ori looks amused. “They are patting you on the back to count for patting themselves on the back, they seem to think they’ve had a hand in what you’ve become.”
Bilbo pauses in his stitching and narrows his eyes at Ori. The scribe, being secretive as always, covers up his drawing when he notices Bilbo look over.
“And what does that mean?”
“Well you are their Orc Slayer now, and you’ve got Thorin’s approval which is most important to them out of everyone here.”
“All they did was nearly get me eaten by trolls, and while that was a harrowing experience that I never wish to have again, I certainly have been doing things by my own intuition.”
The artist looks in the two dwarf’s direction.
“It boosts their confidence.” Ori cracks a little smile at his own joke and the hobbit joins despite himself.
Bilbo risks a glance and sees the two brothers involved in little whispers and exchanges of grins with each other, as close knit as ever.
By the time whatever was scrounged from the hunt was passed around, another dwarf had joined them on the log, pushing Bilbo to sit closer to Ori.
“How did you slip away during the goblins capture? And catch up with us?” Nori leans in close pipe in one hand as he lets the smoke seep in, his voice is a little lower due to smoke, and his hair comes off more analogous to the flames of the camp. The braids were very complicated in appearance to the simple hobbit.
“You could at least greet us first.” Ori chides, sounding very much like Dori, and that seems to frighten the youngest, for he shuts his mouth under the middle Ri’s scrutiny.
“I ju-just realized they didn’t notice me.” Bilbo looked away from the close proximity and focused on wringing his hands. He wasn’t going to talk about the ring at the moment or any moment further.
“With such skill you’ll do fine against Smaug, won’t you.” The hobbit is not appreciative of sarcasm.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that-“
“Pure luck then? You’ve got no skills that I’ve seen.”
Bilbo puffs up, and glares at the lounging invader. “Well I’ll have you know I’m particularly light footed.”
“Hm.” Was all the red head said, he took another draw from his pipe and focused on the fire. Bilbo opened his mouth- and closed it.
The next time Nori brings up the subject, it’s when they’re at the skin changer’s cabin, and Bilbo is just glad to have something filling his stomach besides rabbits.
Even if Kili is pestering him at the moment.
“Do you think they will change your name in hobbit lands now? Like Uncle in Oakenshield, you should be Little Orc Slayer.” The dwarf is sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, and Bilbo knows a joke when he hears it. The others have killed plenty of Orcs, there is no way one count gives Bilbo a title.
“No no I’m quite fine, if anything hobbits would look down upon me if I had such a name change.”
“Why?” Kili’s dark eyes no longer feign curiosity.
“Because I’m already mad enough for missing supper for an adventure.“
“It’s an honor to be on the reclamation-“
“Yes, yes, so I’ve heard. “ And Bilbo takes another stubborn bite into the crisp brown shell, and revels in the soft sweet tasting insides. The table is entirely too high, his feet dangle from the seats worse than they did in Rivendell, and it does nothing for his self-esteem to be renamed ‘bunny’ by their enormous host.
There is a little cling of beads shifting, and Fili is on Bilbo’s other side, blond hair freshly braided as it was in the beginning of the journey.
“Kili you should take a bath, you’ve been stuffing your face all afternoon.” The older dwarf starts slathering his own rolls with butter.
“No, still hungry. And I’m talkin’ wiff Baggins.” The younger says with his mouth stuffed.
“Your braids are a mess.” Fili reaches over Bilbo, and he ignores the hobbits sharp look it seems, and flicks the shell his brother’s ear. “Whatever braids there were.”
“Excuse me I’m trying to enjoy my meal here.” Bilbo interrupts the shoving match that begins. “Oh never mind.” He hops off the stool, taking the plate with him and moves to the side where Bofur is seated.
“Tired of havin’ fun with the heirs Bilbo?” Bofur is unaffected by the hobbit’s withering glare.
“I almost was clobbered in the head by those two. Can’t I just get a piece of mind just for one moment.”
