Bofur X You - Tumblr Posts
Téir abhaile 'riú
Pairing: Bofur x f!reader
Summary: After Smaug took over The Lonely Mountain, Bofur and his relatives travelled far to find a new home. Although knowing it would never be the same as the place where he grew up, meeting who the dwarf could only describe as the love of his life could make things more bearable.
Warnings: slight mention of alcohol, no beta we die like men, overbearing sibling
A/N: I don't even know how, but suddenly I am very much in The Hobbit fandom again. And while listening to this playlist, I came up with this cute idea! I hope you'll like it!
It has been a few years since Smaug took over Erebor, a wound still fresh in the hearts of many dwarven families. But dwarves were resilient folk and so when a portion of them came across The Blue Mountains, they quickly set to build a settlement there, knowing that their ancestors used to live in these mountains as well.
And while nothing could ever compare to Erebor, the dwarven settlers were happy with what they've build for themselves. The Blue Mountains were a great oppoturnity to start anew. With everything needed for all kinds of businesses to prosper in near vicinity, they quickly adapted to their new home, the memory of the great kingdom becoming a fond, but somewhat painful echo in their hearts.
It was truly a place of abundance. With the mountains themselves towering over their roofs, they were surrounded by thick and calm woods that seemed ancient. And if one wanted to, they could simply get all the way down to the seaside.
It also helped that they weren't the only ones who found their home in the embrace of the mountain range. There were many elven habitants in the woods and even human settlers scattered all around, making trading goods easy and accessible.
But it is true that the dwarves usually stuck by each other, venturing into other settlements only for business. The tragedy that struck them still hung around them like a thick fog and they didn't particularly enjoy all the whispers around them when they did make an appearance somewhere.
Bofur wasn't any different than his kin in this sense. While the dwarf liked to remain optimistic, being constantly reminded of what they had gone through everywhere they went was...unpleasant. Luckilly, as time went on, the commotion slowly faded and the dwarves blended into the rest of the habitants of The Blue Mountains.
Once a year, a big festival was held near the seaside, in the biggest human town in the area. Granted, it wasn't nowhere near the cities elves, dwarves, even some humans were used to, but nobody really minded, since The spring festival meant not only good music and fun all day and night, but also a big fair and since all races came and celebrated together on this rare occassion, it was a good oppoturnity to gain clientele.
The spring festival was an event the people in the port town held as a celebration of their sailors returning safely home from their travels during the winter. What started as a local event quickly grew into something much bigger though. Everyone wanted to meet the local heroes, hear their stories and most importantly, have fun.
And that's why Bofur and his brother were helping their families and neighbours pack and load all the things they wanted to sell at the fair onto carts, prepare the ponies and clean up for the festival. It was one of the busiest mornings in a very long time. There was so much noise all around, one might think they were going crazy. It would also take a good few hours before they descended to the port town, so everything needed to be perfectly ready.
Bofur was excited. He worked very hard throughout the winter to make the best toys he could and he couldn't wait to show them off to others. Seeing the eyes on children's faces light up, as their mouths hung open and they begged their parents to buy them at least one small figurine was a priceless experience. After getting everything onto the cart, he started helping Bombur with ingredients and equipment for his food stand. Bombur also worked hard, preparing homemade sausages and cheese, as well as picking the best vegetables and other foods. But Bombur was much more excited he will be able to buy some good quality fish to change up the daily menu for his family.
The two brothers chatted happily about this and that as everyone got ready for the journey. Bombur was excitedly ranting about how many ways he will be able to prepare the fish for his family after such a long time. Bofur chuckled and reminded him that if he serves nothing but fish for two weeks in a row like last year, Bifur might just smash a plate on his head.
The rest of the way to the town went in a similar lighthearted spirit. The weather was nice, the sun was shining, the air was fresh, and for the start of spring, it was pretty warm. it was magical, watching the new leaves growing on the old trees, as if they came back to life after months of short, cold days and long, even colder nights. Finally, they reached the end of the forest. In front of them were just fields, full of blooming flowers and some early bees here and there. They were gently swaying in the light breeze and were surrounded by the ocassional butterflies that woke up early in the year.
