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It was a beautiful April Saturday morning when Thorin pulled his truck into the parking lot of B&B Botanical Gardens and Conservatory. He was set to meet with Dis and the boys right at 11 by the entrance. It was Kili's 8th birthday, and all he wanted to do was visit the gardens his friend Frodo from school had always talked about..
Pulling into a spot close to the entrance, Thorin spotted the familiar dark hair of his sister waiting on a bench by the front door, where she was attempting to wrangle an overexcited Kili into being sun screened. Fili, his older nephew, was standing calmly next to his mother and brother, dutifully rubbing sunscreen onto his arms and face. As Thorin cut the engine and climbed out of his truck, he chuckled at the image painted before him.
Fili was the first to spot him as he crossed the small bridge over the flowing stream to get to the entrance of the gardens. "Uncle Thorin!" he shouted with a bright smile lighting up his face. His exclamation caused Kili to whip his head around as well.
"UNCLE!" he yelled, breaking from his mother's hold and sprinting the short distance to Thorin, throwing himself into his uncle's arms. His face and arms were still shaded white with excess sunscreen.
"Woah there, pebble," Thorin started as he caught his wayward nephew, holding him out at arms' length by his armpits. "You are far too covered in sunscreen to be climbing me already. Stand still." He ordered firmly, placing the boy back on the ground. Obediently, Kili stood and waited while Thorin finished rubbing sunscreen into his face and arms. Sufficiently no longer coated in the white substance, Thorin lifted the boy once more. Tossing him gently into the air and easily catching him in a secure hug. Kili's giggle rang clearly in the air.
"Happy Birthday, Kili," Thorin said, placing a soft kiss on the boy's head before setting him on the ground once more. Taking his hand, the two walked the remaining distance to the now scowling form of Dis.
"One word from Uncle Thorin and you're still as a statue. Unbelievable! Betrayed by my own son in favor of my brother." She sighed dramatically, giving an exasperated but fond smile to her youngest son. At the snort from Thorin, she looked up, rolling her eyes at her smugly smirking brother. "Nadad, I have been trying to wrangle this unruly pebble for 20 minutes. Do not laugh at me!" Dis huffed, turning to grab their bags from the bench and signaling for the group to walk inside.
Still chuckling quietly, Thorin shared a conspiratorial look with Fili and Kili before again taking his youngest nephew's hand and following his sister inside the large building.
The front of B&B Botanical Gardens and Conservatory was, quite frankly, stunning. A large stained glass window made up the entire front wall. It depicted a riot of colorful flowers blowing in the breeze on a sunny day. The front entrance to the building was a curious circular sliding door of green tinted glass, with a golden disc in the middle, the letters B&B stamped into it. As the doors slid open, the golden disc smoothly bisected with the motion.
Thorin looked around at the entrance just beyond the beautiful doors to see the open atrium of the main building. To the right of the entrance sat a large indoor garden, illuminated with the multi-colored beams of sunlight shining through the stained glass windows. A small pond sat in the center of the garden with a carved stone fountain bubbling away merrily. A welcome desk was stationed to the left-hand side of the atrium with a large gift shop just behind. In the middle of the atrium, there was a large sign welcoming visitors with a list of the main attractions within the gardens.
The gardens sprawled a massive 100 acres, with a collection of different smaller gardens highlighting the various plant life that called this region home. The gardens also boasted one of the largest greenhouses in Arnor where the B&B Botanical Gardens staff of horticulturists studied the native flora and fauna, spearheading local conservation efforts. Their mission was to protect and encourage biodiversity within the ecosystem. It was an impressive mission, even if Thorin knew next to nothing about plants and didn't quite understand the implications of what it all meant.
The small group was waved over to the smiling attendant at the desk. A shorter woman with a head of golden curls sporting a name tag that said 'Primula - Favorite flower: Honeysuckle'. "Hello and welcome to B&B Botanical Gardens. Will it just be the two adults and two children today?" She asked with a pleasant smile and soft voice.
