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Thorin looked at the two young adults on the seat in front of him. The sleaze-ball was holding his nephews hand. His little boy. He had said no to seven suitors in the past year and a half. Frodo only knew about two of them, Loilir and Dafur, the rest had been aristocrats and noblemen trying to arrange marriage of their sons for the purpose of business. Thorin always refused. Frodo would marry for utter love and devotion and nothing less.
The first one that approached him with Frodo was Loilir, an elf. Thorin’s eye had twitched when Frodo brought an elf but Bilbo had been very stern with him. He did not give them permission to court; the relationship fell through too quickly. Thorin had been perfectly civil… well reasonably civil. He had said that they would all have dinner together and they would see if he and Bilbo would give them permission.
The elf lasted a mere half an hour at the dinner table. The dwarves had promised to all be on their best behaviour around the elf, to be honest they had become more accustomed to the presence of elves after Kili and Tauriel began courting and eventually married.
After half an hour and a few too many digs at dwarves on behalf of the elf, Frodo had dragged him out to talk to him. They had broken up before they really got together. Dwarves were important to Frodo, they were his family, and there was no way he could court someone who hated and/or disrespected his family.
The second boy that came with Frodo appeared several months later. He was called Dafur and he was a dwarf and Thorin had said no within the time of a short conversation. That dwarf didn’t love him as a hobbit, he expected him to act like a dwarf. Thorin, as a dwarf in love with a hobbit, he knew what it was like to love a hobbit.
Dafur expected him to act the same and Thorin knew that as a dwarf, you have to appreciate what makes a hobbit a hobbit. He didn’t want them to court at all. Either Dafur would realise Frodo wasn’t what he was looking for or Dafur would try would try to change Frodo. He understood the compromises you have to make in a relationship but he wasn’t about to let Frodo lose what made him a hobbit. Frodo had been upset but it was worth it to protect him from the heart ache.
‘I’m sorry?’ Bilbo asked in surprise, pulling Thorin from his reminiscence.
‘I want to court Frodo.’ Kignus repeated with what Thorin was sure was fake politeness. He grinned, looking down his hooked nose at Thorin and Bilbo.
‘Oh.’ Bilbo swallowed, looking to his husband nervously. Thorin’s eye twitched and the king stood without saying a word.
‘What makes you good enough for him?’ He said coldly.
‘I care about him. I will give him the most beautiful lavish gifts. I will be a good husband and a good prince.’ Kignus answered with a level of confidence that grated on Thorin’s nerves. Thorin hummed and gave him a calculated look.
‘Husband?’ Bilbo coughed. ‘We are only on courting now, slow down.’ The older hobbit said in disbelief. Frodo nodded in agreement shooting a confused look at Kignus.
Thorin stepped forward and held his hand out to the young dwarf. Kignus grinned at Frodo though it came out as more of a smirk. The ginger dwarf stood and took the King’s hand to shake it. Thorin’s grip tightened to bone crushing immediately. Kignus gasped in pain, gritting his teeth as he fell to his knees as Thorin continued to squeeze his fingers.
‘Uncle!’ Frodo cried in disbelief. ‘Stop!’ He moved to stop it but Bilbo put a hand on his arm.
‘You do not have my permission. You will not be with my nephew ever. Now you will get out of my sight. You have until I count to five before I get out the sword and give you a haircut with my eyes closed.’ The king growled, throwing him away and letting his hand go.
‘One.’ He shouted as Kignus cradled his hand from his place on the floor. Thorin walked to the wall where the Orcrist was mounted, along with Sting, and lifted it from the wall.
‘Two.’ Kignus looked to Frodo as he scrambled to his feet.
‘Three.’ Thorin shouted, pulling the sword partially from the scabbard.
‘Not worth it.’ Kignus muttered as he scurried to the door.
‘Four.’ Thorin bellowed, pulling the sword fully from its confines and pointing it in the young dwarf’s direction. The door slammed shut just before Thorin reached five. The king glared at the door for a moment before sliding the sword back into the scabbard and putting it back on the wall.
‘What the hell was that?!’ Frodo cried angrily, throwing his hands up in disbelief.
‘Language, Frodo.’ Bilbo said sternly but the young hobbit ignored him.