“Not likely.” And Bofur, the nerve, takes a couple of Bilbo’s honeycakes with a dimpled grin.
Don’t they understand a hobbits relationship with food after such depravation?
Night darkens the cabin besides the orange glow of candle-light, he is readying himself for bed when he turns to find Nori already on the big mattress. “Dear- oh- why,” the hobbit clutches at his chest and holds his waistcoat closed.
“So I’ve been watching your so called light footedness.” Nori proclaimed “I’m a thief, and if you call that burglaring, you have no chance in hell of creeping past the dragon if it lives. You’ll be burnt little pieces before we can see the smoke rise, and then we would be left to square one.”
“I-Wha-“ Bilbo’s feels his eyebrows draw together and confusion sets in with affront. “That is rather rude of you to say.” No matter how much of the truth it is.
“You’re quiet but you’re too jumpy and fussy, I’m sure you couldn’t nab something without alerting the entire company with your noises.” The dwarf continues from his leisure position of looking up at the ceiling, one arm behind his head and one knee over the other.
“A-And how would you know if I’ve even stolen something?” Bilbo thinks of the ring and it tingles in his pocket.
The dwarf raises a carefully braided eyebrow. “I’ve never stolen a thing in my life.” Nori’s voice goes higher.
“I do not sound like that- do I?” He shakes his had. “No matter, that that was then.” His annoyance is rising, he really can’t handle the way dwarfs wield words.
“So you’re saying you’ve stolen something recently.”
“Maybe I have.” His Took side is behaving like a single bushel in his garden has been kicked.
“Prove it.”
“I can’t just do that, then I would reveal it to you, and I don’t need to prove anything.”
“Ok then.” Nori leaps off the bed with agility Bilbo hadn’t noticed before. It is rather frightening.
"Why don't we play a game Baggins? Just us two,"
“And why should I?”
Nori’s smirk is too self satisfied, like he knows he’s got Bilbo reigned in. “Think of it as practice.”
Bilbo suppressed the shudder at the thought of any more games. But he wasn't one for backing down from a challenge. "What kind of game?"
"A competition, we have three obstacles no rules. You take one thing from three dwarfs of your choice, and one from me. And to add to it, since you’re so bold, I will be taking from you too. Whoever gets them all first, wins."
That doesn’t sound fair. But the way the dwarf looked, curious, and his gaze steadier than Bilbo can even hold.
“And what do you get if you win?”
“That’s for me to know, don’t worry it’s simple.” At Bilbo’s incredulous look he continues. “Maybe a piece of mind that I know a thief when I see one.”
That really doesn’t sound fair.
The hobbit’s hands shake so he clenches them, the daring look is unspoken. The truth is, this entire journey he’s had to prove himself, and what’s this but yet another ultimatum.
“Have you even stolen from the company before?” That just sounds like a betrayal or a brawl waiting to happen.
“Eh, yeah the trick is to get something good that they don’t notice is gone right away.” Nori shrugs his shoulders with little effort. A little voice in the hobbit’s mind reminds him of his rapidly disappearing Old Toby.
Bilbo bites his lip and his crossed arms become a more tight comfort zone, his vision focuses on the neat floorboards and the span of ten minutes wrapped in thirty seconds passes. He can feel the bored-ness radiating off of the actual thief.
“Fine but you have to let me give them back after I show you, and if I win, you have to give back what you’ve stolen.” Bilbo crosses his arms in effort to gain height and confidence.
“Alright, it starts now.” And Nori swipes forward. Bilbo jumps back stumbling and hitting the hard floor. He looks up a little sore, and sees the thief looking disappointed. It dawns upon the hobbit he almost lost a button, if most weren’t gone already.
“Damn. I was close.”
"Well that's not fair!" Bilbo’s cheeks feel warm and he pushes himself off the floor.
"Nothin's fair about being a thief Baggins, you're stealing from another its about using things for your advantage."
And with that the dwarf winks, and swaggers out of the room. Bilbo gulps, and bites his lower lip, oh Baggins, he thinks, you should really control that Took side when you know it’s good for you.
