Hold me tight

Chapter eight

Bilbo was... slightly... nervous.

He was walking a hole in his bedroom floor.

'Will you relax?' Ori, who was sitting on Bilbo's bed, said. 'You said it yourself: it's not a date. It's just tea with Thorin. But tell me, please, why tea? Why not go to a pub?'

'I don't know. Thorin suggested the place and he also had to be there for something. And yes, it's not a date, but what if he thinks it's a date?' Bilbo argued.

'Well, do you want it to be a date?' Ori asked. He knew Dwalin and Thorin had had a similar conversation, because Dwalin told him and it did look like Thorin wanting it to be a date.

'I don't know.' Bilbo answered. 'Maybe. I'm not good at dates or dating. I always make a mess of it or do something embarrassing which makes me look like an idiot. I don't know what to do, Ori.' Bilbo whined.

'Bilbo?'

'Yes?'

'It's just tea and it's with Thorin, so you'll not be the only one who's not good at dates. Just try to have a conversation and get to know him.'

'It's not a date.'

'Whatever you say.'

XoXoX

To: Bilbo

From: Thorin

You sure I don't need to pick you up?

To: Thorin

From: Bilbo

Yes, I'm sure. Besides, you're already there, so it would be a waste of time for you to come pick me up.

To: Bilbo

From: Thorin

It wouldn't be a waste of time for me to pick you up...

Bilbo smiled at his phone before tucking it away in his pocket. Ori had found it incredibly cute that Thorin would walk 20 minutes to pick up Bilbo and then walk back to Elrond's Cafe.

While Bilbo found it also cute, he insisted on getting there on his own. He didn't want Thorin to abruptly end whatever it is he's doing at Elrond's just to pick him up. This walk would give Thorin 20 minutes extra to finish whatever it was he was doing. Ori had told him that Thorin didn't work there as a dishwasher or waiter. If fact, he didn't work there at all, but Ori wouldn't tell him what it was Thorin did at Elrond's.

And 20 minutes later he found out that Elrond's Cafe was a cute, homely and warm place to be. The furniture mainly existed out of wooden tables and chairs, in a corner were red sofa's with a low, dark brown coffee table. One wall existed out of a large bookcase filled with books and another wall was a black wall with a white tree painted on it. It was an elegant tree and there were a few white drops of, probably accidental paint, on a few parts of the wall. But it was beautiful.

Bilbo looked around but didn't see Thorin.

'Can I help you?' a silky voice asked. Bilbo turned towards the counter where a tall, brunette stood.

He must be slightly older than Bard, Bilbo thought.

'Euh, Thorin said I had to wait here for him.' Bilbo answered.

'Ah, you must me mister Baggins.' the man smiled. 'Thorin told me you were coming today. My name is Elrond, would you like anything until...'

'No need for that. I'm here.' Thorin said as he came out of probably the kitchen and walked towards Bilbo.

'Hey.' he smiled and Bilbo almost melted on the spot. Thorin looked incredibly handsome today. He was dressed in a black shirt, which could just as much have been painted onto his body, and old black jeans, his hair was in a low ponytail and his eyes shone with the same intensity of burning coals.

'Hey.' Bilbo muttered back after he found himself staring.

'Let's take a seat, shall we?' Thorin led a blushing Bilbo to one of the corner seats near the window, you could see the entire cafe from that spot, but you could also sit closely to each other without being disturbed.

Thorin ordered a cup of mint tea and a piece of velvet cake, while Bilbo ordered a cup of Earl Gray and vanilla cake with butter cream.

'This is actually a really nice place.' Bilbo said, hoping it would start a conversation, like Ori said he should do.

'You expected a pub where they play old rock music and serve cheap beer, didn't you?' Thorin asked with a cheeky smile.

'I was a bit surprised when you suggested a cafe... Like this one.' Bilbo confessed shyly. 'How did you find it?' since the cafe wasn't on the school campus.