In front of their cart, Bofur could see a few others in the distance. He couldn't make out who exactly it was, maybe other dwarves from their town or perhaps some elves or humans. The silver shine of the sea water on the horizon made him smile. They were getting pretty close! And when he squinted, he could make out faint smoke coming from the port town, which wasn't yet visible.
"Come on, we need to hurry!"
Disturbed from his musings, Bofur looked around for the sing songy voice that called out. Realising it came from somewhere behind him, he was beginning to turn around, when a flurry of hair and clothes whizzed past their cart, jumping in the already tall grass right next to the road.
The person stopped a short distance from Bofur and looked back at whoever she was shouting at. Smoothing out her clothes, the girl, as Bofur saw, looked back at where the town laid ahead and said "I can see the smoke! I can't wait to dance around the big bonfire!" she giggled and looked back, shouting again "Hurry up!" before laughing and running along.
Bofur chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm. He almost wanted to turn back to face the road, when two very out of breath young ladies caught up to him and his brother. They panted heavily as they slowed to a walking pace. When they caught their breath, Bofur said "Your friend seems very excited."
The two women chuckled shakily. "Oh yes, but that's (Y/N). She loves The spring festival. She's a carefree soul, one could say." the taller one shrugged. "You can say that again. She's a good lass, but she's a handful. Always wondering somewhere, I swear she's trying to get herself into trouble. I'm just waiting for our parents to lose their minds one day." the shorter one, presumably (Y/N)'s sister, rolled her eyes, but her tone was playful. "Well, I should probably catch up to her, otherwise she'll just climb onto one of the boats and sail away on her own." the girl sighed and jogged off again, leaving Bofur with the two's friend alone.
"I assume you're travelling to the Spring festival as well?" she asked the dwarf sweetly. "Aye," he confirmed "I'll have a stand with toys for children and my brother here will have his food stand." he nodded towards Bombur, who silently nodded, not really having been interested in what was happening, although he listened. "Toys? Oh that's lovely! I might just stop by and get something for my little Dudon." she smiled softly. "That's an interesting name! Is he your little brother?" Bofur asked. "No, he's my son." the girl laughed "He will be three years old soon." "You're kidding!" Bofur's eyes widened "Wouldn't have guessed you already had a family." "I've been married for a few years now. My family is the biggest blessing I could have ever had." the girl sighed, before looking up at him "Where will your stand be located? I don't want to make a fool of myself looking for you." Bofur laughed "Near the center of the town square. So that my brother gets as many clients as possible."
The girl giggled and waved him goodbye, saying she should catch up to her friends before she'll get lost and ran off.
*****
The whole town was bustling with life. Music and laughter came from every direction, all kinds of people were on the streets and in the shops and pubs lining them.
Bofur was very busy. His toys were selling like hot cakes. The only thing he managed to do between serving customers and rearranging and refilling the range of toys he prepared was to glance at Bombur's stand from time to time. He seemed to be doing very well. All the people were leaving his stand amazed, often with their mouths dirty from his delicious food.
Hours were passing by in what felt like lightning speed, the only indication being the sun moving along the sky. As the day slowly came to an end, the streets slowly lit up and more and more merchants packed up their stands, their products sold, ready to just enjoy themselves and try not spend all they've earned that day.
It seemed no one would buy any toys anymore, people whizzing past in a hazy flurry, leaving only laughter behind, instead of curiously looking around. Just as he started packing up, a very out of breath young woman stopped before his stand. He realised it was the same woman of the three they met on the way to the festival.