"Yes, just the-" Dis began to respond when suddenly Kili could hold back his excitement no longer.
"It's my birthday today! My friend Frodo told me that this place was awesome, so I begged my Amad to come here for my birthday." He loudly interjected, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, too excited to stand still.
Primula smiled down at Kili before her eyes widened slightly in recognition, "Wait a moment, you wouldn't happen to be one Kili Durinson, would you?" She asked with a stage whisper down at the excited child and a conspiratorial wink towards the adults of the party.
Kili gasped and looked towards his mom with a shocked face. "She knows my name, Amad!"
Primula smiled again kindly before announcing to the waiting group, "I believe I actually have a special birthday surprise for you, Kili." She said, reaching below the desk and pulling out a light blue envelope. Handing the envelope to Kili, he quickly tore it open to reveal a hand-drawn birthday card. Reading the card, Kili gasped as he looked up to see his friend Frodo standing behind the desk with a big smile on his face.
"Happy Birthday Kili! I talked to my mama about how you and your family were planning to come to see the gardens for your birthday, so she talked to Uncle Bilbo and arranged a special tour!" Frodo was near vibrating with excitement as he rushed around the desk to catch Kili in a tight hug. "The best part is that Uncle Bilbo is doing the tour, and we get to ride in the tram to see the whole gardens!"
"That's right, Frodo, and all of your tickets for today are on the house due to the special occasion," Primula said with a wide smile to the stunned pair of adults. "Bilbo insists, as it will be all of your first times here in the gardens. The tram will be arriving at 12pm just outside the front doors to start your tour. Until then, there is the indoor garden to be enjoyed and explored while you wait." She held out a hand, gesturing to the bright and colorful gardens off to the right-hand side of the atrium. The three boys ran off together, with Dis and Thorin strolling behind them.
The hour passed quickly enough as the boys flitted from place to place within the indoor garden. They finished their free time by playing in the small children's area in the very back of the colorful space. Following Primula's directions, the group stood outside in the bright noon sun waiting for the start of their tour.
Right on time, they saw the small white tram pulling up, with a large B&B logo printed on the side of the driver's door. It was a small tram, only housing three bench seats and the conductor's spot at the front.
As the tram came to a stop, the driver hopped out. Thorin looked up from his map of the gardens to see a small man with a mop of bright copper curls bursting from under the brim of a simple straw hat wrapped with a green ribbon. He was wearing a pale yellow shirt and a pair of light blue denim overalls embroidered with sunflowers bursting out of the front pocket.
More striking than the bright ensemble of the man, though, was his face. He was the single most beautiful man Thorin had ever seen. A rounder sun-tanned face covered in a scattering of freckles. His deep emerald eyes scanned over their group quickly, counting them with a small nod. Thorin's eyes flicked down to the name tag prominently displayed on his overall strap, 'Bilbo - Favorite Flower: Bluebell.’
That beautiful face lit up in a smile upon seeing Frodo and Kili holding hands and nearly vibrating in place as they looked at the now parked tram. "Frodo, my boy, is this your friend Kili? The birthday boy I have heard so much about?" he asked. Oh, Mahal, his voice was even beautiful, a lilting melody akin to birdsong, Thorin thought. This was bad.
"Uh-huh, Uncle Bilbo! Kili, this is my Uncle Bilbo. He owns the gardens and is the best guide ever!" Frodo boasted to his friend, smiling up at his uncle. Bilbo chuckled at the praise and knelt down to be at eye level with the two boys.
"Well, Happy Birthday! Thank you for choosing to spend your day with us here at the Gardens. I really hope you enjoy seeing all the new blooms we have sprouting for spring! Frodo has been looking forward to showing you his favorite garden; it is the one at the very end that doubles as a playground. We will finish our tour there, and you'll even get to pick some new blooms to take home. Doesn't that sound fun?" Bilbo asked Kili, smiling kindly at the boy.
