Chapter Text
After a long and grueling day of travel toward Erebor, Thorin's company finally settled for the night. The campfire crackled in the center of their makeshift camp, providing much-needed warmth. The dwarves, now given respite, were taking some time for themselves: some tending to their weapons, others preparing a simple meal, and a few already drifting off to sleep under the star-studded sky.
Fili sat on a rock near the fire, his hair a tangled mess from the day's journey. Kili, always eager to help, was struggling to untangle the braids that had come loose. Fili let out a hiss of pain, instinctively trying to shift away.
"Hold still, Fili," Kili grumbled, his fingers fumbling with the intricate knots.
"I'm trying, Kili, but you're pulling my hair out," Fili responded with a wince.
His eyes wandered over to the little hobbit who had occupied his mind since that first night at Bag End. He had been keeping a careful distance from Bilbo since then. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the hobbit; quite the opposite, he was very fond of him. He craved Bilbo's attention, wanting him to come over and take comfort in him. But Fili wanted Bilbo to make the first move, to show his interest in his own time. Even if this self-imposed restraint was starting to wear on him, he was determined to be patient.
Bilbo, who had been quietly observing the scene, gave him a sympathetic smile as he winced once again at his brother’s tugging. Fili felt his heart leap as Bilbo approached the brothers. Bilbo cleared his throat. "Would you like some help with those braids, Fili?" he asked softly, nervously twiddling his fingers in his tattered coat.
Fili saw his brother tense beside him, eyes wide as he looked at the hobbit, clearly taken aback by Bilbo’s offer and for good reason. Dwarves held their hair in high regard in their culture. It represented heritage and lineage, especially their beards, which were seen as a symbol of their family history and pride. Their braids and decorations signified important events, achievements, or the individual's status within their clan.
But, of course, Bilbo didn’t know this; he didn’t know that only kin or romantic partners were supposed to be allowed to touch and tend to their hair.
“Bilbo, that’s maybe not the best id—” Kili started to say, clearly trying to save the hobbit from embarrassment and at the same time ruining his brother’s chances of winning him over.
Fili elbowed him subtly in the side, effectively shutting him up, as he kept his expression neutral. The camp was silent, and all eyes turned to Bilbo. The company exchanged tense, surprised glances, clearly not expecting the hobbit to offer such assistance. Bilbo, oblivious to their reactions, focused solely on Fili.
Fili's face lit up with delight, unable to suppress the possessiveness he felt that Bilbo’s attention was on him so much so that he didn’t even seem to realize the effect his words had on the others. "Ah, an offer from our resident burglar to braid my hair? How could I refuse?"
Bilbo smiled, stepping closer. "Well, it looks like Kili could use a break. I’ve seen you both struggle with this before. Thought I might lend a hand."
Kili gave him a curious look, clearly indicating he would be questioning Fili on this later. But for now, he stepped back, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Be my guest, Bilbo. Maybe you'll have better luck than me."
“But be warned, he’s a big baby,” Kili teased lightheartedly. “One little tug to that precious golden hair of his and he’s whining for all to hear.” Fili rolled his eyes as his brother sat on the other side of him.
Steady eyes watched the hobbit as he came to sit down on his knees where Kili had just been. “I do not whine. It’s not my fault you tug on my hair like a troll.” This earned him a playful shove, almost causing him to fall into Bilbo, who gave a surprised yelp, hands coming up to steady Fili.
Bilbo gave them both an annoyed pout. “Behave, both of you, or I’ll leave you to suffer through these matted braids yourselves,” he warned with a pointed finger. Kili gave a fake sulk of defeat.
Fili, meanwhile, handed over a few strands of his hair to Bilbo. "No, you wouldn’t. You're too considerate for that, Bilbo," Fili hummed with a coy smile as a flush crept up Bilbo’s cheeks, but he said nothing in response, knowing the truth in Fili’s words.
He relaxed at the sensation of Bilbo’s fingers working through his hair. “Your hands are much gentler than my dear oaf of a little brother's."
“Hey!” Kili protested, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s not my fault your hair got all messed up in those troll sacks.”
Bilbo smiled warmly at the sight of the bickering brothers. “Ignore him, Kili,” Bilbo hummed as he shuffled closer, lifting a little on his knees to get better access to Fili’s braid.
Fili used this as an excuse to touch the hobbit, placing a steadying hand on his hip. Bilbo’s hands faltered for a moment at this but soon continued their work. “It’s easier for me because I have smaller hands,” Bilbo said, lifting one of his hands to show, wiggling his fingers.