‘You could have broken his hand!’
‘Trust me if I wanted to break his hand, his hand would be broken.’ Thorin snorted angrily. And don’t think he hadn’t seriously thought about it.
‘I can’t believe you did that! I liked him.’ Frodo shouted, his eyes filling with angry tears.
‘Yes but he was only after your position and your money. I can’t believe you didn’t see that, I had thought we’d raised you better than that.’ The king shook his head disappointedly.
‘I-I arrgh. I’m so angry with you. You always say no!’ Frodo cried in frustration.
‘I do what’s good for you, I protect you.’ The king replied firmly.
‘There’s a difference between protecting me and controlling me. You’re being overbearing and it’s making me hate you!’ The hobbit screamed. The room was silent for a moment as his uncles stared at him.
‘You don’t mean that.’ Thorin said quietly, trying to hide the sadness in his voice.
‘Well maybe I do! You’re being brutish and violent and bad tempered. It’s like you don’t want me to be happy!’ He shouted, angry tears falling down his cheeks.
‘ALL I CARE ABOUT IS YOUR HAPPINESS.’ Thorin shouted back, why wouldn’t he just believe that?
‘No all you care about is yourself! I’m not yours to control, YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER.’ Frodo screamed, storming out of his uncle’s rooms and into his own.
Thorin flinched as the door slammed shut and looked sadly across at Bilbo. His husband gently put a hand on his arm, rubbing it up and down.
……………….
Half an hour later Bilbo sighed as he sat down on Frodo’s bed. He had just come from trying to comfort his husband. It was difficult sometimes; dwarves were so proud and strong that sometimes they don’t want to admit that they’re sad or hurt.
Thorin had merely said that he was going to be late for a meeting before turning away. But Bilbo knew him better than that, he was many things but not heartless. The hobbit had been sure to give him a loving meaningful kiss followed by a declaration of love before his husband left. Confound these proud dwarves and their mushy sensitive inside.
‘Oh Frodo.’ He breathed, lovingly stroking his nephew’s hair.
‘Why does he always have to ruin everything?’ Frodo cried, wiping away tears with a huff.
‘Come here.’ Bilbo said gently, opening his arms in invitation. The younger hobbit shuffled over to him and hugged him, resting his head against his uncle’s shoulder.
‘You know why he does it right?’ Bilbo asked with a sigh as he rubbed his nephew’s back comfortingly.
Frodo shook his head sadly.
‘He does it because he loves you. Even though you’re not blood, you’re his little boy. He loves you like a son and he wants you to be happy but he also wants the best for you.’
‘But I’m old enough to make my own decisions; I’m not a child anymore.’ Frodo muttered in an ironically petulant voice.
‘You’re always the little hobbit that came to Erebor all those years ago and used to sit in his lap when he told you bedtime stories, to him.’ Bilbo laughed, putting his hands on both sides of Frodo’s face, thumbs stroking away stray tears from his cheeks.
‘Frodo, I stood up for you with Loilir and Dafur but Kignus Dunar is no good. I agree with your uncle, you can do so much better.’ Bilbo said kindly but firmly.
‘I’m sorry but he’s after only one thing, you want somebody who loves you for rich or poor not a dwarf who wants to take advantage your money and your power.’ Bilbo sighed. He wished that this one had been good but it seemed that Frodo kept on accidentally choosing the bad apples from the crate.
‘I know… I’m just tired of being alone.’
‘Oh Frodo.’ Bilbo smiled. ‘You’re not alone, you have all of us and anyway love will find you. You’re still young my lad.’ Frodo nodded.
‘Go and apologise to your uncle.’ Bilbo ordered gently, patting his arm.
‘And Frodo.’ He called, causing the hobbit to turn at the door. ‘Please don’t say things like that to him, even in a fight. Your uncle loves you more than anything in this entire world, please don’t question that. You know what he’s like; he’s secretly very sensitive for a big tough dwarven king.’ Bilbo sighed sadly. Frodo looked down at the ground guiltily and nodded before leaving the room.
