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Oh no! What were you going to do?! You looked down at the tools in your hand, all shining beautifully in the moonlight, except one. It seemed that once you realized the small chip in the blade, it seemed to lose its shine. It was a small nick, but it didn’t matter. How could you have been so careless?
You sighed as you looked up to Nori. He had quickly become like a best friend to you, offering some advice and smiles as you tried to find your way in this strange world. “Please, Nori…tell me you can fix it.” You could feel the tears prickling your eyes as you begged and pleaded, hoping dwarves were as crafty as they all claimed to be with metals.
“I promised I wouldn’t lie to you…we would need a forge to fix it.”
You deflated, a couple tears falling down your cheeks as he confirmed your fears.
“Now, now, none of that.” Nori spoke sweetly.
“Nori, these were his father’s-.”
“And he will understand. You just have to explain what happened.”
“He will hate me.” You spoke sadly. It was what you expected, but Nori seemed to think otherwise as he pulled you to your feet and nodded towards camp.
You gulped as you walked towards the beckoning light of the campfire. It was drawing you, leading you towards him. He was smiling, you loved that smile, the way it seemed to brighten the world around you. Would he smile at you after this?
“Hello there lass, was wonderin’ where ya wondered off to.” Bofur spoke cheerfully, giving you a curious look as you stood there in silence. “Look like the world’s fallin’ around ya…”
“Can I talk with you for a moment, Bofur?” You had fought harder than you had ever fought before to keep the tears at bay.
“Sure, lass.” Bofur rose from the ground and walked with you into the woods. You passed Nori, who just gave you a confident nod. Your feet moved on their own, guiding you back to where you were just talking with Nori, stopping and staring at your feet.
“Lass?”
“I’m so sorry, Bofur.”
“About what?” He seemed almost amused at how you were acting, and it was about to change.
“I-I promise, I was being really careful, and I oiled them and sharpened them each night, b-but…but on got d-damaged anyway.” You held out your hands, revealing the leather case and the chipped tool on top.
“Those…are mine.” The humor was gone from Bofur’s voice and was replaced with a blank mask.
“I know…”
“Why do ya have them?” Bofur practically growled as he questioned you. In all the time you had known him, Bofur never sounded like that. It only proved that you had seriously messed up.
“I-I was making something, for-.”
“So you just took them?!”
You flinched as he yelled at you, making you take a few steps back. “I’m sorry…I-.”
“Sorry?! You stole my tools!” He looked at them, his eyes going wide when he finally spotted the chip in his whittling knife. “And you damaged them?! These were my Da’s, the last thing he left me!”
“I-I k-know.” Tears were now starting to fall, as your world fell apart.
“And you did this anyway?! Why- no, it doesn’t matter. Thought I could trust you-.”
“You can!” You tried to reach out to him, but he snapped his arm away, his brown eyes furious as they bored into you.
“Apparently not!” He shouted back. “Stay away from me. And keep your mits off my stuff!” Bofur turned and stomped away, leaving you a sobbing mess.
Your knees shook, finally giving out when Bofur was out of sight. The sobs made your whole body shake as you tried to hold yourself still. That was it, he hated you now. You hadn’t-
“Y/n?” You looked up to Nori, who was shocked to see you in such a state. He kneeled down and engulfed you in a hug. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered to you, rubbing your back.
“I-I didn’t even g-get to t-tell him…”
000
Bofur stormed back towards camp. He couldn’t believe it! OF all the things, of all the people…he would expect something like this form Fili and Kili, but you? The two of you had spent so many nights talking, you about your strange world of wonders, and him of Ered Luin, of his family. He had told you how his father had died in a mining accident, how these tool were all his father had to pass on. He treasured them, kept the in memory of him.
And even though you knew all about that, how it was his father’s deathbed gift to him, you had just taken them…broke them… He walked into camp, eyeing the chipped blade, unaware of the big smiles on the faces of the rest of the company.