The rest of the company watched in curious silence as Bilbo settled beside Fili, carefully starting to braid his hair. "Plus, I’ve watched you do this a hundred times. I’m happy to give you a break," he said, his fingers now gently running through the now-loose hair.
Fili closed his eyes, letting out a contented sigh. "Mmm, your touch is magic. I should let you do this every day."
Bilbo laughed softly, the sound carrying through the camp. "I’m sure you’d like that, wouldn’t you?"
Opening one eye, Fili looked up at Bilbo with a playful glint. "Of course. It's not every day a prince gets such royal treatment from his lovely burglar."
Bilbo rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. "You’re very good at sweet talk, Master Fili. But no, I don’t think letting you charm your way back into my good graces is on the table yet.”
Fili was taken aback by these words; he hadn’t even realized Bilbo was upset with him. “Please do tell what I’ve done to fall out of them in the first place.”
Bilbo gave him a side-eye, the kind of look his mother would give him or his brother when they were being particularly stupid. “Whose idea was it to send me over to the trolls?” Bilbo quickly asked, annoyed.
Ah. Yes, that wasn’t his finest moment. Even Kili shifted around a little guiltily. “Bilbo, we—”
“If I remember correctly,” Bilbo continued, cutting Kili off, “I wanted to inform your uncle and the rest of the company, but clearly you two didn’t want to get caught dossing off with whatever mischief you were up to.” Guilt swelled in Fili’s chest at the truth in these words.
At the time, he had been more concerned with his uncle’s wrath and let that guide his judgment, putting Bilbo into a dangerous situation instead of facing his own consequences for not taking his duty seriously.
It was shameful behavior, and it was even worse because, in the end, he and his brother hadn’t even managed to save Bilbo from the danger they had put him in. No, instead, Bilbo saved them, stalling long enough for the wizard to return.
Fili let his gaze fall down, ashamed of himself. He wanted Bilbo’s recognition and approval, to see him as a potential match for his courtship. But he had no right to it.
Bilbo sighed, placing a soft hand over Fili’s in a comforting gesture. “I understand you both don’t want to disappoint your uncle, and that’s probably the biggest reason you tried to correct the situation without him, but—” Bilbo bit his lip, taking a moment to consider his words carefully before continuing.
Before he did, he shifted so he was sitting right between Fili’s legs, making the dwarf’s heart leap at the close proximity. Those big brown eyes gazed softly up at his. Even while sitting on the same level, Bilbo was so much smaller than him. So soft, delicate, and beautiful.
It made him feel even more foolish for putting Bilbo in harm’s way. “But hiding your mistakes from him isn’t the way to do it. If you want others to recognize you as grown dwarfs, you need to be able to admit to your faults and accept help from others while also taking the consequences with grace.”
Fili nodded, the weight of Bilbo’s words sinking in. “You’re right, Bilbo. I am sorry for allowing my rash judgment to put you in harm’s way. I promise I won’t let it happen again.”
Bilbo’s smile softened sweetly, and he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Fili’s forehead. His mouth was dry as soft lips pressed against his skin. It brought back memories of that lustful night in Bag End, where delicate hands ran themselves over his skin and those lips touched any part they could reach. “Thank you for the apology, Fili. And I’ll be here to make sure you keep to your word.”
Fili’s heart swelled with affection, finally receiving a sign of intimacy and interest from the little hobbit since that very first night.
But before he could say anything, his brother spoke up. "I am sorry too. It was stupid of us to send you out there like that," Kili mumbled guiltily.
Bilbo smiled warmly at him, leaning over to place the same gentle kiss on Kili's head that he had given Fili, causing his heart to sink. “Apology accepted,” Bilbo said with a smile before moving back to work on Fili's hair. “Now, let’s finish these braids, shall we?”
Fili nodded. “Yes, let’s,” he said, keeping his voice steady.
Fili glared at Kili, who looked away with a grim expression. Fili had to stop himself from snapping at his brother to keep away from things that weren’t his. Realistically, he knew his brother wasn't to blame and was just as confused by the kiss as he was. But that didn’t change the fact that he was jealous all the same.
As Bilbo resumed his careful work on Fili’s braids, the camp around them slowly returned to its usual activity. All except his uncle, who had been glaring at the hobbit since he offered to help with Fili's braids.