Kili looked back at Dis and Thorin with a wide smile, then paused, almost a little worried. "Won't it hurt the flowers if we pick them though?" He asked in a quiet, shy voice. His little brown eyes misting slightly.
"Oh no, don’t worry. We have a special garden that we grow exclusively to teach people how to pick flowers the best way. Then you get to make a bouquet to bring home. Frodo comes flower-picking with me all the time so he can show you how it's done." Bilbo assured Kili, gently patting him on the shoulder before standing once more and looking over the rest of the group. His eyes stilling on Thorin for a breath longer than anyone else.
Thorin watched a very faint flush appear on Bilbo's cheeks and felt his own heat up as they locked eyes for what felt like a lifetime. Before Bilbo quickly tore his gaze back to the children waiting before him.
Clapping his hands, he addressed the group, "Anyways! It is time to start our tour. You three should grab a seat in the very front row so you can see everything we will be talking about the best!" As he finished talking, he urged the three boys to clamber up into the Tram on the first bench, with Fili on one edge, Kili in the middle, and Frodo on the other edge.
Once they were seated he turned back to the adults and directed a bright smile at Thorin and Dis, "Once you are both situated we will get moving I hope you all enjoy the tour!" he said brightly, his gaze lingering again on Thorin before he turned away and climbed into the driver's seat.
Dis started to climb into the second bench row before realizing that Thorin had yet to move, as he was standing and staring slightly slack-jawed at Bilbo still. "Nadad, come on. We’ll leave without you if you don't get moving."
"Uncleeee, come onnnnn! We wanna see the gardens!" Kili whined, jolting Thorin into motion again. Flushing, he climbed onto the second bench next to Dis and resolutely stared at the stained glass building next to them rather than at the grinning form of his sister. Moments later, the tram started to move as Bilbo began his welcome spiel about the gardens.
"B&B Botanical Gardens was first opened by my father, Bungo Baggins, 50 years ago. He opened the gardens as a gift to my mother, Belladonna, to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary." The smile in Bilbo's voice was audible as he shared the history of his parent's beloved gardens. "B&B started as a small garden center highlighting the many blooms that call this area home, as well as a special garden of my mother's favorite flowers." Bilbo's voice carried smoothly over the faint hum of the tram's engine as he talked to his small party. "We will be passing by Belladonna's Garden here on your right-hand side."
Thorin looked out to the right to see a neatly arranged garden, walled in with a low white trellis wall. The garden sprawled a modest area and was divided into five distinct sections, four laying in a loose circle surrounding a center island with a small fountain and a slightly taller iron fence. The four sections surrounding the center were filled with different bushes and flowers, each in various stages of bloom. The center island was filled with larger bushes, still largely naked of any blooms due to the early spring weather, but scattered with small green shoots signifying their alive status.
"My mother has a favorite flower from each season, and thus designed this garden to showcase each one at their respective time. Right now, you can see her spring garden is filled with varying shades of Hyacinth flowers. How many different shades can you see?" He asked the boys, slowing the tram to a stop right in front of the beautiful space.
"I see three different colors," Kili shouted as he peered out of the tram, "White, Purple and Yellow!"
"I think there’s actually four, Kee. There’s a blue one, I think. That’s slightly lighter than the purple ones." Fili chimed in, easily leaning over his brother to look closer at the different blooms.
Thorin watched as Bilbo smiled over his shoulder at the two boys before he chimed in, "Well done, boys. Fili is correct; there are four colors. Hyacinths are a beautiful early spring bloom that are common in this area. They are also perennials. Do either of you know what that means?" At the head shake from both boys, Bilbo continued, "Perennial plants are plants that grow every year without having to be replanted. There are many types of perennials, and Hyacinths are a type called herbaceous perennials. Meaning that they regrow without having any existing above ground growth." Kili let out a small "Woah…" and looked back at the colorful patch of garden.