Frodo made his way to the throne room slowly, it was as gooder place to start as any and he needed to compile his thoughts. Thorin was always busy with meetings and councils having said that he always had time for Frodo, for as long as he could remember. The hobbit intentionally took a few wrong turns delaying finding his uncle in the hopes that he could figure out what to say. He didn’t realise it but he’d been wandering around for near an hour.
‘Ah Balin have you seen my uncle?’ He asked when he spotted the old dwarf coming down the corridor.
‘Thorin? I heard you two had a fight… about Master Dunar.’ Balin replied with a slightly sad but knowing look in his eyes.
‘Yeah, how did you know?’
‘Thorin told me. He… he, well he’s pretty beaten up about it… even if he doesn’t show it. But those of us who know him well eh?’ Balin said, face looking a little conflicted as though he wasn’t sure whether to tell the young hobbit of the hurt Thorin sustained after their argument.
‘Yeah I said some things I just didn’t mean, where is he?’
‘He’s going to be finishing a meeting any minute now; he’s in the council room.’ The old white-haired dwarf informed him, patting Frodo’s arm kindly.
Frodo nodded and headed off to the council room. As he walked down the corridor he spotted several dwarves coming out of the council room, all muttering to each other and brandishing scrolls.
He smiled weakly at Dwalin and stepped into the council room. Frodo looked back to see Dwalin closing the door with a nod. Thorin was sat at the head of the council table, his head rested in his hand as he rubbed his eyes with a sigh.
‘Uncle.’ He said quietly, announcing his presence as he slid into a seat by the side of the king.
Thorin looked up at him in surprise before he leant back in the chair, his face stony and blank, shielding his emotions.
Frodo licked his lips slowly and looked up at his uncle.
‘I- I didn’t mean what I said.’ He said quietly, looking back down at his twisting fingers. ‘I don’t hate you, I love you. I know that you know that but I still shouldn’t have said those things.’ Frodo apologised, fiddling with one of the buttons on his sleeves.
‘I know you’re just like a father to me and I understand that you want to play the scary father role and I know it comes from a good place. I… should have seen through Kignus’ intentions. I – I just wanted to have what you have with uncle; I just want to be happy like you guys are. You’re my biggest role models, the two of you, and I want to be happy like you.’ Frodo said honestly, his eyes getting a little teary. He felt a large hand close over his.
‘You will eventually.’ Thorin said comfortingly, putting a hand at the crook of Frodo’s neck and looking down at him lovingly. ‘I don’t want you to settle for anyone who doesn’t treasure you the way you deserve. Me and you’re uncle have what we have because the only thing in this entire world that could possibly compete with my devotion and adoration for Bilbo is you. You are as good as my own son and I just want to protect you from… from everything.’
‘You are the greatest treasure in this world Fro Fro. The only being that is worthy of you is somebody who appreciates how fantastic you are.’ Thorin breathed with a proud smile.
Frodo snorted at his uncle’s use of ‘Fro Fro’. His uncle used to call him that when he was much younger. Dwarves were very sappy when it came to children, especially adorable hobbit children.
‘I’m sorry for shouting at you.’ The dwarf apologised. It hurt him every time he lost his temper with his family. He had never been the best at controlling his anger and the incident many years ago with the Arkenstone didn’t help.
Frodo sniffed as he stood and held his arms out. Thorin was up immediately, pulling his adopted nephew into a big bear hug. The king pressed a soft kiss to Frodo’s hair and squeezed him tightly. Frodo smiled, pressing his face further into the rich fabric of his uncle’s royal attire.
‘You have to promise to give the good ones a chance.’ Frodo said after a little while, looking up at his uncle. Thorin sighed.
‘I’ll think about it.’ The dwarf responded in a way that made absolutely no promises and Frodo huffed in annoyance.
‘Just… just don’t judge them by too higher standard uncle. Nobody is perfect.’
………….
‘This year’s crop is failing pretty badly, if we’re not careful we won’t have enough food to feed the mountain.’ Bilbo sighed, looking down at the parchment Hundar, the dwarven head of agriculture, gave him. ‘This is beyond my knowledge.’ The hobbit put his head in his hand.
‘Mine too I’m afraid, I don’t know what it is. We can buy some food from Laketown but it’s still going to be tough.’
