Work Text:
Reader au fell to middle earth a year before this one shot. She is from the modern world, in the modern world everything is the same, only The Hobbit movies never existed nor did the books. Enjoy!
"See you later Da." Tilda says. Bard smiles and nods in my direction.
"Take good care of her. I'll be back in a few hours." I nod and warm a shoulder around Tilda's shoulders.
"Don't worry, we'll enjoy ourselves right?" Tilda nods and smiles. Bard walks out of the door and the door shuts with a silent click. Tilda turns to me with a big smile.
"You do know Da likes you right?" She says as she walks to the small kitchen. She grabs the flour and a few eggs. I frown as I walk to grab a cattle of milk. I promised her we'd surprise her father with cookies when he comes to pick up Tilda.
"I-," I smile to myself. "I don't think that's true Tilda, he merely sees me as a friend." I say and I put the milk on my dining table.
"But you don't."
"What?"
"You like him, don't you (Y/N)?" I could say I don't like Bard, but that would be a lie. I really like him, and maybe I even love him. Since the first day I laid my eyes upon him, he offered me transport to Lake Town, and he wouldn't leave until I accepted his help. I barely knew him and I was scared of anyone who I saw. I smile at the thought of Bard giving me his coat.
"You do!" She jumps towards me with an egg in her hand. I quickly take it from her and gently lay it down on the table.
"Please don't tell him." I say. I already regret giving in to her. "Your father has no interest in people like me." I say. I sit down on the chair. Tilda sits down on the chair next to me.
"You think that because you're from another world?" She asks. I smile and take the flour in my hands.
"Let's start on this now, okay? I only have one spoon sugar, I couldn't afford more." I say. I walk to the kitchen and grab a small jar which contains the sugar. Tilda gasps softly and smiles.
"You bought sugar for making these cookies?" She asks in disbelief. I smile and nod, putting the tiny jar down on the table.
I explain her how in my world I make cookies on a daily basis, and sugar is much less expensive there. I let her knead the dough and we secretly take small bites of it, because who wouldn't? As Tilda is kneading the dough I put on the fire under the small furnace. I grab a small metal plate and I lay it down on the table.
"Now you need to make small balls and press them onto the plate." I say as I show it to her. She smiles and not, concentrating on taking the same amount of dough as I took, and she gently rolls it between her hands, and presses it down on the plate.
"Like this? This is fun (Y/n). Though I couldn't do this on a daily basis." Tilda says as she takes another piece from the big ball of dough. I chuckle and I press another ball down on the plate.
"Why not?" I ask, still smiling.
"Well, first off I'd eat all the dough before I get a chance to roll it onto the plate. Second, I'd get bored." She says as she pressed the final ball of dough on the plate. I chuckle and grab the plate and shove it into the furnace. I close it and turn to Tilda.
"How long do we need to wait?" She asks.
"About 10 minutes." I say as I walk back to the chair and sit down.
"Can I ask you something. Actually two things." She says. Oh god, I only hope this isn't about Bard.
"Did you have music in your world?" She asks as she eagerly leans forward to hear what I have to say. I smile and nod.
"Yes we do have music, not that it's as beautiful or peaceful as here, but there are some songs which are truly beautiful." I say, thinking of a few songs.
"Can you sing?" She asks with a smile. I frown.
"Is that your second question?" I ask, hoping I'd take her mind of the idea of me singing.
"No," She says, taking a moment to think. "I have three questions." She says.
"Start with the third one." I say. I try to avoid the whole question, not that I can't sing. Not that I can. I just feel uncomfortable with singing in front of others.
"Okay.." She looks down at her hands, doubting. "If my dad asked you if he can date you, would you say yes?" Well this question isn't any better.
"You won't let it go." I say, sighing. She shakes her head. Should I tell her? No. Don't tell her. She can tell it to her dad. Their bond is strong, and she'll tell him without any doubt.
''I guess yes..? I don't know Tilda, you shouldn't ask such questions which are difficult to answer."
"Can you sing now?"
"No."
"Yes."
"No, Tilda."
"Why not?"