“Looking a little glum for a man who is courting a beautiful lass.” Fili joked, pulling Bofur from his thoughts. It took him a moment to respond, a bit taken back by the young prince’s words. What was he on about? He wasn’t courting anyone.
“What?”
“Aye! Figured you and Y/n would be skipping back hand in hand.”
The whole company chuckled, fueling Bofur’s anger. He glanced around realizing everyone, even Thorin and Oin, were in on some joke.
“Not after she stole and damaged my tools! Did you know about it?!” Bofur raised his voice as he scanned over the group. The jovial group slowly became somber, looking to each other to pick out who would speak up.
It was his own brother, Bombur, who had a happy and proud look on his face that broke the silence. “Aye! I’m the one who snagged it from your bag!”
“Wh-why?!”
Bombur faltered, leaving Balin to intervene. “Laddie, I think there has been a misunderstanding. What happened out there?”
Bofur straightened, raising his head as he spoke in a dangerously low voice. “She took me aside and started mumbling she was sorry. Showed me these, chipped my blade after she stole them…told her to stay away from me and keep her mits off my stuff.”
A mummer went through the group, looked were exchanged. “Did she tell you why she had them?” Bifur spoke in a quiet tone, not wanting to anger his cousin more.
“Does it matter? You know these were my father’s, and so did she! She till wrecked ‘em!” Bofur plopped down by his pack as he examined the damaged to the blade. HE tried to push everyone else’s words away, to ignore them, but some flitted through.
“Heard raised voices…thought it was a good thing…”
“Didn’t tell him…wonder why?”
“Poor lass must be heartbroken…”
That broke Bofur’s head, pushed through his angry haze. In his mind, he saw the look on your face as he turned away, but… “Why would she be-?”
His words were cut off s something was chucked as his head, hitting him right in the temple.
Bofur snapped his head around and saw a pissed off Nori glaring at him. “Because she took your tools to make that,” he pointed to the wood carving the chucked at the dwarf. “Wanted to do it the dwarf way, making a courting gift and all. But you’re too busy worrying over a little chip that we all know can be easily fixed.” Nori scoffed as he looked to his brothers. “She could use some cheer up, and some tea.”
“We can help!”
Bofur sat in shock as the princes and Ori scuttled off, following Nori to where you were. Dori and Oin started preparing some tea, arguing over which type to make. The rest just gave Bofur a look, sad and disapproving.
He gently reached down and picked up the figure. IT was a bear, a cute little bear with two braids and a funny hat. A Bofur Bear. That was what you playfully called him. You would wrap your arms around him for a hug, always saying the same, “You give the best hugs, Bofur Bear.”
Bofur’s heart constricted, and he felt sick. Everyone knew, and now that he thought back…they all played a part in it. Some would distract him, Bombur got the tools, and all those times you and Bifur were assigned to tasks, by Thorin, Bifur must have taught you how.
It was to make this, to tell him how you felt, and he…
“Easy enough fix if ya got a forge.”
Bofur looked up and saw Dwalin looking at the whittling knife with a critical eye. He rolled it over in his hands before handing it back to Bofur. “Ya know, it’s easier to fix a blade then a broken heart.” Dwalin gave a nod as he dropped those words of wisdom and walked away.
“He’s right.” Bombur spoke as he sat next to his brother, smiling when he saw the bear in his hands. “And ya know, I think father would’ve liked Y/n. She is lively, like Amad.”
Bofur smiled at his brother’s words. “Yer right…and I took that lively heart and crushed it.” He lamented, looking off towards the woods to where he knew you were. He owed you and apology, a hundred of them, and kisses, and trinkets, and tokens of his love. Because he did love you, and he let his anger get the better of him, and because of it, he broke your heart…but he would fix that…if it was the last thing he did.
000
That night, you had stuck close to Nori, Ori, and Dori. Your sleeping roll set up between them, as if they were walls that could keep Bofur away. He wanted to go to you, beg your forgiveness, but when he tried, Nori and Dori fixed him with a look.
