Inspired by:

Njuta {Swedish} (pronunciation: nyu-tah)

– much more than "joy," to have a deep appreciation of something, to have a profound experience of appreciation and gratitude, incorporates bliss and the gaining of something positive from your experience.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything 'cept this plot.

"Adaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"

Despite being weary from the tedious meeting, Balin immediately bent down to scoop up his son and lifted him into his arms. "Hello Frodo, my lad." The dwarrow chuckled.

The child giggled as his Adad gently bumped their foreheads together and then proceeded to tickle the him.

"Frodo!"

At the exasperated cry, Frodo froze in Balin's arms and turned to send a sheepish smile to Bilbo. Said hobbit was a leaning heavily on a nearby column, flushed and slightly out of breath as if he had been running.

"Frodo, what have we said about running off?" Bilbo frowned, mopping his brow with a handkerchief from his pocket as he walked over the the pair.

"Not to," The dwobbit replied quietly. "Sowwy, Papa. I jus' wanted ta see Adad."

The former burglar sighed as the piercing blue gaze of his son looked up at him woefully (Eyes that he had inherited from Balin and he tried to not glance at his husband - full knowing that damnable twinkle was surely being sent his way) and cupped the child's cheek, "I know but please, at least tell me where you're running off to, lad. For my poor heart's sake."

Bilbo tweaked Frodo's nose after receiving a solemn nod and revelled in the cheerful smile that bloomed across his son's face. The hobbit finally turned to greet his spouse when he stopped short. "Hel- darling, are you alright?"

Both Bilbo and Frodo stared at Balin with concern and increasing alarm as tears streaked down into the fluffy beard despite it's owner smiling widely at the two.

"Adad?" The dwobbit cried, reaching out and patting the dwarrow's face and kissing his cheeks reassuringly, "You sad?"

"I'm just happy." Balin choked out, wiping his eyes with a brisk swipe of his hands, "To have you both." More tears blurred his vision before familiar fingers soothingly took over the task of brushing away his tears before then drifting to card through his hair.

"My dear dwarf." His hobbit murmured, right before he claimed his lips for a proper kiss.

The heat of the moment turned to muffled laughter when impatient little hands patted the couple's faces.

"I want a kiss too!"

Leaning back from his husband, Bilbo obliged the pouting child by pressing a kiss to his cheek. He then chuckled as the dwobbit giggled and squealed, trying to squirm away from Balin's attempts to do the same.

"No! No beard kisses, Adad!"

"Aha!"

"Ewwwww!"

Did anyone else have an 'awwwww' moment? Cuz I did~...pretty much the whole time I was writing this. :3

Wrapping things up:

-I had no idea what Balin's eye colour was but I decided to keep with Elijah Wood's vibrant blue eyes (that sometimes creeped me out...especially during those intense Shelob moments in LotR) so voila! Balin has blue eyes :D

-I thought it'd be funny and ironic that one of the things that Frodo does is run off all the time. Bilbo will be talking to Frodo, turns his back for one second and then turns to see that Frodo has disappeared. Cue Bilbo chasing after his son and Gandalf (when he's visiting) to chuckle in the background.

-The twinkle in Balin's eye is canon! It's so plain to see when he greets Dwalin that time in Bag End and it definitely appears when Bilbo is about to go see if Smaug's still kicking in Erebor. In that moment, Balin is so full of concern and then when Balin is trying to talk Bilbo out of entering and Bilbo remains steadfast- the look in Balin's eyes is so at a loss and yet, utterly besotted. It's like...dammit...you wonderful, stubborn hobbit...if you live, I'm gonna marry you...

I think that's why Balin left so quickly after telling Bilbo not to wake the dragon. Perhaps the last thing he wanted to remember Bilbo by was that courageous spirit and he didn't want to break it in any way. *sobbles*

I hope you enjoyed this! 3