The first day, Bilbo is unsuccessful with his attempts. He’s too obvious in his facial expression, and chickens out by the last moment, Bofur has even said he looks nervous and rather green in the face (He was trying to take the other’s whittling knife but his hands shake too much and he counts too long in his head).
Nori passes by him and dangles up something that looks oddly like someone’s pipe. Drat, he’s already behind. He wouldn’t be surprised if Nori had everything but an item from him.
That means he’ll be running from Nori and trying to steal things.
“Bilbo, yer not eating,” Bofur waves a hand in front of his face. Bilbo notes the roll clutched in his fingers and takes a bite.
After he swallows, for he still has manners like any gentlehobbit. “Yeah, sorry I was, thinking, I’m going to go to bed, early I think I’m still tired.”
He suddenly wants to call it off. But that’s accepting failure, and a Baggins lives up to their word.
Bilbo finds himself staring at the ring.
Such a little gold thing simple to taste, and yet the first time it slipped on his finger, he felt himself pulled into a world that rendered him invisible.
In his youth he had been a competitive hobbit, he didn’t like to lose, he was cleverer than even a Brandybuck, and here he is losing by advantage. And something tells him if he remains visible, he’ll never win against Nori. His competitor is clever, and certainly more skilled.
Restless in his bed, dawn was coming, and every creak put him on a jumpy alert. Rubbing his eyes, he sits up, reaches in his pocket, and slips on the thin item.
And he’s sure it’s working, despite this being only the second time he has used it before. He is able to slip out of the room, as the sun sets, no shadow is cast upon the floor.
He creeps past the door, and almost runs into Dori right there. The tea lover pauses and looks around, silver eyes narrowed in caution.
Right, they can still feel him, even if they don’t see him.
He creeps around slowly, and avoids a couple of Beorn’s servers, hoping the animals couldn’t smell him.
Supper isn’t permeating the air, and many of the company members, are up lumbering around the cabin. Bifur sits in a peculiar direction while he whittles, the same one –facing East Bilbo assumes- that he always sits in. And beside him is Bombur already with some honey rolls.
Bilbo contemplates who he will take from, he’d hate to do it to those who haven’t done anything to him. Which really puts him in a rut. Maybe he could take from those who would be most understanding. Bifur could be, sometimes, though he still is rather intimidating. And Bombur being next to Bifur, makes them on high alert, especially whilst the rotund dwarf is eating. The dwarf is worse than a Proudfoot during a feast.
Bilbo presses himself against a wall, cursing that he has no plan. Till he sees the only gold braids of the company trounce by.
Why of course, if there’s anyone he could steal from it’d be Fili and Kili. That’ll show them anyways for being bothersome past their limits. Even if it is rather comforting to have their presence.
The two are engaged in some sort of silent brotherly communication that only they understand involving elbows, grimaces, and smiles.
Think Baggins, what do you want from the Durin brothers, start small (And imagine if they heard that thought, they would be very affronted.) then climb your way up.
He sees Fili tugging at Kili’s hair, as if motioning to set a braid in. And they sit facing away from the table.
Something unnoticeable.
Bilbo creeps closer, almost afraid of the orange remnants of sunlingt that leaks in the windows. He watches as Kili sits in front of Fili, on the ground, with his arms crossed. His back is against the elder’s knees and a little sack is taken out.
So that’s how they keep track of all those clasps.
It was easy, taking one of the beads. He just reaches in, and swipes it off the table, just a couple inches away from the youngest brother.
“Where’d you put it?” Fili says when his hand starts reaching out to the table and encounters nothing.
“Put what?”
“The clasp, not again Kili, you gotta have at least two braids or Uncle will glare at you for half a day.”
“I didn’t do anything!” The younger is close to whining.
“Right. I’ll just use one of my spares.”
That was close, Bilbo exhales a little breath and cheers ‘yes’, and Kili blinks in front of him.
“What was that?”