Thorin was thoroughly distracted from the lesson on flowers as he stared at Bilbo while he taught the boys. Bilbo was entirely engaged with them as he continued teaching them about the different plants present in his mother's garden. His beautiful face lighting up as he passed on his knowledge, the sunlight dappling on his skin amidst his freckles through the small holes in his woven hat. His riotous curls shining in the spring sun, like burnished gold.
Thorin was jerked back to reality by the tram beginning to move again. Jolting, he grabbed the small bar in front of his bench to steady himself. At the sound of a snort, he looked over to Dis, who was openly laughing at him quietly under her breath.
"Nadad, you are going to catch flies if you keep letting your jaw hang like that." Thorin scowled at his sister, huffing as he turned back to the tour. "He is a cute one, I will give you that. Not the type I would expect you to fawn over, though?" She whispered, leaning more into Thorin's space and giving the back of Bilbo's head an appraising view.
"Dis, I’m not talking about this with you. Pay attention." He grumbled, trying to appear interested in the lesson Bilbo was giving about the fields they were chugging past. The quiet laughter of his sister grating on his already jumpy nerves.
The tram moved along steadily as Bilbo kept up a constant stream of fun facts and the history of the gardens and the plants surrounding them. Thorin really tried to pay attention, but there was just something about the smaller man that kept his mind wandering.
The tram came to a stop once more on a curved road in front of a wide, sprawling garden. This garden was half in shade with a copse of trees casting their cooling shadow over beds of low-lying shrubbery and flowers. It continued off into a proper forest behind the border of the botanical gardens. The second half was in the bright afternoon sun, low hills of vibrant green grass blowing in the wind and dotted with small blooms. A sparkling pond sat in the far corner with a quaint wooden gazebo on the bank. The final highlight being a small waterfall flowing down a larger rocky hill, scattered with patches of green grass and dark moss.
"Alright, everyone, this is our first proper stop. Please feel free to get off, stretch your legs, and explore. This area is designed to mimic the natural landscape of my Father's hometown of Hobbiton," Bilbo said as he turned off the engine on the Tram and stepped out. "Hobbiton is known for its sprawling hills and lush grasses. We will take a 15-minute break here to explore." As soon as the permission was given, the three boys rocketed out of the tram and began exploring the hills near the pond.
Thorin slowly climbed out of the Tram and stretched his arms over his head to relieve some of his built-up tension. His black t-shirt lifted slightly at the hem and stretched taut over his shoulders. There was a muffled sound behind him, but turning, he didn't see anyone near him. With the boys having run away and Bilbo following them at a rapid pace. Dis having walked over into the shade of the gazebo, looking out over the water of the pond. Thorin stepped around the tram and began walking along the path between the hills and the shaded wood.
The afternoon sun beat down upon the gardens, causing sweat to gather uncomfortably under Thorin's collar. His long dark hair no longer doing him any favors in the climbing heat. Irritated, Thorin pulled his hair up into a messy bun atop his head, freeing his neck to the cool spring breeze. Hearing a small, strangled squeak, Thorin turned to find Bilbo staring at him. His face bright red as he quickly cleared his throat and turned back to kneel next to the pond. Where Fili, Kili, and Frodo were pointing at the different plants right along the edge of the water.
Thorin wandered the path a bit further before a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Wandering closer to the shaded edge of the woods, he crouched down to see the small blue flowers popping out of the dry grasses at the base of the trees. Looking further into the wooded area, Thorin saw how the blue flowers covered a large swath of the land, the start of a blue carpet on the forest floor.
"Bluebells," the soft lilting voice of Bilbo sounded over his shoulder. Startling Thorin with his sudden proximity, "they are commonly found along the forest floor and have long been associated with ancient woodlands. They are a beautiful spring bloom that represent a wide array of meanings." Thorin looked up at Bilbo, who was blushing as he held out a hand. "Bilbo Baggins, it’s nice to officially meet you." He said softly with a smile.