Thorin smiled.'I was in my first year at Middle Earth High, 14 or almost 15 years old, and I got lost on my way back to Erebor and it started to rain.' Thorin smiled a bit embarrassed. 'I didn't remember how I ever got off campus, but there I was, in the rain and lost. So I saw this place and at first I thought Elrond was going to kick me out because I was soaked to the bone and I was making everything wet in the cafe. But the cafe was hiring at that moment and Elrond must have thought I wanted a job, because we did the interview. I didn't have the heart to tell Elrond I was just searching for shelter and I never had a job before so I had no idea what to expect. Elrond asked me all these questions and I lied... a lot, because it was raining even harder than before. In the end, I got the job.'

'And after three months, he finally got the courage to tell me he was just sheltering from the rain and didn't have a clue how to work with an espresso maker.' Elrond finished the story as he brought them their tea and cakes. 'He had been serving customers instant coffee with cinnamon for extra flavour for three months!' Elrond left with a loud laugh, but they could still hear him say. 'The nerve!' with a humoured voice.

Bilbo couldn't help but laugh at Thorin's guilty expression. 'I had to the dishes for three months here and at the dorm as punishment.' Thorin muttered. 'But at least I didn't get fired.'

'Why did he let you stay?' Bilbo asked.

'I always told myself he let me stay because he liked me, but now I think it is because I took my friends here.' Thorin confessed. 'Dwalin has a huge sweet tooth and isn't pleased with only one piece of cake. Soon after I started to take them here, most of Middle Earths students came here during the weekends and business went great.'

'Do you still work here or do you just visit the place?'

'I come to work here during the winter, because that is one of the busiest seasons and when Elrond needs someone to jump in.' Thorin answered. 'But generally, I just like to come here.' He took a bite of his cake and Bilbo could only wish he was that fork.

The date, even if Bilbo told himself it wasn't a date, went quite well. They talked, laughed, teased and flirted. Thorin told about his two chaotic nephews and sister, while Bilbo told Thorin about his parents. He didn't talk about how they died or what happened after that, but he told Thorin the happy memories he had. Thorin enjoyed the fact that Bilbo felt comfortable with him to talk about his parents. It was something unpleasant they had in common, but Bilbo had a great bond with his parents, while Thorin still saw his grandfather as a father figure instead of a grandfather.

It took Bilbo a while to figure out where he had seen the white paint the spotted Thorins hands.

And then it hit him.

'Thorin, did you paint that tree?' Bilbo asked suddenly. Thorin looked a bit surprised, but than started laughing. 'I forgot to tell you that I have an artistic side, didn't I?'

Now it was Bilbo's turn to look surprised. Thorin didn't look like an artist at all, he's a football player! Bilbo told Thorin this and Thorin just laughed loudly.

'Do you always judge a book by its cover, Bilbo?' Thorin asked, still laughing. 'Or should I call you 'Burglar'?'

'No.' Bilbo said quickly. 'To both questions. Call me Bilbo and I don't judge a book by its cover, but in all those weeks I never saw you draw one thing. You're always at the gym or training or making homework. You could at least have show me a hint that you could draw or paint like that.'

'I'm sorry, Bilbo.' Thorin said with a smile. 'I thought Ori or Bofur would have told you. Painting is why I'm here after all.'

'So you just come here to paint?'

'Yes, if it's calm, Elrond calls me to let me know the wall had been painted black or white again and if I'm not to busy I can come to be artistic.'

'Ori had told me you weren't a waiter or a dish washer, but I had no idea you could do something like that. It's beautiful!' Bilbo looked at the white three and was lost in his thought for a moment.

'It is.' Thorin agreed, but was not looking at the painting.

XoXoX

The date had gone great. Bilbo had asked more about Thorins paintings and drawings and made him promise to show them to him. After saying goodbye to Elrond, they decided to take the bus back to campus since it had grown too cold to walk. Thorin was sure it was going to snow any day now. He secretly hoped it would be a white Christmas so he could have a snowball fight with his nephews. When he returned home for Christmas.

The bus was packed. Thorin and Bilbo could hardly breath and where clued together. Thorin was tall enough to reach the metal bar above them to hold on, but Bilbo was to small to reach it and had nothing to hold on to. At first Thorin didn't notice, but when he almost saw Bilbo fall against, he quickly reached out for the smaller lad with his free arm and wrapped it around his waist. 'Just hold on to me.' he spoke with a low voice.