“What was- stay still!” Fili swats his brother in the head, and it looks so familiar Bilbo knows the dwarf learned it from someone. Bilbo jumps away from Kili who is being pushed forward.
It’s a miracle the young dwarf’s hair gets done, really. Bilbo sympathizes.
That is one thing down.
“You should rest there. I’ll tell Balin to talk to Gandalf.” Dwalin stands not too far from them. Dwalin is certainly not an option, he doesn’t get along with Nori much simply because the other is a thief. Imagine if Bilbo actually stole from him.
“I’m healing, I’m fine.” Thorin growls back, and it is muted by a wince when he attempts to stand.
“Right, you’re well enough to start tossing axes and dancing with lasses.” Dwalin laughs and claps Thorin on the shoulder, earning a pain laced glare. And Bilbo empathizes with the leader.
“Don’t wander off.” The bald dwarf teases as if he knows Thorin can’t get very far under his watch. And Bilbo finds himself dodging out of the knuckleduster bearer’s path.
Thorin is looking particularly grumpy, and Bilbo is tempted to steal something.
But there is something that wards Bilbo off from the tall dwarf, even when he’s injured. Just not honorable.
So he starts creeping along again. On his way outside, there’s a chance someone is out there. Someone to take something from. Maybe Ori,
“Have you seen Baggins?” He hears as he nears the door.
“Bilbo?” Bofur draws out under Nori’s scrutiny. “Not as far as I know. Why?” The brunette grins.
“No reason.” One of Beorn’s helpers moves around the hobbit without hesitation. And the red head stridess away, his eyes trailing right over where Bilbo is paused. Bilbo freezes, a squirrel on alert until Nori is far enough.
The ring bearer continues his trek outside, a little less confident. Does the magic wear off at any time?
To his luck Ori is facing the extra large bees, big flowers, high stalks and simple gate. Bilbo whispers a little apology that goes unnoticed, and takes one of the scribe’s extra quills. He takes a peek to see Ori’s progress in the sketch, and stifles his little noise of surprise.
He recognizes the twin mustache braids and a confident smirk, the sketch is very detailed and to be drawn form memory must’ve taken a lot of scrutiny.
Bilbo lets out a little ‘Oooo’ and ducks when Ori turns around. He really didn’t see that one coming.
Final target is Bofur, because Bofur is Bilbo’s friend. And he’d probably take it well if he ever figured it out, and also he teases the hobbit about as much as the two princes so he does deserve a little trickery.
Bilbo finds the dwarf inside whittling something with quick fingers. Nori is not to far by and Bilbo’s heart seizes. Nori is pacing looking a little frustrated.
“Maybe the hobbit has bested you.” Bofur says in good nature.
“There’s no way.”
“Bilbo’s smart,” A little warmth bubbles in his stomach at Bofur’s defense. “And you underestimated him.”
“But no one can vanish, not like that.”
“Have you dealt with hobbits much?”
Nori pauses and looks down at Bofur over his shoulder. “No.”
The dwarf’s dimples appear. “Well then, you still got a lot to learn. Hobbits are foreign little creatures.”
“But nothing is that unpredictable-“
“I still think yer going about it the wrong way.” Nori stumbles. Bilbo cocks his head to the side. ‘Going about what?’ Nori says what Bilbo is thinking aloud.
“You know, the little games,” A cheeky look crosses Bofur’s face.
“You know?”
“I know you enough.”
“Either way. I’m refusing to lose this game. “ And the thief walks off right toward Bilbo’s path. Bofur waves after his friend cheerful, and returns to his little tune and piece of wood..
Bilbo decides that Bofur may not be the best, he seems to know a lot of things and it would be obvious if something went missing and he’d tell Nori.
The burglar sucks up a little bravery. There were Gloin and Oin at the table, Gloin with his abacus, and a whetting stone sits abandoned on the high surface. Oin is grumbling over his healer’s kit, rearranging the items like he always does, to that perfect order.
The whet stone will have to be enough. Bilbo slips around the red bearded dwarf, and hears the remnant of ‘Gimli would have liked Master Beorn, not really the size of everything, fiery little dwar-‘
Bilbo jumps in success.