Fili wrapped a protective arm around the hobbit’s waist as his uncle walked over. “Is there a reason you’re kissing both my nephews, halfling?” Thorin's voice was harsh and full of disdain.
Bilbo stilled against him, wide eyes looking at Fili for a moment before he turned to look up at Thorin. “Yes, as you may have heard, I was expecting an apology from both of them,” Bilbo replied with a tilt of his head, almost looking confused.
Thorin furrowed his eyebrows together, giving a huff of anger as he started to snarl at the hobbit. “So that makes you think you have the right to be so familiar—”
Gandalf thankfully cut in, his voice calm even if the emotion didn’t reach his eyes. “Bilbo didn’t mean any offense by it. Thorin, your nephews clearly aren’t upset over the gesture of forgiveness. So why you are making a fuss about it, I cannot understand.” His words caused an uncomfortable silence over the camp.
Fili watched as Bilbo’s face started to crumble. His jaw clenched hard, and he pulled Bilbo closer, hushing the hobbit in a comforting manner. Bilbo's hands gripped at Fili's larger one over his stomach.
“Do dwarves not give kisses as a show of forgiveness?” Bilbo asked quietly, unsure eyes looking around the camp.
The question seemed to startle Thorin, who rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat, the anger gone from it now. “No. No, we do not,” he answered simply. Bilbo flushed a soft pink.
Shy eyes turned to Fili. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any harm.” Fili tightened his hold on the hobbit, giving him a comforting smile.
“And you have given none,” he responded gently. Moving forward, he placed his own kiss on the hobbit's cheek, loving the way Bilbo flushed a deeper pink. “It’s merely just a misunderstanding of our cultures. And I’m honored to receive your forgiveness.”
Bilbo smiled at his words, but Kili spoke up before he could reply, giving the hobbit a cheeky look. “Yep! No offense given. Look, I’ll give you my extra forgiveness right now,” he declared loudly, grabbing Bilbo's face and peppering it with loud kisses.
Bilbo squeaked loudly in response, hands coming up to try and push him away, now blushing up to the tips of his ears. “Get off me, you oaf!” Bilbo yelped. The rest of the company burst into laughter at the poor hobbit’s attempts to escape, now trapped between both brothers.
Fili, on the other hand, was less amused by his brother's teasing of the hobbit and pushed him off, glaring daggers at his brother’s knowing grin, not happy in the slightest that Kili had caught on to his affections for Bilbo.
Once the laughter died down and Bilbo was sitting an embarrassed mess against Fili, Thorin gave an impatient huff, turning to the rest of the camp. “Don’t you all have duties to attend to?” he snapped harshly before storming back over to Dwalin and Balin.
After a moment Fili gently nudged Bilbo, who was still flushed with embarrassment from the night's events. "Come on, Bilbo. Let’s finish my hair," he murmured softly, hoping to take the hobbit's mind off the situation. He gave Bilbo a reassuring smile.
Bilbo hesitated for a moment before nodding, focusing once more on the intricate braids. His hands moved with ease, the tension slowly ebbing away from his frame as he concentrated on the task.
Fili relaxed at the sensation, feeling a deep sense of affection. As he let the gentle rhythm of Bilbo's fingers in his hair soothe him, and the surrounding camp seemed to fade away.
As the final braid was secured, Bilbo settled back with a satisfied smile. “There, all done,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
“Thank you, Bilbo. You’ve done a wonderful job,” Fili replied sincerely, reaching up to touch one of the newly braided strands. “You’re a natural.”
Bilbo beamed at the compliment, his earlier embarrassment forgotten. He remained sitting between the brothers. As the night wore on, Bilbo began to share snippets of his own culture, stories of the Shire, and little quirks about hobbit life that fascinated the dwarves brothers.
Kili listened with wide-eyed interest, occasionally asking questions, while Fili watched Bilbo with a fond expression, soaking in every word.
As Bilbo’s stories grew quieter, his eyelids drooped, and he fought to keep them open. Fili noticed this and gently shifted closer, wrapping an arm around the hobbit. “You’re tired, Bilbo. Rest now,” he whispered softly.
Bilbo blinked up at him sleepily, a small smile playing on his lips. “Thank you, Fili,” he whispered back, nestling against the dwarf’s side.
Fili pulled the hobbit into his arms, cradling him gently. The hobbit fit perfectly against him, and Fili relished the feeling of having him so close. Kili watched with a mischief grin but said nothing, content to let his brother enjoy the moment.