Chapter Text
Bilbo stared down into the box, completely at a loss for words. "Well?" came Dis' growling voice from where she stood, shifting from foot to foot. "Will it do?" Thorin stood nearby, glaring at her, at Bilbo, and seemingly at the world in general.
"Do?" the hobbit replied faintly. In the velvet-lined box lay a crown, and oh, such a crown! It was based around the angular designs so beloved by the dwarves, short bladed walls rising about the central space and enameled the same green as the granite of Erebor. Simple enough, though the gold showed through in both decorative lines and seams like gold veins. Shocking in a dwarven crown, though, was the flowers. Wrapping around the base, as though growing on a vine or braided into a wreath, were flowers. Exactly the same ones a hobbit might choose, at that.
As if in a daze, Bilbo touched each of them in turn... hyacinth and oak, speaking of majesty and rank, the gladiolus of strength next to the rosemary of wisdom. Each flower was made in such a way Bilbo was afraid to touch it, fearing to damage the delicate petals. Each time his fingers met cold enameled metal was a slight surprise. Turning it round to the back, Bilbo spotted a red rose beside an acorn, and just like that he was teary.
"Give it back," Thorin said shortly. "He hates it. He's crying, Dis; what have you done?" It was all Bilbo could do to shake his head vehemently, swallowing the thickness in his throat so he could speak.
"It's... beautiful," Bilbo choked out, "I love it." Dis scowled and whirled on Thorin, smacking him in the shoulder, though the hobbit could see the flush on her face. "It's a masterwork. I see why Thorin wanted you to make it, and it will be an honor to wear it, Dis, really."
"Think nothing of it," she grumped, still glaring at Thorin, but the flush on her cheeks grew stronger. "All know my brother is handy with a hammer, but he's useless with a burin and jeweler's tools." By this point Bilbo was learning the social rules of dwarven interaction, so he knew better than to offer any form of direct trade.
Face like a thundercloud, Thorin bustled forward. "Don't feel you need to save her feelings," he muttered. "If you don't like it..."
"Oh Thorin, don't be ridiculous," Bilbo sighed. "It's magnificent and you know it." He didn't mind a bit of jealousy from his husband; dwarves were known for it. But this was his bloody sister! Speaking of dwarven ways, time to test his knowledge of social protocols. "I'll cherish it, and I'm in your debt." With that, the matter was closed according to the dwarves. Later, when Bilbo happened to mention "Dis... I just realized, you never told me what your favorite foods were!" both dwarves seemed to take it as a normal topic of hobbity conversation. Soon she would find out the benefits of a grateful hobbit.