‘Perhaps I could contact my friend in the Shire, Mr Gamgee was my gardener. Nobody knows plants better than he does. I’ll write and ask him if he knows anything that could help but there are no guarantees.’ Bilbo said thoughtfully.
‘It’s worth a try.’ Hundar nodded.
‘We are nearly finished here Bilbo, write him immediately and send it off with a raven straight away.’ Thorin concluded. Bilbo smiled and nodded, piling rolled parchments into his arms and scurrying off.
………
‘He said he’ll come to Erebor?’ Bilbo sighed in surprise, looking down at the letter in his hand in disbelief. The hobbit was sat in his night shirt and dressing gown, perched on the edge of their bed. He kept re-reading the parchment in front of him, there was no way he was understanding this correctly. The Gamgees were coming to Erebor!
‘Who?’ Thorin asked in interest, pulling his night clothes on before sliding onto the bed behind him. The dwarf slid his arms down Bilbo’s, hugging him tightly.
‘Hamfast Gamgee. He says he’ll come down to Erebor with a good guide, mind you.’ Bilbo snorted in disbelief, quoting his friend fondly.
‘Huh, hobbits seem to have a tendency to surprise people.’ The king chuckled, kissing Bilbo’s neck affectionately.
‘I can’t believe it.’ Bilbo breathed. ‘I’m going to see my friend again.’ He smiled, turning to Thorin and kissing him happily.
‘He’ll have the finest escorts.’ Thorin said firmly. ‘Now come to bed.’ He purred.
‘Alright alright.’ Bilbo laughed, putting the letter on the table as Thorin reclined on the bed with a come hither look. ‘I’m not as young as I used to be.’ Bilbo snorted, still chuckling as he crawled over his dwarf.
‘You’re still unbelievably hot.’ Thorin gave him a charming smile, running his hand down Bilbo’s back and squeezing his arse. Bilbo rolled his eyes... and then his hips.
…………………
Two months later the company were having lunch when a messenger came and told them that the Gamgees had arrived. Bilbo jumped up excitedly, slowly followed by the rest of the company, some looking sadly at the plates that they were leaving behind. Fili and Kili were close behind their uncles, the idea of yet another hobbit to add to their collection excited them. All these dwarves had a soft spot for hobbits.
‘Hamfast Gamgee!’ Bilbo cried, hugging the other hobbit tightly.
‘Bilbo.’ Hamfast laughed, despite looking rather weary from the journey, clapping him on the back. He held the hobbit at arm’s length and grinned. ‘Or should I say ‘yer majesty’, eh?’ He added, looking up and down Bilbo’s fine clothes and jewellery.
‘Oh pish posh, it’s always Bilbo to you.’
‘Oh my goodness is this little Samwise!’ Bilbo cried, putting his hands on the shoulders of the young hobbit in front of him. ‘Oh the last time I saw you, you were down here.’ Bilbo chuckled, holding his hand down by his hip.
‘I remember Mr Bilbo.’ Sam nodded, grinning at the nostalgia.
‘Sam!’ Frodo bellowed from the other side of the hall. He ran over and hugged Sam. They had played together when they were young and were pretty much inseparable. Sam had been devastated when Frodo left.
The blond hobbit blinked for a moment, looking surprised by Frodo’s affection. He must admit that his main motivation for coming with his father to Erebor was the hope of seeing Frodo again, yet there had been this niggling worry in the back of his mind that the other hobbit wouldn’t remember him. He blushed a little and hugged him back. ‘You… you look great.’ Sam breathed before suddenly realising what he said and looking away.
Frodo laughed; there was a hint of shyness to his laughter. Bilbo shared a look with Hamfast. The room was quiet as everyone watched Frodo and Sam shyly avoid each other’s eye contact.
‘Right.’ Bilbo said suddenly, putting an arm around Hamfast’s shoulder. ‘Let us point you towards you room and get straight to it my friend, you are greatly needed.’ The hobbit announced, guiding him away.
…………
A month later Sam knocked on the door to the royal chambers. He and Frodo had been pretty much inseparable since he came. It was much like when they were younger except this time Sam’s crush on Frodo was much stronger. At first he thought it was impossible, that Frodo would never like him in that way but every so often he’d catch Frodo looking at him, sometimes he would touch him and the touch would last longer than necessary. Maybe there was hope yet.