Three things, and Nori can’t find him.
There’s just one more to get, and though it feels very dark around him, his mood is lightened by the three items in his pockets.
His search for Nori leads him to where Bofur is again.
“No luck?”
“No.” The red head spits back and he is crouching on his stool, poised. “He has to take something from me though, and no way I’m letting him.”
“You sure you don’t want him close.” Bofur wiggles his eyebrows in a manner that makes Bilbo himself blush.
“Shut it.” Nori swats at one of the wings of Bofur’s hat. Earning a ‘keep yer grubby snake fingers away.’
Bilbo decides his hunger is eating at him enough, he steals a couple rolls and waits for supper time.
He’s gonna have to show up eventually.
And when night does fall and he does come to the table, he feels the heat of Nori’s gaze. He hears Gloin complaining about a missing whetstone, and Ori is picking at his drawing box counting the tools with a furrowed brow.
Bilbo tries to eat the warm sweet food as innocently as possible.
He dares to meet green eyes, and it lasts only a good second before a sharp unwelcomed heat assaults his insides, and he back to looking at the glossy surface of the table. He hopes Nori goes to bed early enough, he’d hate to sleep with one eye open.
Nori does go to sleep early, which is the first thing going Bilbo’s way since he stole from Ori. The dwarf announces he’s retiring to the room- to his older brother who rolls his eyes as if that is information he does not care about- with an obvious yawn and a quick pop of his bones as he stretches.
Bilbo waits a little while for others to finish eating, and he seizes the opportunity to slip on the ring when he separates from Ori for the evening.
The room is dark except for some even darker shadows and the dusting white light of the moon. Something howls in the distance, or perhaps that’s his imagination.
Nori is on his side on the bed, figure breathing even and peaceful.
He takes a couple breaths in and out, small, quiet, through his nostrils. The grey and white is heavy around him, it cloaked him. And yet his heart still beats quick and slamming against his ribcage, his lungs fill, and his hands shook as he moves careful slowly undoing the bindings. Lace by lace he unwound the leather bag. A figure shifted, and he almost fell back and scurried away but the dwarf slept on. So he continued until he was able to slip his prize away. He held the knife close to him, knowing it now disappeared from vision, in the dark stillness of Beorn’s cabin.
The hobbit smiled, triumphant. And a hand reaches out and grabs his wrist. He lets out a yelp, takes the first chance to remove the ring before the dwarf turns around.
“So how have you been doing it burglar?” Nori says, wide awake. Bilbo curses himself for falling for the trick.
“That’s of no concern because, I won, didn’t I?”
“Did you?” Nori’s eyes sweep over Bilbo’s frame, and he holds up a button between two fingers, it glints its betrayal in the moonlight. Really, the button he was going to use to replace one of the ragged holes? “I think it’s a tie. I’m kind of impressed.”
Nori’s face is close now, and Bilbo’s frozen, they stay a short grasps distance from each other.
“What are the terms for a tie?” Bilbo finally breathes out. He’s taking in the face in front of him, slender, sharp eyes that cloud something, but Bilbo’s always been a reader. There’s something more than triumph there.
“Nothing, normally one of us would just kill the other and take the credit but that’s a different world for soft hobbits.” Nori tilts his heads to the side, and he looks like he’s waiting. Bilbo pulls himself out of the other’s grasp. He’s not usually so adapting to being near someone. It was too comfortable, and yet heat driven at the same time.
“Oh well then I suppose I should just return these things tomorrow evening then. Uh, Good night and good game. I suppose?” He flaps his arms to the side a bit, runs a hand through his messy curls, smiles, and then makes a dash for his room.
He can feel his quick pulse under his skin, it’s been a while since the ‘bachelor’ Baggins has participated in any coquetry.
It takes him all the way till the sky is dark and the stars litter above them, for him to gain enough courage to return the items.
He’s sitting with the others outside, but he’s a little more removed out of the guilt alone.
