The language of baking

Credit goes to KobatoKamijou

Summary:

According to Hobbit etiquette, Bilbo knew what to do, he knew that to give the green light to Thorin's expected courtship he must bake his loved ones and family members around him, but how the hobbit would know that could cause a misunderstanding.

Erebor was becoming a cozy home every day, for Bilbo, who now spent more time with Thorin, - now king of the mountain - it brought him a heated happiness. Time with the dwarf passed quickly when they spent the day together; but Bilbo had noticed. When they weren't spending time together discussing something diplomatic or in favor of rebuilding Erebor; Thorin made sure to spend a lot of time with him. He would show him his favorite places, they would stroll through the halls alone, talk and drink together. They shared their stories together and the conversations became mundane and carefree.

They both understood the meaning of their glances and the longing of their fingers wanting to touch in their proximity.

Bilbo was sure that Thorin would ask to court him, not only was it his intuition, but the mischievous laughter of the rest of the company was evident accompanied by the nervousness that sometimes escaped the dwarf king's face.

So Bilbo, following the Hobbit culture knew what he had to do about it. In the shire, when the prospect gave hints of courtship, as Thorin had been doing of late, it was ideal that the next one to be courted should approve the intention to give entrance to the request. For, it was better to be safe than sorry.

For the Hobbits, social image and gratitude in family bonding was important. And the way to give green light to the request of courtship, was to bake or to elaborate some pastry to the relatives or people close to the person of whom the courtship would agree.

He would start with Balin, he was the eldest after all. Besides being an authority figure among them after Thorin.

He decided to bake a gooseberry tart. With toasted edges and nicely browned, crisp in its pastry weave and well endowed in jam. The currant was perfect, for it symbolized recognition.

Thorin wrinkled his forehead, wrinkled his nose a little and pursed his lips as he watched Bilbo, smiling, and somewhat blushing, spread the gooseberry tart in front of most of them. Thorin had never received anything baked by Bilbo, never. In fact, he had never baked for anyone in the company before. Why now, and why Balin?

Balin's face crinkled in mild satisfaction. It was delicious, different from what he had tasted in his dwarven diet. It felt cheerful, warm and pleasant.

He nodded toward Bilbo.

"It's not fair that only Balin has little uncle Bilbo's cake!

There was that nickname again. Bilbo shook his head from side to side, and turned to Kíli slapping his hands that wanted to steal from the cake. "Be patient, Kíli. You two are next."

Kíli lit up his face in a big smile and celebrated stretching his arms in amusement, Fili next to him smiled brightly. He wouldn't lie, the pastry looked like gold from the well baked toasted edges plus the shine of the jam. Beautifully crafted.

Thorin sharpened his gaze, and swallowed the jealousy right then.

He wasn't going to overthink it.

Or at least that was his plan.

He had an account to work.

Two white grape clafoutis . The white grape represented happiness; therefore, Bilbo thought it was appropriate for Kíli and Fili.

He served them in front of the others, which they found curious, why did Bilbo bake only for specific people? And above all, there always had to be Thorin, but no one, not even the king himself, could take the hobbit's culinary gift.

At Thorin's intense stare, Bilbo hoped he would not be so impudent in response to his flirtation. Baking for others was a sacred hobbit act. No one gives you their food, sacred, made by their hands with Yavanna's gift at random. Thus, as the dwarves guarded their khuzdul the hobbits their recipes.

For example, Bilbo, to thank or apologize in general, used his mushroom and cream pie. So much for that; for, of course, as well as flowers, fruits also possessed meanings. And to begin the ritual of delivering baked ones in such a way meant one thing.

Bilbo was grateful for the affections of others, and hoped they would bless his cortege.

Blushing, he averted his gaze from the king as he fiddled with his fingers.

Since he had baked for Balin, ideally he should follow up with Dwalin.

Unexpectedly, stoic but grateful, as he felt the intense gaze of the others upon him. Especially Thorin's, did he really crave the hobbit's bread so much , eh? But according to the adrenaline of the princes, this must be the best he would ever taste for they kept babbling for him to have a taste of their dessert.

Dwalin looked at it, it was melon cream puffs.