‘Enter.’ Bilbo called from inside. He put down the book he was reading and looked up to the hobbit walking into the room.
‘Um Mr Bilbo…do you have a moment to speak?’ Sam asked shyly. Bilbo smiled and nodded, motioning to the seat across from him.
‘Well…’ Sam swallowed, looking down at his hands.
‘This is about Frodo isn’t it?’ Bilbo raised an eyebrow knowingly. Sam floundered, mouth trying to form words that didn’t seem to come.
‘Ye-yes. I would like to, well, ask Frodo to… well I’d like to court ‘im.’ He said with a deep breath. ‘Well if he wants to.’
Bilbo grinned at him. ‘I think he will. Of course you have my permission.’ Sam let out a breath he’d been holding, and gave the older hobbit a small smile.
‘Of course you know you will have to ask my husband’s permission as well.’ Sam nodded, looking rather frightened at the prospect.
‘Don’t worry; I’m sure he will give you permission. You make Frodo happy and he’ll admire that.’ Bilbo said comfortingly patting Sam’s knee with a kind and understanding expression on his face.
……………
Sam took a sip of his tea, holding his cup with two hands to try and hide the tremor in his hands. Thorin was looking at him with a hard gaze.
‘You want to court my Frodo.’ He said coolly.
‘If, if he says yes.’ The hobbit stuttered self-deprecatingly.
‘Hmmm.’ Thorin hummed, leaning back in his chair, fingers clasped together across his stomach. ‘Do you know how many boys, elves, dwarves and men, have asked for permission to court my Frodo?’ The dwarf said sternly.
‘I would imagine many.’ Sam answered quietly.
‘Interesting. Why do you say that?’ Thorin asked with a raised eyebrow.
‘Well Frodo is fantastic; I would imagine much better blokes than me have been interested. I’m just a gardener from the Shire, I don’t have money or power or anything but I do love him.’ Sam swallowed, steeling all the courage he could find in his heart. He looked up and met the dwarf king’s eyes.
‘I find that hobbits have a tendency to be surprising, you lot are stronger and greater than you think.’
Sam didn’t know how to respond to that.
‘I have said no to nine potential suitors for my Frodo, three of whom Frodo knows about. You are the tenth suitor and…’ He paused before his face fell into a small smile. ‘And finally I think I can say yes.’
‘Wait what?’ Sam gasped, his face surprised.
‘You may court my Frodo.’ Thorin said with a smile.
‘I have hated all the other suitors but I like you Samwise Gamgee, there is no one better in my opinion.’ The king nodded, putting a hand on Sam’s shoulder.
‘Thank you your majesty.’ Sam breathed, a big smile splitting across his face. He put his hand on Thorin’s shoulder, mirroring his position.
‘You may call me Thorin for now, Sam. Marry my boy and you can call me uncle.’ Thorin smirked.
Sam laughed softly. He was frightened of the dwarf king but he couldn’t help but start to like the dwarf. He was not nearly as scary when he was smiling.
‘Do you know how you’re going to ask him?’ Thorin asked curiously. Sam shook his head.
‘I don’t know.’ He shrugged; he honestly had no idea how to go about it. He needed a gift for Frodo to court him but it couldn’t just be any gift, it had to be a special gift.
‘Then I think I have something for you.’ The dwarf said thoughtfully. ‘Come with me.’ He ordered gently, crooking his finger for Sam to follow. The hobbit followed Thorin a little cautiously before the dwarf put a hand on his arm.
The king unlocked a door, stepping into an ornate room and opening a drawer on the furthest side of the room. It was a bedroom, very dusty and mostly untouched except for the visible foot prints on the floor. Sam stayed in the doorway and looked around the room.
The only thing dusted was a large family portrait painting. A dwarf with an eye patch was stood behind what the hobbit thought to be a female dwarf. There was a young dark haired boy, the eldest of the children, was stood with his father’s hand on this shoulder. The young boy had a hand on a younger blonde boys shoulder. There was a baby on the mother’s lap. They looked happy, if not a little stern.
Thorin took something from the cupboard and walked back over to him.
