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Adventuring was turning out to be quite horrid. Bilbo was damp, tired, sore from walking and sleeping on the hard ground, and very tired of only eating two or three times a day. He knew he needed to find a silver lining, though, and the one he found was very lovely.
Of all the dwarves in the Company, Bilbo found himself oddly drawn to Nori. He was not as aloof as Dwalin or Thorin, nor as excitable as Fíli or Kíli, and was kind and considerate in his own way. Sure, the other dwarves seemed to subtly warn him away from Nori by spreading such awful rumors, but Bilbo wasn't so easily swayed. He'd sought Nori out, determined to hear the story from him. With a few gentle prompts and the promise that he would wait before passing any judgement, Nori told Bilbo his story.
He and his brothers, while tied to the Durin line, were not considered royalty. They struggled often and it put a lot of strain on the family, so when there wasn’t any legal work, Nori turned to... less than savory options. He'd never killed or assaulted anyone, Nori was very firm about that. He was a thief, and only a thief, and all the money he made (or stole) went right back to his family. Dori didn't have to think twice about taking a day off from work to rest, and Ori could afford his apprenticeship. Bilbo’s respect for the dwarf only grew after hearing him talk about his family with such love and care.
With that, Bilbo had made up his mind. He would court Nori.
If they were in the Shire and Nori was a hobbit, Bilbo would have done everything properly. He would have made a point of complimenting Nori’s flower and vegetable gardens, would have invited him over and served tea with his mother's best porcelain. But they weren’t in the Shire, and Nori wasn't a hobbit, so perhaps Bilbo could skip a few steps.
Bilbo made sure to always hand Nori his share of the meal first, and sat across from the fire so they could engage in brief moments of eye contact. One night, Bilbo was forced to sit diagonally from Nori, and so pointed his feet towards the thief. It was a bit thrilling, being so scandalous, and he hoped the low light would hide any colour in his cheeks. They slept beside each other (with a healthy distance between them, of course), and Bilbo made sure he wished Nori a good morning first. Nori always said it back, and smiled , which never failed to set Bilbo's heart aflutter.
Bilbo also did his best to become friendly with Dori and Ori. He'd heard horror stories of couples getting married before the families were fond of the partner, and it always ended rather poorly. Marrying into a family that didn't want anything to do with you was simply unacceptable. Thankfully, both of Nori's brothers were open to Bilbo and his efforts, and he felt he could happily call all three brothers his friends.
Throughout all of this, Bilbo had absolutely no idea if Nori reciprocated his feelings or not. This was, of course, exactly how it should be, but it still made him a bit nervous. Not for the first time, Bilbo wished his parents were still with him— they would have known how to help him.
Bilbo was sure that Belladonna would have adored Nori. When Bilbo was a faunt and it was his mother's turn to put him to bed, she'd tell him stories of her own adventures. In some stories, she talked about nicking silver spoons and bejewelled music boxes, and how she delighted in giving the things she took to the less fortunate, so that they'd have something to sell if they fell on hard times. Bungo would probably disapprove of Nori's exploits, but only at first. Bungo didn't like crimes or adventures, but he did love his family very dearly, which he and Nori had in common. Bilbo liked to think Nori would have been able to charm his father.
Ah, well. No use dwelling on all the what-ifs when he was supposed to be wooing a dwarf.
The whole mess with the trolls and the orcs certainly put a damper on things, but it was worth it once they arrived in Rivendell. Bilbo certainly appreciated elven hospitality, even if the Company didn't. He'd been able to steal Ori away a few times so they could visit the library together and discuss the countless books there, and Dori had come around after a good pot of tea on a very plush armchair. With both of his brothers content for the time being, Nori calmed down as well, and settled into being a guest of the elves.
Bilbo was pleased with Nori's newfound peace, because it meant the dwarf would go for a smoke and not worry about the others, and could take his time enjoying it. One evening, Bilbo found the courage to approach the bench Nori was smoking on.
“Would it be alright if I joined you?” Bilbo asked.
“Sure,” Nori replied, and in that moment he was the essence of hobbit propriety. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it glance at Bilbo, the grace of his shoulders as he shrugged, the lack of emotion in his voice... Bilbo had to keep himself from swooning.
Bilbo happily sat next to Nori, still mindful about leaving plenty of space between them, and lit his own pipe. There they sat, smoking together, and Bilbo’s heart was fit to burst. They didn't exchange any words, of course, but Bilbo did blow a few smoke rings to show off a bit. Nori blew a ring through one of Bilbo's, and the hobbit felt himself blushing. The Tookish part of him was very appreciative of how bold Nori was for doing that. Bilbo finished not long after, and stood to tap out his pipe.
“Good night, Master Baggins,” Nori said. Bilbo’s Tookish half must have been rearing its head still, as he also decided to be bold. He leant down, resting his hand on the bench next to Nori’s, and let their little fingers brush together.
“I think,” Bilbo said, smiling at the gobsmacked look on Nori's face, “that I'd be very happy if you called me Bilbo.”
Feeling very pleased with himself, Bilbo tucked his pipe away and went back inside. Now all he had to do was wait for Nori's next move.