"Thorin Durinson, at your service," Thorin responded as he took Bilbo's hand in a firm shake, standing to his full height again. He noticed a slight shiver pass through Bilbo's shorter frame at the deeper cadence of his voice. The blush on his face deepening as he was forced to tilt his head up to maintain eye contact as Thorin stood. "How long have you been the owner of B&B? You mentioned that your father started the garden?" Thorin asked, interested to learn more about the fascinating man before him, but also suddenly desperate to keep the conversation going now that they had a moment alone.
Bilbo looked down fondly at the sprouting carpet of bluebells before answering, "I have been working here since I was a kid. I always loved coming to help my dad with gardening and learning about all the different plants. When dad was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, he officially passed the reins to me." At a curious sympathetic noise from Thorin, Bilbo looked up into his eyes again. "Oh! Dear me, that sounded so maudlin, he’s alright. He got pretty sick for a while but was eventually able to recover. The doctors caught the illness early enough for him. Once he got better, he decided it was time to finally listen to my mother and retire." Bilbo smiled more fully this time. "Listen to me prattling on when you just asked a simple question. Enough about me; how are you enjoying the tour?"
With a soft laugh, Thorin swiveled his head to look around the garden space again. "It is beautiful here. I am not one for green and growing things usually, my sister has always said I have a bit of a brown thumb. I managed to kill a succulent in college when my mother insisted I have something green in my apartment." The anecdote startled a laugh out of Bilbo, Thorin stared at him following the beautiful sound. He swore to himself that he would make it happen again as many times as possible. "Though Kili insisted on coming to see this place, and it has been far more than I was expecting." He finished staring entirely at Bilbo rather than the beautiful scenery around them. Upon closer inspection, Bilbo's eyes were not a deep emerald but instead a shifting shade of Hazel. Thorin was mesmerized by every new discovery about the man before him.
A moment passed between the two of them in the shade of the trees until the shrieking laughter of Kili floated on the breeze towards them. Bilbo broke their gaze first to look back the direction he came from to see Kili splashing Fili and running into the gazebo. With Fili hot on his heels. The two boys using a laughing Dis as a shield from each other, while Frodo stood by the pond, clutching his side from laughter. "They're such sweet boys. Frodo talks about Kili all the time. He has a hard time making friends, so I am glad they have each other."
Thorin sighed in the direction of his nephews as Fili got a hold of Kili and started tickling him, causing even louder shrieks of laughter to sound through the garden. "They are a handful for their mother and father, that’s for sure." Thorin broke off with a slight chuckle, "I am glad Kili met Frodo as well, he struggles without Fili. The two of them have always been extremely close, but I think Kili has enjoyed getting to play the role of a bigger brother for once." Thorin smiled towards his nephews as they leaned into their mother while she whispered into their ears. Soon after, the two turned in sync towards Frodo, large grins on their faces. Frodo shrieked and ran in the direction of the tram with the brothers in pursuit.
"I can see how much you love them. You are a good Uncle Thorin." Bilbo said with a smile, lightly placing a hand on Thorin's forearm. The comfortable silence between them was broken by the chiming of Bilbo's watch. The 15 minutes for the stop having flown by. "Well, we better get going to finish our tour. The next stop is the best one." Bilbo squeezed Thorin's arm gently before letting go and turning away to walk back to the tram, calling to the boys and Dis as he went. Thorin stood for a moment longer watching him go, his eyes sliding down to rest on the gentle curve of his backside through the denim overalls appreciatively.
Remembering the anecdote on Bilbo's name tag, Thorin looked back to the forest floor. Quickly stooping down, he gently plucked one of the bluebell blooms and tucked it safely into his palm, walking back to the tram to continue their tour.
Bilbo directed the tram back over the hills of the Botanical gardens, highlighting different areas and facts as they went. Thorin's attention was grabbed by the massive field of daffodils stretching for acres as Bilbo explained the ongoing donation mission the Conservatory was sponsoring.