“My spare pipe has gone missing again.” Balin says from his seat by his brother and Thorin.
“What is it, pipe number three. I lost the only one I had to the cursed goblins.” Dwalin counters, his brother frowns at him. “Just sayin’ yer’ worrin’ about yer spare pipe when you can’t even share.”
“Are you two going to return to the same argument you’ve been having for the last hundred years?” Thorin cuts in from his solemn dark thoughts about something Bilbo won’t bother asking about.
“I remember a certain King complaining about one of his ties being gone.” Balin turns to Thorin with the stroke of his white beard.
“’Dwalin, Balin’ I cannot tie my boot if I am missing a strap. It would be uneven with the other.” The tallest dwarf mocks, as one of the few who can get his vocal range as low as the leader’s. Both smile when blue eyes glower at them, and there is a bit of snickering between company members. Even Bilbo dares to crack a smile.
“Aye well I um, lost, something, can’t remember what though. It wasn’t anything important.” Oin gripes, though hesitant about complaint.
“So did Fili and I, maybe there’s a shade. A wraith stealing our stuff,” Kili says.
“There is a thief among us.” Dwalin surmises.
“That doesn’t mean you accuse him.” Dori snips at the warrior.
“Ori’s missing something too.” Fili says over the scribe’s protest, the prince gives the other a look that says ‘it’s true’ with a single raised eyebrow. “One of his quills.”
They are sitting next to each other on a dark brown bench, not close, but Bilbo kind of wants to push them together like little figurines just to end the shy glances that are going unnoticed.
“See Nori would never take anything from Ori.” Dori raises his chin and crosses his arms.
“Then there is a ghost! You know yesterday I felt a strange presence, a little rush of wind where there wasn’t any.” Kili’s voice drops and mischief glints in his eyes. “And I swear I heard a whisper for blood.”
"I'm sleeping with my axe." Gloin readies a hand on the hilt of one of his smaller blades.
“The beasts kept movin’ around somethin’ as if there was a body.” Bombur mutters. Bilbo’s stomach drops, he didn’t think so many were paying attention.
Bifur grunts something with those same harsh gestures.
“Now that’s just superstition, I’m sure we’re just misplacing things.”
And speculation arises from all, except Thorin who has returned to some darker place, and Bilbo feels the need to stand and right this situation before it gets any worse. Maybe he can convince Nori to gives something back as well, it wouldn’t be good if the others start spreading rumor’s about their host’s cabin.
He runs back inside.
“Where’s he going in such a rush?”
“Lad’s probably terrified.” Gloin suggests.
Nori and Bofur were the only ones not outside. Bilbo reaches in his pocket and his hand brushes the small dagger he took from the thief, and the ring.
He’s compelled to put it on, maybe he can return everything invisible and no one would question it.
It’s on his finger and he’s engulfed in that grey world again, he moves at a steady quiet speed and takes more care to avoid Beorn’s friends.
They are in one of the bed rooms. And of course Bofur and his target are gossiping again.
“So it didn’t work?” Bofur doesn’t sound surprised.
“No.”
“You should just tell him. Stead of all that creepy watchin’ you’ve been doing lately.”
Bilbo leans against the wall. That’s what all that staring was, and the questions, and the teasing. Like a lad pulling the flowers out of a lasses’ curls.
Well the hobbit admits he never thought of it. Before the night before he may have found Nori attractive (In a dwarfish way, what with all the neat braids and sort of troublemaker personality) but the dwarf never bothered with him. and he avoided the dwarf because of his sharp tongue. And Bilbo can’t just-
“I’m not courting him or anything.” Bilbo breathes a sigh of relief, “I just- I don’t know he looks soft, and different.” The slip of the tongue elicits a laugh from Bofur, and Nori’s cheeks color a little. Bilbo’s color a lot.
“A tumble between the sheets then? Listen Bilbo’s gonna catch on to yer games, and he might not take them how you intend.” Bofur shrugs and leaves, not without patting Nori on the shoulder- which is shrugged off.