"Running to see me eh?" he smirked playfully. He was rewarded with a playfully offended expression "Excuse me sir, I am married." the woman scolded Bofur before taking a look around his stand "My, my, the folks really plundered this place." she then looked at the dwarf, who was holding a wooden crate, ready to put the rest of the toys in "Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you were packing up already! Is it alright if I buy one toy, I swear I'll be quick!" the woman fretted and Bofur laughed "It's alright, I can wait a bit longer. Take whatever you think your boy would like."
As the young mother's eyes scanned over Bofur's products she apologized again for coming so late, explaining it with "We lost (Y/N) again. Her sister is running all around to find her. Buying a toy completely slipped my mind, but I was looking around here so I thought I'd quickly stop by." she chuckled at the end and Bofur looked at her with curiosity "Aren't you worried about your friend?" "No." the woman laughed "Her sister is. (Y/N) is a grown woman, who can make her own choices. She's adventurous, sure, but she doesn't need to be coddled, no wonder she's hiding somewhere. I would be doing the same if I was her." The woman explained as she continued looking around the toys. At last, she picked a wooden fox and paid Bofur the price, leaving a small tip, for "being so kind". Bofur thanked the woman, bid her goodbye and wished luck with finding their friend.
Bofur packed the rest of his stuff and met with Bombur, who also finished putting away his products. They both decided to stay in town and enjoy the atmosphere. After all, they both worked hard the whole day.
Finding a place to have some shouldn't have been as hard as it was. Every inn they came across seemed packed to the brim, the rowdy patrons could be heard from outside. Finally, after wandering for what seemed like hours, they came across a small establishment in a tucked away alleyway. Laughter and music could be heard from the inside, but when the brothers peered through the windows, they saw that there were many seats to be taken. Walking inside, they discovered a small, cozy looking tavern. A few tables lined the walls, only some of them occupied. Right across the entrance was a bar with a few stools, probably for regulars. The dim lighting made the atmosphere more intimate.
The dwarves sat down at a vacant table and started a pleasant conversation about today. Although, Bofur mostly listened to his brother ramble excitedly about all the products he was able to trade or buy, and all the recipies that were already flooding his mind. Their one sided conversation was interrupted, however, when two jugs of ale were placed in front of them. Both brothers looked up at the same time to the one who brought them the drinks. They saw an older, small, stout woman smiling warmly at them. "Here you go gentlemen! Enjoy!" she said sweetly. "But we didn't order anything yet?" Bofur asked with confusion. "It's a gift from one of the patrons" the woman expained, her smile mysterious. Both brothers discreetly scanned their surroundings, but everybody minded their own business. "Well, we'd like to meet the person who sent this." Bombur exclaimed. He was a little suspicious, the chance of the woman pretending those drinks were a gift, only to charge them for them in the end was not small. On the other hand, if they really were a gift, they would like to thank the person face to face.
The woman smiled and thought for a second, before shrugging "I'll ask her." and then made her way back to the bar. Bofur and Bombur looked at each other. "So a lass, eh?" Bombur muttered. "You think she's pretty?" Bofur thought out loud. "As if that'd matter to me. I am happily taken if you forgot!" Bombur huffed and took out his pipe, stuffing it carefully with herbs. "You on the other hand..." he gave his brother a side eye, a small, teasing smile stretching on his face as he put the pipe to his mouth. Bofur rolled his eyes and was prepared to retaliate, before they were interrupted again.
"Good evening!" a voice chirped. Looking up, Bofur recognized the person standing at their table as (Y/N), the infamous troublemaker. "Didn't think we'd see each other again." she smiled. After a brief moment of silence, she added "You're welcome for the ale, by the way." Bofur felt his brother kick his leg under the table and as if he was just woken up from a trance, he scooted over, patting the space next to him "Yes! Yes, thank you, you didn't have to do that. Would you like to join us?" (Y/N) giggled and slid onto the bench next to Bofur.