"I'm shy." I say, looking down. "I haven't sung for anyone, ever."
"I bet you're really good." She says. Tilda leans on her hand and looks at me. I sigh. I look to the furnace. We still have some time.
In this town, it all went down
Our chromosomes in sepia tones
In my mind, in my mind
Where you lead your lives
Before from our small island
Brought right back to these shores
To these shores, to these shores"
I take a deep, shaky breath. I remember this song by heart, as I really love the band. I see Tilda smiling widely, her eyes shimmering. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
"It’s alive, It’s alive
When I see it through your eyes
It’s alive, It’s alive
Now I understand your lives
When you take me there
You show me the city
I see it through your eyes
When you take me there
We drive through the city
Beneath the Durban Skies"
I end at the kitchen window, looking outside, slightly missing my own world.
"That's enough." I say as I walk to the furnace.
"That was beautiful." A shock goes through my body. I turn around and see Bard standing with Tilda closely to his side, smiling.
"T-Thank you." I say, feeling a blush cover my cheeks.
"Tell her Da." Tilda says. "I'll tell it then, (Y/n) likes you Da." Bard frowns and looks confused to his daughter. Tilda looks to me. I shake my head.
"It's better if you go now, I still have a lot to do." I say, scared of what to come. The look on Bard's face tells everything, and I feel my heart break.
"(Y/n)-" Bard takes a step towards me and reaches out his hand.
"No. I want you to go, please." I look to my feet, trying to hold back tears.
"But (Y/n), you said that-" Tilda stops talking when I look at her, and she looks to me with sad eyes. She turns around and walks out of my home. I expect Bard to follow her without saying anything, but I was wrong. He stands there, with his handsome face, waiting for me to say something. I grab a cloth and I open the furnace, to take out the cookies. They're a little brown but that's okay, a furnace isn't exactly the place to bake cookies in. I place the plate on the table.
"(Y/n) please listen to me." Bard says, taking a step forward.
"I knew it, you know. I told her that she should't get her hopes up. You don't have to rub it in my face that you don't think the same. It was foolish of me." I place the cloth on the table and sit down.
"But (Y/n), I do." He says and he sit's next to me. I sit straight, looking him in the eye, looking for a sign that this isn't real. "I liked you since the moment you got on my barge. Since the moment I offered you my help. You moved something inside of me, (Y/n). I didn't think I'd ever find someone else ever again, but when I saw you, you changed my world. I wake up with a smile, and surely the children have noticed it too. Tilda surely did." By now there are tears in my eyes, and a small smile on my face
"Did I make you cry, sorry I didn't mean-" I cut him off by pulling him in a hug.
Bard stands up, holding me close to him. I can hear his heart beat quicken. Bard places a finger under my chin and makes me look at him. He leans down and presses a gentle kiss on my lips. Too gentle for my liking, actually, but I love having him so close to me, to finally have no secrets from him. I deepen the kiss slightly, and his hands hold me tightly against him.
"Yes!" Tilda storms inside the house. Bard and I part and smile at each other. Tilda hugs her father and looks at me. "Finally! I knew it!" Bard smiles and lays a hand on my neck.
"I love you (Y/n)." He says with a smile and places a small peck on my cheek. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and hold me close.
"I love you too, Bard."
Extended Ending
These cookies are great!" Bard says, taking another bite. Sigrid and Bain have joined us too, also enjoying the cookies. I smile and look at Tilda.
"Tilda's just a good baker." I say with a smile and I give her a little wink. She smiles proudly and takes a bite.
"And (Y/n) is a good singer." She says. No.
"You sing?" Bain asks with a smile. All of them look at me.
"And good too." Not helping, Tilda.
"I agree." Bard says with a chuckle.
"Come on let us hear (Y/n)." Sigrid says. She smiles wide.
"I only heard a bit, come on (Y/n)." Bard says.
"It's a song from her world." Tilda looks at me with a huge smile plastered on her face. Bards eyes grow bigger and his smile turns bigger as well.
"Well, I'm not really good-"
"You are, come on please, it's a great song now you and Da are together."
Thank you Tilda.