For every $5 donated to cancer research/patient support, the Conservatory would plant a daffodil for everyone to enjoy every spring. The joyful yellow and white blooms swayed in the breeze as Thorin listened to Bilbo's pleasant voice regaling Fili, Kili, and Frodo with a story from his childhood. A newfound sense of calm fell over his shoulders, one he had never truly felt before. Thorin gently caressed the edge of the blue bloom he carried as he focused his attention once more on Bilbo's beautiful smiling face.
A short time later, they arrived at their final stop of the tour just behind the main conservatory greenhouses. There was a large playground surrounded by beds of different colored spring blooms. Each plot having a sign directly in front telling visitors which flower is which and what they mean. Bilbo explained to the boys that flowers each had their own special meaning, and that if you learned what they all meant, you could send messages with a bouquet.
Thorin and Dis watched on fondly as Bilbo helped Fili, Kili, and Frodo pick a variety of different flowers, explaining what they each meant as they went along. The boys were enthralled and carefully selected the best flowers for their bouquets. Frodo and Kili made a matching pair of bouquets using yellow daffodils and tulips with sprigs of eucalyptus throughout. Carefully tied together with blue ribbons from Bilbo. Fili picked out a few pink tulips, yellow tulips, and white daffodils that were carefully tied together with their own blue ribbon.
"Here, Frodo! This is for you for being my friend." Kili beamed at Frodo as he handed over his carefully created bouquet. Frodo giggled as he, too, handed Kili his own bouquet. "Here, Kili! This is for you for being my friend too!" The boys laughed before they handed their bouquets off to Bilbo before running into the playground.
Fili carefully approached Dis with his own bouquet, "Amad, this is for you. It shows how much I love you and how you make me happy." He explained with a bright grin on his face. Overcome, Dis grabbed Fili by the shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug, thanking him quietly in Khuzdul. She took the bouquet from him as she kissed his forehead, before he too ran off to join his brother and Frodo on the playground. Dis took a deep breath while subtly wiping her eyes and taking a sniff of her new flowers. Smiling, she winked at Thorin before walking towards Bilbo to collect Kili's bouquet as well.
Thorin nervously thumbed the small bluebell in his hand while watching Dis talking to Bilbo. She then leaned down to whisper into Bilbo's ear. His head tilted towards her curiously before his face flushed dramatically. He quickly looked at Thorin before turning and shuffling inside the conservatory greenhouse behind him. Startled at his sudden departure, Thorin scowled at Dis before he wandered over to the brightly colored flower boxes for a moment alone. The bluebell still held gently in his large calloused hands.
The small patch of bright red flowers on the edge of the plot caught his attention as he willed his flaming cheeks to calm. Reading the plaque, he was shocked to see that they were red tulips and that they commonly symbolized love and passion. Dismayed at his choice of distraction flowers, he turned to flee somewhere else and ran chest first into Bilbo.
Bilbo began to tilt backwards, bouncing off of Thorin's solid chest, his arms pinwheeling to keep his balance. Quickly catching the smaller man before he could fall back, Thorin found himself with Bilbo held securely in his arms.
Every worry and fear was chased from Thorin's mind as he zeroed in on how perfectly Bilbo seemed to fit in his hold. Bilbo's head landed just at chest level for Thorin, and if he were lean, he could rest his chin on that ridiculous sun hat. Bilbo cleared his throat, and Thorin quickly released him with a steadying hand resting on his waist for just a moment longer.
"I wanted to thank-"
"I'm sorry for whatever-"
The two of them chuckled as they both attempted to speak at the same time. Bilbo smiled at Thorin and nodded at him, "Please, you go first. What were you going to say?" Thorin paused at Bilbo's pleasant tone and relaxed stance, both hands loosely held behind his back as he rocked forward slightly on the balls of his feet. Thorin was suddenly less worried about whatever Dis told him, as Bilbo still stood before him with a light blush coloring his cheeks and a shy smile.