He took the small piece of bread with his fingers and put it in his mouth with a bite. When he swallowed it, and tasted the sugar, he surprisingly lit up.

Okay, that had been pretty good.

Unabashedly, he lashed out with his gift earning a subtle chuckle from the hobbit. He was relieved, he had chosen the melon for the meaning of dignity. Dwalin was loyal, strong and dignified. Bilbo was pleased. So he was being recognized? As he turned to look at Thorin, he looked, Sad? but as his blue gaze met Bilbo's meadow he smiled subtly at him.

Bilbo became a little worried, Was everything going well?

Maybe the order was not good?

Well, he would try to be more careful.

He missed spending his afternoons with Thorin a little, but he had to prove that he took his courtship seriously.

Orange mousse cake for Óin. Orange meant generosity, and Óin, as a medic, was best suited to honor the meaning of the citrus fruit. And for Glóin a purple grape pie to recognize his temperance.

Perhaps for Thorin it was more appreciated if it was given on a family rather than individual basis. But for some reason, the frequency with which he now looked at the king was less and less cheerful as the previous days.

And Bilbo, he felt a little insecure?

However, the appreciation that Óin and Glóin showed him gave him motivation. They assured him that nothing bad was happening, and finally the hobbit relaxed his face.

Dori seemed to him, he was the strongest. So honoring that quality in him seemed like a good idea. So Mamey bread seemed perfect to him, the mamey alluded to endurance. A pillar among his brothers, and for the company. For Nori, he decided to do something totally risky, a cucumber sorbet with walnuts. the cucumber represented sharpness and the walnut intrigue. He thought it was perfect. And for Ori, the youngest, a vanilla tiramisu, for sweetness, with cocoa for prosperity.

While everyone was celebrating the explosive flavors on their taste buds, when Bilbo wanted to look for Thorin, Thorin had left the table early.

He didn't give him time to blink, when he felt a weight on his shoulders.

"Don't mind uncle, little uncle Bilbo."

"Yes, he's just..."

"Jealous" Said the princes in unison.

Bilbo, with a furious blush blinked many times.But why?

"I...I don't understand."

Kíli and Fili laughed at the hobbit's confused shock.

"Don't mind him."

"Should I care?" In truth, Bilbo didn't understand why Thorin would be jealous, of what precisely?

"Nah" snapped the princes.

Likewise, Bilbo was about to finish the ritual.

He served raspberry cheesecake, symbolizing trust for Bombur.

For Bifur a prune cake, for promises.

And finally Bofur...perfect goodness, for which he dedicated a tart filled with strawberries.

The moments when Bilbo bestowed them with homemade desserts had become one of the most fascinating, intriguing moments for the company after dinner. They didn't know what motivated the Hobbit, but they were definitely eager to discover their thief's creations.

When they finished their desserts, they thanked Bilbo, leading him on in fawning over his culinary prowess. Bilbo especially thanked Bombur. But now, it was done, everyone looked happy, truly, food could bring hearts together.

It seemed everyone approved of him as part of their family, so now, Thorin, he must have felt it was time to show off his wooing. But as he turned, the hobbit, discovered that the king was no longer there making it feel as if a large boulder crushed him instantly.

"Where is Thorin?" he blurted out with a fluttering heart.

"You know, jealous" Kíli laughed.

This time Balin decided to help the poor hobbit. "Maybe, he's expecting a cake too."

Bilbo blinked. "Sure, of course" He said with his face as red as strawberries, Balin had given him his blessing in a highly exposed way! But he was not to be impressed, next to the dwarves for so long he knew how blunt they could be. "Well, then...I guess, it won't be long?"

Thorin had felt bad about not being the first, but then, he supposed the hobbit was saving it for last for some reason; a special one. So that thought motivated him to work silently on the wooing account. When the Hobbit gave him his cake, who would be most offended if he didn't give him one considering their closeness, he would offer to braid her hair.

But over the next few days his hobbit baked no more.

Bilbo seemed at first expectant, nervous and flushed like his fruit.

The next few days he seemed crestfallen and Thorin did not know what was happening.

What about his cake?

