Here is the last thing I didn't understand about the movies. Then, we are back to normal imagines and I will continue the stories we started last month... the baby one and the professor one.

Why Dwalin has a soft spot for weaker beings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm out" Dwalin said before putting on his cloak and walking out the door.

Balin hummed in reply. He didn't even look up anymore. His brother went out every day. It was comforting to know that he announced it before he left, since he was always quiet when he was inside.

He would probably go hunting or visit Thorin and Dis anyway. Nothing to worry about.

When Dwalin ran into his king on his way out of the mountain, he just nodded and walked on. Thorin had wanted to spend some time training together but apparently the warrior had something else to do today.

Everyone thought Dwalin was somewhere else, spending time with others. Although no one was really able to find him anywhere... Maybe he was outside training?

Dwalin was doing nothing of the sorts.

He had a bag on his back which everyone assumed contained knives, daggers or small battle axes. They couldn't be more wrong.

There was a healthy amount of cabbage, carrots and small seeds in there. He had bought them the day before. So he better like it, Dwalin was forced to travel all the way to Dale for this. 

He got around the corner where his secret friend was hiding out. Dwalin had tried to get him inside but the little creature seemed to feel more content outside. So the dwarf had dragged some blankets out to create a comfortable nest for it.

The first few days he had tried to feed it meat. But the creature was very ungrateful. Dwalin had been forced to drag everything back out and find something else. 

There was the rock with the small symbols he had carved into it.

Dwalin bend down on his knees to roll the small rock aside. 

Light started to shine into the small cave at the outside of the mountain. He always kept a small crevice open so that the rabbit wouldn't run out of fresh air. 

It hopped towards him as soon as the rock started to move away.

The small rabbit cuddled up in the warm furs of Dwalin's cloak. Dwalin chuckled at the sight of the small animal. It's small paw that had been thick and red just a few days before already started to look better.

"You're healing up quite well, now aren't ya?" he spoke fondly.

With his rough hands he tried to softly stroke the warm fur of the rabbit. It was so soft and cuddly that even he couldn't resist. 

"I brought you something little one" Dwalin said. He reached for his bag, leaving the rabbit feeling neglected now that he wasn't cuddled anymore. It moved it's small head up to see what the dwarf was doing.

When it saw the orange and green colors it would recognise everywhere, the rabbit forgot all about the cuddling.

It stretched upwards when the carror came into reach. With it's small teeth the rabbit grabbed the bottom of the carrot and pulled it down. 

"Now, now, it won't run away from you little miss impatient" Dwalin said, chuckling.

He turned around so that he could lean against the rocks. The rabbit happily nibbled from its treat as the dwarf got back to stroking it's fur. 

"I haven't given you a name yet, have I?" He needed to name the small rabbit or it would be weird for him to have one. What would everyone say once they found out that he hadn't named the animal?

"May I suggest, 'the reason for why I avoided my best friend for days'? I think it is catchy." 

Dwalin hid the animal inside his cloak but it was already too late. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "Fine, you found my secret." The cloak was pulled away from the rabbit. It blinked to adjust it's eyes to the sun.

"You are cuddling a rabbit?" Thorin asked. He was holding back a laugh but a small smile betrayed him.

His friend huffed in annoyance. "It was hurt."

Thorin raised an eyebrow, taking a few steps closer. "So you took care of it instead of cooking it?" Slowly, he sat down beside Dwalin. The rabbit curiously hopped closer, but remained on Dwalin's lap.

"I can't eat it! Look at it's little nose and how it twitches! It is just so..." 

"Adorable?" Thorin offered.

Dwalin glared at him from the corner of his eyes. "Aye, that. Now, bugger off so that I can feed it."

"And why would I bugger off my own mountain?" Thorin said, nudging Dwalin's shoulder as he was talking. "Why did you hide this rabbit from me? We could have made a cage for it together."

Dwalin growled something unintelligable. Another carrot appeared for the rabbit in the warrior' big, tattooed hand. "It doesn't like to be in a cage. I tried that the day I found it. Kept it inside and all that but it wanted to go outside."

"And in which room did you keep it, may I ask?"

"What does that matter?"

Thorin shrugged. "I am just saying that if I would be kept in a cage in your room, that I would miss some fresh air. And attention of course."

"Maybe I should keep you in a cage so that I don't have to listen to you anymore" Dwalin threatened.

Thorin simply chuckled at the threat. "What about we make a cage for it that you can keep in your living room?" he suggested.

Dwalin avoided his friend' eyes. He hadn't exactly told anyone about it. And he didn't want to find out what his brother nor other dwarves would say when they found out that he had a soft spot in him.

"You haven't told him, have you?"

He looked up at the sky. "Not exactly."

"You told him in the Dwalin way?"

Dwalin turned its head sharply. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Thorin got up, using the rocks as a supporting system. "It means that you are a fool who should learn to use words. Now, come on, we don't have all day." He went back inside convinced that his friend would follow.

And sure enough, Dwalin came back in with the bag around his arm and the rabbit safely tucked away beneath his arm.

"You are going to carry it like a bag of meat?" Thorin asked amused.

Dwalin stopped in his tracks. "How else am I supposed to hold it?" he snapped.

"Like a baby? On one arm?" Thorin asked like he was talking to a child.

Dwalin huffed. "Nonsense. What do you know about animals?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days later.

After knocking a second time, the door was finally opened. On the treshold an angry looking dwarf with tattoos and a scar right above his right eye appeared. 

The child swallowed visibly. "U-uhm, I think I am the wrong house" he stuttered.

"What are you looking for?" the adult dwarf asked. 

"For the rabbit day care" the child said. He held up his small rabbit who stood on it's two legs to nuzzle Dwalin.

It was very effective.

"You are at the right house, come in." Dwalin stepped aside to let the small child in.

Inside was a large wooden cage that was open on the top. Anyone could step in and feed the rabbits or simply cuddle with them. In the corner of the cage waited a pile of pillows for some extra comfortable cuddling sessions.

"Do I just put it in the cage?" the child asked, excited as he saw all the rabbits.

Dwalin nodded. "Aye, I take care of it for you. What is the rabbit's name?"

The child softly put his rabbit down on the ground of the cage. "I named it Snuffles!" he told Dwalin.

The older dwarf smiled kindly. "That is a great name. And when will you be picking up mister Snuffles?"

"Can I pick it up tomorrow morning? Mom says that we will be back by then."

Dwalin nodded. "That is alright. Mister Snuffles will be here waiting for you tomorrow morning. Have a good one lad!" He grinned as the child ran out with a smile, waving his goodbye. "Now, be nice to one another or I will have to put you on the naughty chair" he warned.

He walked over to the pillows to sit down. His own little rabbit came hopping his way immediately. "Ah, miss Bunbun, there you are. Let's make this another good day, shall we?"