Title: Love in the Library
Author: luvsbitca
Fandom: Hobbit
Type: Slash
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Characters/Pairings: Bilbo/Thorin and Dwalin/Ori
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Summary: Bilbo is a Children's Librarian running an amazing Storytime. Ori is a Local History Librarian having issues with one of the hobbits he works with. Thorin is an uncle with two small nephews in need of an activity to keep them occupied. Balin is a matchmaker and History professor with a project on the relocation of the Dwarves of Erebor following Smaug's invasion. Dwalin is a Professor at the local university specialising in the history of the Dwarfish military. Gandalf is a library manager with a lot of scheming to be getting on with. They are all about to meet at the Shire Library.
AN: I'm not sure if this is any good…it might be utterly crap. And since I'm feeling quite insecure about it I'm going to start posting it before my beta – the wonderful ManhattanMom gets back to me because I'm finding it difficult to write knowing it might be bad.
Written for the hobbitstory Big Bang on LJ.

Love in the Library

by Moonbeam

/Storytime\\\

Bilbo wriggled and smiled out at the mothers and fathers that were sitting in front of him. He opened his mouth to start his first rhyme when there was a commotion from near the circulation desk. He looked over to watch a tall, male dwarf with a long mane of grey flecked black hair and a robust beard stalk towards the children's area. He had a blond child under one arm and a brunette toddler over his shoulder. Bilbo bit down on his desire to smile, or laugh, or offer to help. He smiled encouragingly – it was always good to have new faces at any programme they ran and he wanted them to keep coming.

"Hello," Bilbo said happily when the man had stalled a few steps from the ring of parents. "Are you here for Storytime?"

The man looked around, seemed to brace himself, and nodded. "Yes."

"The kids can come and sit on the mat if you like."

The man looked down at them and shook his head. "Might just keep them with me."

"No," the blond said, wriggling back and out of his father's grip. "I'm going to sit up there."

The man looked worried but glanced back up at Bilbo and then nodded. He grabbed the brunette and walked awkwardly to the edge of the ring of parents and sat down with the smaller child on his knee.

Bilbo dropped his gaze down to the group of children in front of him and smiled brightly. "Hello, everyone, we're going to start with our-"

"My name's Fíli," the blond dwarf sitting in front of him said.

Bilbo smiled softly.

"My name is Gimli," said the red-headed boy next to Fíli.

"My name's Bilbo," Bilbo said, holding up his hands. "We're going to start with our first rhyme…what do we need?"

"Your hands," piped up a girl from the back.

Bilbo ran them through the rhyme and started the first story when he caught sight of the small brunette latecomer making a break from his father. Bilbo kept reading while the boy darted forward and was snagged by his father and yanked back onto the adult's lap. It was a familiar routine and Bilbo noticed it as Winnie changed the colour of her cat so that she could see him more easily. Then the boy made his final break away and darted to the right, hooking to the left, and then ran to the front of the group of children and collided into his brother's side.

The blond took the hit and yanked his brother down to the floor next to him. Bilbo paused and Fíli told his brother to shush before turning his undivided attention back to Bilbo. Bilbo internally preened at the fact he'd hooked another new child to Storytime and kept reading. He finished his book and looked down at the group ready to ask questions when the blond elbowed his brother.

"You're sitting on me, Kíli."

"Not."

Bilbo leaned down to catch Fíli's attention and the blond looked up at him. "Which book should we read next?"

Fíli looked up.

"The one with the hat," Gimli called out.

Kíli turned and looked at Gimli before swivelling his head back to his brother. "Hat?"

Fíli looked at Kíli and nodded. "Hat."

Bilbo smiled and looked at the rest of the crowd – most of them weren't comfortable talking in the group yet. He pulled out the new book and read it. When they had made it through all of the books, a shaker song…or five, and a few rhymes Bilbo sent them all moving to the tables to make their own wizard hats. He stood up and smiled at the parents watching as Fíli went and grabbed his father's hand and yanked him over towards one of the tables. Kíli had already uncapped the glue stick and was rubbing it liberally across the pink card in front of him.

"Kíli," the dwarf hissed, "don't do that."

Kíli looked up at his father and then went back to doing what he had been. Bilbo smiled and turned to survey the whole group. He rushed around making sure everyone had what they needed and that they all knew what they were doing and the next time he turned around Kíli was sitting on the ground gluing sequins to his leg while Fíli was colouring in and his father was attempting to get him to do so in the lines and in the right colours. Bilbo walked over and smiled at Legolas who was colouring on the other side of the small table.

"Legolas, that is a beautiful picture," Bilbo said, watching the blond flick his eyes up and continue colouring in the entire page green.

He saw the dwarf look over and frown before he looked back down at Fíli's own colour.

"Yours looking wonderful too, Fíli."

Fíli smiled up at him and went back to doing what he had been, and ignoring his father.

"How did you hear about Storytime?" Bilbo asked.

"Uncle Thorin was br-bribed into coming," Fíli told Bilbo seriously. Bilbo was glad he had kept his assumption to himself…he should know better.

The dwarf…Thorin coloured a little. "My sister asked me to bring them down."

"Bribed," Kíli said, looking up at Bilbo with a bright smile and a rhinestone stuck to the middle of his nose.

Bilbo couldn't resist laughing. "Regardless, we're happy you could come and join in today."

Thorin looked completely harried as he looked down at his nephews. Bilbo smiled at him and drifted away, stopping to compliment Aragon's hat that was beginning to look more like a battle helmet and watched as Arwen embellished hers with glitter. Bilbo frowned down at her – he hadn't put glitter out. She looked up and smiled at him, sprinkling more silver glitter across her magic hat. He thought about saying something but if she brought her own glitter he thought it would be better for his mental health if he didn't know about it.

Bilbo felt someone tap him on the shoulder and when he turned Fíli was standing behind him with one eye covered by his magic hat. Kíli stood next to him wearing his like a chest-plate. Bilbo looked up at Thorin and smiled.

"Did you enjoy your first Storytime?"

Fíli and Kíli nodded enthusiastically.

"Would you like a sticker?"

"They don't need a sticker," Thorin said.

Bilbo looked up at him with surprise. "Everyone gets a sticker."

"They misbehaved."

Bilbo looked at Fíli and Kíli who were both doing impressions of angelic children.

"Please, Uncle Thorin," Fíli said, looking up at his uncle with wide, innocent eyes. "I will try and be better next time."

Thorin looked unmoved but Kíli walked over to him and tugged on the bottom of his pants. "Please, Uncle?"

Thorin looked at Bilbo. "What do you think?"

Bilbo dropped down into a crouch and smiled at Fíli and Kíli. "I think you both listened very well during the stories and made wonderful magic hats."

"Sticker?" Kíli asked hopefully, thrusting his hand out.

"Sticker," Bilbo agreed, pulling one off his sheet and smoothing it over the back of Kíli's hand.

Fíli stepped forward for his and then threw an arm around Kíli's shoulders. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Bilbo stood up and looked up at Thorin. "Thanks for coming."

"We'll be back next week," Thorin said gruffly and then looked down at his nephews. "Let's go."

Fíli and Kíli immediately walked to Thorin's side after waving at Bilbo. Bilbo waved goodbye and then turned back to the rest of the group.

/