Was Bilbo giving him a negative message about his affections?

That's why he didn't have a special cake?

Was he not worthy?

Did Bilbo still resent him?

He seemed to be out of that phase.

The others in the company seemed to notice the oddity of the situation, so the princes offered themselves to save the situation that before their eyes was falling apart over a cake.

"Uncle Boggins" Kíli called appearing from behind an apathetic Bilbo.

"Kíli, do you need anything?

"We were wondering when you would bake again" This time Fili spoke up.

"Yes, we thought you would give one to Uncle Thorin."

Fili looked at his brother, too soon; they were supposed to approach soft. Delicate.

But Bilbo sighed. "I thought I would anyway, but it's been a week...."

The brothers looked at each other in confusion.

"That...."

"Is it bad?"

"Well, it was supposed to ...you know."

They didn't really know, but it must have been a good thing by the hobbit's downcast and hopeless countenance. Not even on his journey had he ever looked this pitiful.

"Did the uncle do something stupid again?"

"Do you want us to beat him up for you, little uncle?"

Bilbo laughed a little touched.

"No, that's not necessary. Just maybe I misread the signs."

Kíli looked at his brother blankly. Fili lifted his shoulders. They really weren't getting anywhere.

"What kind of signs?" Fili ventured; more slowly.

Bilbo, blushing shook his curls. "Boys, it's not very polite to ask those kinds of questions. After all I'm much older."

"But we want to understand, we want to help" Kíli begged.

Bilbo finally stifled a sigh and plopped down on the wall of the hallway where he was tapped by the pair. He knew he needed to be clear and honest to be left alone. "Perhaps...I assumed that...your uncle's affections were favored towards me....but I see that they were not."

Fili and Kíli were silent, looked at each other, then blinked, then laughed making the hobbit angry at their audacity.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a tone somewhere between embarrassment and annoyance.

"What are you talking about, Uncle Bilbo? Uncle clearly likes you."

"I agree with my dumb brother."

"Hey!"

"What made you think otherwise?" Fili asked gracefully pushing his brother aside.

Bilbo was now more than confused, that had to be a mistake of his youth. For he had received nothing but rejection from the king. "Well, I didn't get the courtship proposal to begin with" He said feeling ridiculous at being exposed by Thorin's nephews. "Considering it was a week after the previous blessing, I guess he's not interested in me."

The princes' clownish smiles faded.

"Blessing?" what blessing? " Kíli blurted out gesturing extreme confusion on her face.

Bilbo looked at them raising an eyebrow "The blessing to our courtship."

Fili and Kíli looked at each other again, quite lost.

"Don't tell me that...Did you guys get cold feet, did that happen?" This time Bilbo blurted out feeling his throat slowly choking. "I thought everyone had been satisfied..."

"Satisfied?" inquired a worried Fili now.

"Yes, with the desserts."

...

"The ones you made for us?"

Bilbo was beginning to feel he was being teased. "Yes, Kíli Which others did I give them?"

"Hold on" Fili braked trying to put the pieces together "The desserts were...little uncle, of course we want it along with our uncle, I think the whole company wants the same thing. It's easy to see how much they love each other"

"Yes, too much" Kíli said playing with her eyebrows, actually that pair was too blatant with their affection even if they didn't realize it.

"But...how does that relate to desserts and a courting blessing?"

Bilbo's heart was pounding, somewhat pale after he patted his forehead with his hands "Oh, Yavanna..." For the first time in a long time he felt stupid, of course, he was dealing with dwarves. It was likely that their rituals were completely different. now his fear became real: Love made him stupid.

He gave a long sigh. And proceeded to explain.

"Oh...now that makes a lot of sense," Kíli concluded.

"But then, can't you bake for the guy until he proposes?" Wrinkled Fili's nose, that complicated the situation a bit.

"No, that's the point of the ritual. The way to answer the courtship is with a cake that symbolizes the end of the cycle of bachelorhood. Then the beginning of a future betrothed, how a cake, a circle that is never broken, woven between unions of friends, family, what is closest to the person. It is sacred."

"Well, now I value your pay more little uncle."

Fili nodded at his brother's comment.