‘This is… was my mother’s room.’ The dwarf said quietly, looking sadly around the room. ‘She died when Smaug attacked the mountain.’ Thorin breathed.
‘I’m sorry.’ Sam said quietly.
‘She would have liked you. She would have liked all three of you. She was remarkably like a hobbit, for a dwarf. She loved food and her garden in the mountain was quite beautiful. She was kind hearted, sweet and loving yet she had a hidden strength much like the three of you.’ Thorin smiled fondly.
‘This was given to her by my father.’ Thorin said quietly, opening his hands in front of him and showing it to Sam. In his hand sat a glimmering brooch, gold twisted into the shape of interwoven stems, small gems making flower petals. It was flowery but not too feminine for a male.
‘I want you to have it.’ Thorin swallowed thickly, taking Sam’s hand and pushing the cool metal into it. ‘You give it to my boy.’ He said quietly.
Sam looked up at his with wide eyes. He licked his lips and placed his other hand other Thorin’s.
‘Thank you sir-Mr Thorin.’ He amended.
‘Now.’ Thorin sniffed, biting him lip for a moment. ‘Would you like to hear some funny stories about Frodo when he was a kid?’ He said with a smile.
Sam nodded, looking down at the brooch on last time before holding it tight in his hand. The king shut the door, locking it again.
Thorin slung an arm around Sam’s shoulder with a grin. ‘So Frodo was only fifteen years old and he was still so tiny, well to us he was tiny...’ Thorin said fondly and the pair walked down the corridor.
………….
‘Have you seen Sam?’ Frodo asked his uncle, stealing a piece of cake from Bilbo’s plate of afternoon tea.
‘He’s having afternoon tea with your uncle.’ Bilbo answered giving him an understanding look as Frodo’s face blanched.
‘Tea with Uncle Thorin? Why?’ Frodo frowned. Part of him worried that Thorin was going to scare Sam away. Granted they weren’t together yet and it may never happen but that didn’t stop Frodo from feeling what he felt.
Bilbo opened his mouth to answer when the door to Frodo’s left opened. The two hobbits blinked at an unexpected sight. Sam and Thorin walked into the room laughing, the dwarf king had an arm slung around the smaller hobbit’s shoulders.
‘...And so he was stood there in nothing but his skin holding a biscuit in one hand and the last plate of Bilbo’s West Farthing pottery in the other.’ Thorin said finally and the two howled with laughter. Sam tried to muffle the laughter behind his hand but was finding it hard.
Blush crawled across Frodo’s face from his cheeks to the tip of his ears when he realised that Thorin was telling Sam a rather embarrassing story from when he was younger.
When the pair caught sight of the two hobbits, Thorin patted Sam’s arm with a smile and whispered ‘go get him’ in his ear. Sam smiled and took Frodo’s hand leading him out of the room. Bilbo looked over at his husband with a proud smile and took his hand.
‘So…’ Frodo said quietly, swinging his feet. The two of them were sat on a bench on the large balcony. Sam looked away from the small flowers that edged the railing. ‘My uncle didn’t kill you.’ Frodo laughed softly.
‘No, actually he said that he likes me.’ Sam snorted, still finding it a little difficult to believe.
‘Well that’s a first time he’s liked someone that I-’ Frodo started before abruptly stopping when he realised what he nearly just said.
‘Someone that you what?’ Sam asked quietly.
‘Nothing.’ Frodo said a bit too quickly.
They fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence.
‘So what’s all this about? Why were you having afternoon tea with my uncle?’
‘I was asking his permission.’ Sam said as strongly as he could. Thorin had told him that he was strong and courageous, that all hobbits were, it was a mere matter of finding that courage.
‘Permission for what?’ Frodo asked, crossing his fingers behind his back. He had to admit that it was rather childish but he wanted so badly for Sam to be asking to court him.
‘Permission to… to ask to court you.’ Sam stuttered. As soon as he said it he couldn’t be sure whether he felt relieved or wished he could take it all back. He was in limbo. Stuck between being relaxed and happy and scared and tense.
‘To court me?’ Frodo asked, unsure he’d heard him right. He didn’t want to let his heart believe it without being sure.