As the day drew to a close and merchants were less and less busy, the working attitude fell off of everyone's shoulders and was replaced with relaxed fun, that escalated more and more with time...and alcohol. And the small tavern wasn't any different. Conversations became louder and laughter more frequent. Everyone was having a good time. Bofur, Bombur and (Y/N) weren't an exception. The woman exchanged stories with the dwarves, although Bombur let his brother tell most of the stories, as he could do it better. Bombur was content listening, sometimes adding in details his brother forgot, but he enjoyed more seeing how the two were closer and closer to each other.
When (Y/N) first sat next to Bofur, there was a small, but appropriate distance between them, like with any people who just met that day. But as the night progressed and both of them were getting more and more comfortable (and probably tipsy, Bombur drank less than half the amount Bofur and (Y/N) did, because at least one of them had to be sober enough to drive them home), the distance between them was smaller and smaller, and now they were practically leaning on one another.
Everyone was having so much fun, they didn't even notice someone approaching their table until someone tapped (Y/N) on the shoulder. She turned to the stranger, recognizing him as one of the patrons in the tavern. With a smile, she asked "Can I help you?" The man rubbed his neck in a nervous manner and spoke "I hate to interrupt you miss, but me and my friends were thinking of playing some tunes to brighten the mood and the good lady behind the counter told us you can play spoons...If you'd like to join us?" (Y/N) looked uncertainly at Bofur and Bombur, but they only smiled, Bombur inhaling smoke from his pipe and Bofur encouraging her "You can play lass? Well I'd definitely love to see that!" he grinned at her. (Y/N) giggled and stood up, taking two spoons from the older woman efore making her way to the table where the musicians were sitting. They were already taking out their instruments. Soon, lovely music could be heard on the street. Not too long after, people from the outside began flocking in, first to see what was going on, lured and intrgued by the swift melodies and soon the tavern was bustling with life. The conversation between Bofur and Bombur ceased, the former too busy looking at (Y/N)'s hands working the spoons together, creating interesting rhythms.
After maybe an hour, the small establishment was filled with people. All tables were full and who couldn't sit was dancing in the open space. Some more musicians joined the original ones and (Y/N) was now more or less sitting by them and enjoying herself. The table where Bofur and Bombur were sitting at was no longer occupied by just them, but other people as well, strangers. They made conversation amongst themselves, not caring to include the brothers, so they just looked around, content in their silence. But Bombur noticed his brother's eyes always ending up on that girl. Once he had enough of Bofur's oggling, he nudged him across the table, motioning with his head towards her. "Ask her for a dance." he told him and Bofur shook his head, although the grin on his face suggested he was entertaining the idea even before Bombur asked. He stood up and carefully made his way around the dancing folk towards the band.
When he reached (Y/N), he smiled at her, although a bit sheepishly and extended his hand towards her, bowing slightly. She looked up at him and gently put her hand into his, letting him pull her up. "I thought you'd never ask." she smiled smugly at him.
They twirled around for what felt like eternity. His hands on hers, on her waist, her hands on his shoulders, their faces so close to each other, their breaths mingling. (Y/N)'s eyes rolled around, laughter pouring out of her pretty throat. Bofur's eyes seemingly couldn't leave her though. While hers were full of amazement and sparks, his held a tenderness that would surely make any girl swoon if they'd see it. And she looked at him. Her smile became more gentle, her lips slightly parted as they gazed into each other's soul.
"There you are!" someone grabbed (Y/N)'s arm tightly and oulled her away from her dancing partner. It was her sister and she was quite mad. "Do you realize what time it is?! I was looking for you all over the town!" she spewed at her, while (Y/N) only managed to blink, stil dazed from the moment she just had with the handsome dwarf. "It's time to go home." her sister decided and tried pulling her to the exit. (Y/N) pulled out of her grasp and signaled for her to wait a moment. She turned to Bofur, who was pretending to not listen, and grabbed his hand, making him look at her. She smiled sadly and kissed his cheek. As she let go of his hand and turned towards her sister, who started gesturing wildly and was probably trying to figure out what she just witnessed, Bofur grinned like a mad man. He touched his cheek carefully and mumbled "Till next time then, lass..."