Mustering his courage Thorin began, "It's not important anymore, but I did want to give you something," opening his own hand to present the small bluebell bloom Thorin smiled at Bilbo, "It isn't a full bouquet like the boys made, and I'm sure that I wasn't supposed to pick one down in the gardens, but I noticed they're your favorite flowers. So, I wanted to give you one to thank you for a wonderful day for the boys." Thorin finished his spiel, his face flaming as he presented the little flower to a stunned Bilbo.
Bilbo reached out a slightly shaky hand to take the small bloom from Thorin, their fingers brushing for just a moment. The contact sent a jolt of electricity down Thorin's spine. Bilbo stared at the innocent blue flower for a long moment before looking up at Thorin with a blinding smile.
"Thank you, Thorin. This means more to me than you know. I also had something for you, to thank you for choosing to come with the boys for today's adventure." Bilbo said as he removed the other hand from behind his back and presented Thorin with a beautiful blue flower. "This one does not usually bloom this early in the spring, but I saw it when I went inside. It’s a blue cornflower, and it reminded me of you. It's the same shade as your eyes-" Bilbo continued. The longer he spoke, the redder his face became until he was fully babbling.
Thorin chuckled at the adorably flustered man before him, the last of his nerves leaving his shoulders. "Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?" he interrupted Bilbo's flustered babbling. The question effectively silenced the smaller man, jerking his attention back to Thorin.
"I don’t, but don't you have Kili's birthday dinner?" Bilbo asked, tilting his head curiously to the side as he looked up through his eyelashes at the taller man.
"Since Vili had to work today, they decided tonight would be a special dinner for just the four of them. I’m currently free, and would love it if you would join me for dinner?" Thorin trailed off his question hopefully, clutching the blue cornflower in his hand just a smidge tighter as he waited for Bilbo's answer.
Bilbo smiled down at the bluebell in his own hands before looking back up at Thorin and nodding. "I would love to. I’m off at 6 today and would just need some time to get home and change."
A surge of joy rushed through Thorin at the easy acceptance of dinner with the wonderful man in front of him. "I can pick you up at 7:30 if you can send me your address?" Thorin asked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, tapping the screen to a new text message and handing it to Bilbo.
Bilbo beamed as he took the phone, quickly sending himself a text message. A chime sounded from his back pocket as he handed the phone back to Thorin. "It's a date."
As Dis, Fili, and Kili said their farewells and thanks to Frodo and Bilbo for a wonderful day, Thorin could only stare at Bilbo with a soppy smile crooking his lips. With a small wave and a final Happy Birthday to Kili, Bilbo smiled at Thorin before walking back into the greenhouse to finish his work day.
As the family were walking out of the B&B Botanical Garden and Conservatory, Thorin couldn't help but lean into Dis and ask her what she whispered to Bilbo with a besotted look still stuck on his face.
Dis laughed and slung her arm around her brother. "I told him you were desperately single and couldn't keep your jaw off the floor the entire day looking at him." She laughed before quickly releasing her brother and running to her car, with Fili and Kili laughing madly and chasing after their mother.
Thorin wanted to be angry at Dis for the embarrassing words, but before he could chase after her, his phone dinged in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a message from his newest contact.
'I can't wait for dinner tonight 🌻💕'
Maybe the mild embarrassment was worth it if it ended up with Thorin getting to have dinner with the most beautiful and interesting man he'd ever met. Smiling to himself, Thorin hugged his nephews one more time. Wishing Kili a final happy birthday, he waved as he climbed into his truck and placed the blue cornflower on the passenger seat. It was a beautiful spring day indeed.
Art Commissioned by me from the extremely talented Aimless Passerby!
Tumblr: @lonicera-edulis, Instagram: @lonicera_edulis, Bluesky: @lonicera-edulis