"Yeah well, apparently it didn't go as expected...this is a disaster."

"Come on, it's not like the rest of us didn't accept you already."

Bilbo sighed.

"I have an idea."

Did Bilbo really want to listen to Kíli?

Well, it couldn't get any worse than his misunderstood situation.

Exhausted, he listened attentively to the younger of the pair.

It really wasn't bad, they would talk to the rest and he...would deal with Thorin.

For the rest of the day, Thorin did not see Bilbo. Until nightfall came.

He came to the dining hall with a heavy heart, not wanting to eat. To his surprise, his hobbit, who was usually punctual whenever food was involved, was not there. When he reappeared, he came in smeared with flour and jam.

Bilbo feared something in his hands.

A cake.

Convinced, he made eye contact with Thorin's icy pools, hoping to thaw them out.

"Thorin" He uttered into the air.

Thorin didn't stop his chest from heaving at the pounding of his heart. "That's..."

"For you" Bilbo said as he advanced with the pie in front of the gaze of the rest of the dwarves. "Pomegranate with plums."

Thorin possessed a blush the color of the fruits of his tart somewhat covered by his own facial hair, yet his smile was not possible to hide. "Pomegranate with plums?"

"Yes, pomegranate for a closer union" He announced loud and clear, blushing like the pomegranate. "And plums for promises to be kept."

Thorin looked at him with wide eyes Had that been a proposal, had he understood correctly?

"In the shire we have a tradition. Just as you with your hands create through ovens and fire, so do we. While you tune with Aulë through the rocks, we hobbits tune with Yavanna through what the earth gives us" He explained as he placed the cake in front of his king. "Our recipes are our secret language, as well as we have meaning for fruits and flowers; not to mention how important food is to us, as you may already know" Taking a knife he cut a slice as he served it to Thorin, unshaking and adorned with carmine on his ears and cheeks. "When you wish to be propositioned for courtship, we seek the blessing of family or more important people...this through desserts, as they only sedate under very precise circumstances" Finally, he decided to bring his gaze to meet Thorin's. "A respectable hobbit doesn't cook just anyone, much less a tart."

"So...you were waiting for my proposal of courtship?" Thorin asked heatedly, his thief's courage was fierce and attractive to him.

Bilbo nodded, still looking him square in the face.

"That and I hoped the satisfaction of others would be a blessing."

"Bilbo, we have long seen you as one of us" Bofur blurted out.

Balin laughed nodding "He's right. We appreciate you more than you think, boy."

" Guys..." Bilbo felt his eyes water a little, he was feeling a lot of things. Then he turned to Thorin "I hadn't baked you before because...that's only done as a...declaration of affections...or to accept a formal proposal of courtship."

Thorin lowered the cover and stood up without removing the smile from his face. "I thought you did not reciprocate my affections, lansel . " He confessed embarrassed, but not sorry "So no cakes are to be accepted lightly, neither counts" Thorin advanced towards the hobbit and explained the meaning of the braids and his bead. At the end, putting on a cheesy show before the inwardly accustomed company, Thorin declared "Would you like to share yes between our cultures?".

Bilbo looked at him completely enamored and satisfied "I would."

Thorin braided a small plait into the hobbit's caramel curls and closed it with his handmade bead, demonstrating the seal of future union. Then beside him sat the hobbit and Thorin, facing the rest of his people ate the cake. It tasted delicious.

Bilbo did not look away, he enjoyed watching Thorin's every bite.

"Well?" Bilbo asked, expectantly.

"Delicious."

Bilbo felt Thorin's hand rest on top of his. "I am glad, for from now on I will fill you with cakes."

"Nothing else would please me, after all, there is a promise to keep" Thorin said without taking his eyes from Bilbo's. The hobbit must have been Palúrien's favorite son. His orbs were like meadows, his hands worked magic as he created with the fertile gifts of the land. Bilbo was perfect. "For all eternity"

"Kiss already" Kíli shouted from the far end of the room.

Thorin rolled his eyes, as he watched Bilbo's embarrassed and amused laughter. He knew that the bottom was happy to be welcomed more clearly by the rest.

Well, that wasn't a bad idea after all.