SO he waited, and waited, and planned. Every day it seemed someone new would stick by your side, keeping him at bay. You wouldn’t even look him in the eyes, and it broke his heart. So he planned, and worked, and with some help form the others, it only took a few days to finish his project.
He waited until they settled down for the night before approaching you. That morning, he talked to the Ri brothers, stating his intent. Since your family wasn’t here for him to ask, they were the stand-ins. So, he cautiously approached you, smiling as you cursed the yarn you were trying to knit, a past time Ori was trying to teach you.
“Lass?” Bofur gave you a smile and you looked up to him, shifting a bit under his gaze. “Might I have a private word with ya?”
You nodded nervously and let him lead you away from the group. The nerves were getting to you, your hands shaking as you wound your fingers around your sleeve. What could Bofur possibly want?
Bofur could see the shaking in your hands, your discomfort, so he stopped. Turning to face you, he took your hands in his, rubbing soft circles over your knuckles. “I owe you an apology, well, a number of them, but how about I just with the first one?”
He gave you a sad smile as he spoke. “I’m so sorry I yelled at you, lass. I saw my things and…I-“
“I understand...” You interrupted, looking down guiltily. “I know how much they mean to you. And I’m so, so sorry. You must hate me, and I’m doing what you asked, I’m staying away-.”
“No! No, no, no.” Bofur exclaimed, bringing a hand up, cupping your cheek sweetly. “Oh, dear, I don’t hate ya.” His heart nearly cleaved in two when you looked up to him with watery eyes. “I love ya too much to hate ya.”
All you could do was blink, blink and try to breathe. Bofur…he couldn’t, could he? He couldn’t be saying those words to you, and yet, he was.
Bofur chuckled, probably at seeing your shock as he pulled a small wooden figure from his pocket. “This is right clever this is.” He held up the little Bofur Bear. “Ya even gave it wee braids and a hat!”
You couldn’t help the small smile and light chuckle that escaped you. Bofur seemed to love the figure, his eyes lighting up as he lifted it up. “Have to say though, it hurt when it hit my head.”
“What?”
“Doesn’t matter, but what does is that it knocked some sense into me. And I decided, this little Bofur bear needed a friend…maybe a Y/n bear?” He then reached into his other pocket and drew out another figure. It had a sweet smile, this little bear, it had a braid, just like yours and a little pendant that matched yours as well.
“Bofur!” You gasped, seeing the detail that matched you so beautifully. Bofur had made this for you! “Oh, Bofur!”
“I know I was a right daft idiot a few days ago. I shouldn’t have yelled at ya.”
“I shouldn’t have-.”
“No, I shouldn’t have. You meant no harm, and I knew that. I just lost my temper. No reasonin’ for it.” Bofur shifted forward, placing both of the figures in your hand. He gave you a serious look as he spoke.
“Y/n, you are the most beautiful lass I’ve ever laid eyes on. You…you brighten my day with your smile, lift my spirit with your laugh. When I wake, you are the reason I rise, and when I sleep, you are my sweet dreams.”
Your hand drifted to your heart as he spoke his words, the Bofur bear resting over where it was pounding, trying to calm yourself. When you imagined Bofur’s reaction to your confession, you never imagined, never even dared to imagine, he would feel this way in return.
“I want to be the one who wakes you with sweet kisses. I want to be the one who holds you when you rest, to cheer you when you are sad. I know…I know I’ve done wrong, very wrong, by you. But would you give me the chance to make it right?”
“Bofur…” You looked into those chocolate eyes as a smile spread across your features. “My Bofur Bear, of course!” You quickly wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him tight against you in an embrace. “I love you.” You whispered to him.
“Aye, and I love you.”
It would be nearly two years later when you and Bofur were finally married, settled into a home of your own in Erebor. Bofur kept his word, waking you every day with sweet kisses, holding you while you slept. And on your mantle, for all to see where the two little bear figurines, never to be parted again.