Bilbo just nodded and hold on to Thorin, but didn't dare to look up because of his red cheeks. Well, he could still blame it on the freezing cold weather.

The two minute walk from the bus stop to Erebor was done in silence, but they walked close together. Thorin had to stop himself from putting his arm around Bilbo's shoulders. Thorin wanted to say how much he had enjoyed himself and that he wanted to do it again. With Bilbo. If he wanted that also.

But instead, Thorin had to shut up because inside Erebor Dori was trying to kill Dwalin.

Dori was throwing whatever was in reach towards Dwalin, who either tried to catch the flying object or ducked away from it. Thorin and Bilbo could only understand 'sweet Ori', 'brute swine' and 'I will never allow it!'.

'What's going on?' Bilbo asked.

'Dori must have found out Dwalin and Ori are dating.' Thorin answered.

'Why is that a problem?'

Thorin hesitated for a moment before saying: 'Dwalin has quite a history when it comes to love. Dori must thinks that Dwalin only wants Ori for a night.'

'And is it like that?'

'No! Not at all.' Thorin answered quickly. 'Dwalin would give up all the cookies in the world to be with Ori and believe me, little Burglar, that means a lot.' Thorin didn't have the change to talk to Bilbo for he had to run after Dori who wanted to throw one of Gandalfs favourite vases at Dwalin.

It was not the end of their date Thorin had in mind.

XoXoX

After a few hours, heavy tension, separate meals, a missing Gandalf and a lot of awkwardness, Dori had locked himself up in his room. He had much rather locked up Ori in a room, but after the fight he had with Ori he rather stayed away from everyone. He had hit Dwalin with his fist, but was not quit ready to apologise.

So while Dori was moping in his room and most of the lads had gone to bed. A few had decided to enjoy a bit more of the evening and sat in the living room.

Ori was cuddling with Dwalin on the ground in front of the fire, Ori did not care about what Dori thought of Dwalin and would continue with dating him. Nori and Bofur had claimed the big couch for them self and Nori used Bofur as a blanket. While Thorin and Balin were seated in the big chairs on the side of the big couch.

Bofur had just ended telling one of his stories, everyone was laughing and when the laughing died off, Dwalin turned to Thorin. Thorin could already see the bruise that would form under his friends right eye and pitied him.

'So, how was the date?' Dwalin asked.

Thorin described the date, claiming it wasn't a date.

'It was good. It went good, until we came home and someone was throwing the furniture at you, but all in all. I had a great time.' Thorin answered. 'And it wasn't a date.'

'Then what was it?' Ori asked. 'Bilbo was wondering about it what it was. Kept saying it wasn't a date, but the way you described it, makes it quit sound like a date.' the others agreed with Ori and Thorin did not feel like he could actually make it out of this one by his own, but his best friend was siding with his boyfriend. Traitor.

'I did hope to ask Bilbo out on an actual date, but I had to save Dwalin.' he answered.

'Why don't you ask him out again?' Bofur asked.

'Because every body is leaving for the Christmas break in two weeks and we are all drowning in assignments and tests.' Thorin answered. 'I'm also pretty sure he has plans.'

'No, he doesn't.' Nori said. ' I asked him and he's staying here. He can't afford to go back to France.'

'Why don't you ask Bilbo to spend Christmas and New Year with you?' Dwalin asked Thorin, while playing with Ori's hair.

'You think he would want to?' Thorin asked, a bit surprised his friend could come up with something like that.

'Thorin, if the lad went on a date with you and it went that good, he'll want to spent Christmas with you.' Balin said and smiled.

Hey!

I am really sorry for the late update, but by now you must have noticed I don't do regular updates.

Either way: Bilbo and Thorin on a date! What did you think about my decision of turning Thorin into a football player and an artist? (I know football is an American sport, but the story takes place in some sort of England. I don't know how, but it all makes sense in my head. Just go with it, it,s fanfiction after all.)

This chapter is not beta read! So all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

I don't own any characters... Sadly...

Reviews are always welcome ;)