“Mahal,” The curse is followed by something Bilbo wouldn’t want to translate. Nori plants himself on a stool and crosses his arms like a child, he’s facing the way Bofur left.
Bilbo is kind of touched in an odd way, the fretting, he’s never really experienced it. And there’s a little flutter there in his stomach, somewhere.
Bilbo slips off the ring. “Um, I’ve been meaning to return this.”
Nori jumps and is on his feet defenses up, and Bilbo flinches at the quickness of the moment. “You, how did you get in here?”
“The door,” It’s not a complete lie, and he shrugs.
“How much did you hear?” There’s caution in the dwarf’s tone.
“You know you could have just asked.” He sees Nori twitch, and he holds out the knife. Nori looks down at it, then at Bilbo, then back at it., and when it’s snatched away -the dwarf for once looks like he wants to bolt. The hobbit steps closer.
“I try to be subtle, just in case.” The red head murmurs.
Bilbo rolled his eyes and pressed his lips against Nori’s, which were dry but surprisingly soft, hair brushed his chin, and they separate when the hobbit pulls back.
“Guess you don’t really care for subtlety.” Nori says.
“Flowers, good pipeweed, and a decent bath. Subtlety. Not really,” Bilbo shrugs, a small tilted smile emerges.
Nori leers, signature smirk back on his face.
“Well then,” And the thief pulled the hobbit flush against him, he earns a little gasp.
“Now remember we should be considerate of the others and keep private-ah” Bilbo stuttered as clever lips pressed to his neck and cleverer hands pulled open his waistcoat button by button (Or what’s left anyways). He clamped his lips shut to stay quiet. Nori’s warm, like an ignited flame.
“We should just take advantage of the situation shouldn’t we?” The dwarf whispered into Bilbo’s ear, teeth ghosted on the pointed tip and Bilbo shivered down his spine, small hands grasped the thief’s outer most layer.
“Nori I’m not going to leave you like a sod to mope lets go- nevermind seems you have.” Bofur’s voice came from their left, and Bilbo sprung away as if he were lashed. He faced the hated dwarf cheeks burning bright red.
Bofur winked in a very obvious manner, and turned on his heel towards camp. “I’ll leave you to it then.” And the dwarf trudges away with a minute skip and a whistle.
“He’s not going to keep it a secret.” Bilbo said.
“Of course not, he won the recent wager pot against Dori and Oin.”
“What wager pot? I haven’t done-“
“Seems I was being too obvious the past couple days.”
Bilbo groaned and cradled his face in his hands.
“Now, none of that, there’s no use in avoiding it, just have a little bit of fun.” His chin is lifted by large fingers.
“I think I can play a game or two.” The Took in him has taken over since he lost his chance to go back to Rivendell. At least that’s what he tells himself.
Later on Bilbo apologizes profusely as he returns the items. Gloin guffaws the loudest and proclaims him a sneaky little thing, there may be hope for him yet.
Kili starts a fight once again with Fili about how ‘he told Fili he didn’t take the clasp.’
And Ori eyes Bilbo even if he does smile and take his quill back.
Dwalin grumbles from the side. "Knew there was no wraith."
And Nori sits next to Bilbo that night, his arm snakes around the hobbit’s waist.
Though Bilbo flushes, he doesn’t move away.
"Which one of us won then?" he whispers to the thief.
"I guess I can share the loot."
"Does this mean you'll return what you took?"
"Eventually."
"If you don't I'll return them for you," Bilbo challenges and he looks up at hazel-green eyes without hesitance.
"So you'd steal what I've stolen?"
"Before you even noticed. Since you don't need them."
The dwarf leans down and whispers in the hobbit's ear.“You’re a crafty little one. Maybe you do live up to your contract title.” A combination of happiness, and acceptance relaxes his spine. "Maybe. I'm a Baggins, and a gentlehobbit. I follow my word." He says matter- of- fact. Bilbo tries to contain his over contented smile, and takes a small bite into a soft piece of honey cake.