‘Yeah…’ Sam breathed, holding a hand out with the brooch. Frodo looked down at the brooch. ‘Your uncle actually gave this to me to give to you as a courting gift. But I mean if you don’t want to then… well it’ll break my heart but just say and I’ll go.’ The blond hobbit couldn’t look at Frodo, his heart was beating quickly and his hands felt clammy.
After a few moments of holding the brooch out in his open hand he felt another hand close over it. He barely had a moment to register the hand on his when he felt Frodo kiss his cheek.
‘I’d love to court with you.’ Frodo grinned when Sam looked up at him with wide yet happy eyes.
‘Put it on me.’ Frodo said, puffing out his chest almost comically. Sam blinked before jumping a little and going to put the brooch on Frodo’s tunic. The hobbits fingers bumbled clumsily before Frodo put his hands over his.
‘There is no need to be nervous now, I have already said yes.’ The hobbit laughed, looking at his kindly.
‘I know, it’s just… well… phew.’ He breathed, pinning the brooch to his tunic. ‘You make me nervous.’ He breathed.
Frodo raised an eyebrow.
Sam looked up at him and immediately began to amend his statement. ‘I mean like in a good way and all and I-‘
Frodo leant forward and kissed him. Sam blinked in surprise, he couldn’t figure out what to do with his hands. He settled with one on Frodo’s arm and the other on his cheek.
‘My dear Sam.’ Frodo said quietly, putting a hand on the back of the other hobbit’s head, his thumb stroked over the blond curls.
Frodo looked down at the brooch on his chest and sighed in disbelief. ‘I can’t believe my uncle gave you permission.’
‘Ten times a charm?’ Sam snorted.
‘Ten times?’ Frodo frowned in confusion.
‘Oh yeah there were some you didn’t know about… not sure I was supposed to tell you that.’ Sam grumbled, running his hands through his curls.
‘Huh.’ Frodo huffed in thought. He never knew there’d been that many suitors. He wasn’t really sure how to feel about that. Part of him was annoyed that Thorin had turned them down without even consulting him but another part of him warmed that Thorin protected him from those he deemed unworthy. But he deemed Sam worthy. Ah Sam. His dear Sam.
Frodo smiled a little and put a hand on Sam’s, his thumb gently stroking the back of his hand. ‘You’re very brave to ask my uncle. I’m actually rather proud.’ Sam blushed a little and smiled.
…………………..
Frodo pushed through the large doors into the dining room with happy yet a little teary eyes. His uncles turned to look at him with hopeful eyes. Bilbo jumped up noticing the brooch on his coat and rushed over to his nephew.
He hugged his nephew tightly with an excited sigh. Thorin walked and slowly joined him, shaking Sam’s hand with a nod. Frodo pulled away and held his arm out to his other uncle.
‘Thank you.’ He breathed. Thorin smiled in response and hugged him tightly. Bilbo grabbed his hand and pulled Frodo with him, babbling about how they had to tell the company and that Lobelia would be so jealous. Sam and Thorin were left to walk behind them more slowly.
‘I have already told you that I like you Sam.’ Thorin started conversationally. ‘However now that you are courting my nephew I will have to threaten you.’
‘Naturally.’ Sam nodded, he was still honestly a little frightened of this dwarf.
‘I do worry that if you faint Frodo will be angry with me.’
‘Then I shan’t.’ Sam said with as much confidence as he could muster.
‘You hurt him.’ Thorin growled, stopping to face him, looking down at him with a menacing glare. ‘And I will kill you…eventually.’ The dwarf looked him in the eyes for a moment and Sam gulped. Suddenly the king’s demeanour changed and he smiled at the hobbit.
‘You did very well.’
‘It wasn’t so bad. Not to say I’m not frightened of course.’ Samwise quickly amended hoping that Thorin wouldn’t think that his threat needed to be more colourful.
‘Good because you’re going to have to go through at least thirteen others and then there is Tauriel and my sister.’
Sam looked a little frightened at that.
‘I’d be frightened by that prospect too.’ Thorin snorted, clapping him on the back in a friendly manner. ‘The best thing to do with my sister is just nod along.’
The hobbit nodded in response and Thorin chuckled.
‘See, you’re a natural.’