price-of-glory: By sey The first rule anyone learns about babies - whether Elfling, Dwarfling

By sey

The first rule anyone learns about babies - whether Elfling, Dwarfling Badger, Hobbit Fauntling or a Human Child - is that they are rather fond of pulling one’s hair.

Bilbo had done his share of babysitting duties for tiny cousins and said tiny cousins adored Big Cousin Bilbo who could tell the best stories and make the best sweets. So he thought he was fairly prepared for Frodo… except that he really, really should have counted on Frodo inheriting those remarkable Durin blue eyes and the adorable puppy expression that went with them. So poor Bilbo could only wince and coax Frodo not to pull too hard on his marriage braid, which the little dwobbit was inexplicably fascinated with.

Frodo was a remarkably good-tempered dwobbit baby and generally well-behaved and quiet, content with observing anything and everything with those wide blue eyes, unless one tried to pry chubby dwobbit fingers off one’s braid and then Mahal help you. EvenGandalfhad to resign himself to letting part of his beard be enfolded in one tiny fist when he carried around the tiniest Prince of Erebor.

And Thorin had to hide his smile when Frodo managed to bend ThranduilElven-king, of all people to his will, snuggled against the Elf’s shoulder holding contentedly on to a lock of long golden hair.

Eventually Balin had to admit to Bilbo that this was a Durin trait through and through. Thorin was much the same as a babe, content to sit quietly in the company of the adults - especially King Thror - happy as long as he was holding on to one of Grandda’s braids. So Bilbo shook his head and smiled as his ridiculously adorable husband and son wreaked havoc upon the hearts and sensibilities of the free folk of Middle-earth, with some additional help from their equally ridiculously adorable nephews.

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I FICCED AND I AM NOT SORRY.

BLAME WANDERINGQUILL FOR BRINGING ME STUFF TO SQUEE OVER OKAY.

THIS MAY BE A RESULT OF THAT PLOT BUNNY THAT WENT MISSING A FEW POSTS BACK SINCE IT WAS A FRODO AS THORIN AND BILBO’S ACTUAL DWOBBIT BABY BUNNY….