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"This bloody wind will take our beards with it if we won't find shelter!" Gloin yelled over the howling wind as the company marched headwind, not moving nearly at all as the wind kept pushing them back every time a new gust blew by. The wind had struck just after Rivendell, and it hadn't eased since.
"Thorin, maybe we should stop and rest for a moment! Find someplace where the wind doesn't reach!" Balin yells over the wind to the gruff leader, who stubbornly keeps going against the wind, even if it's virtually impossible.
"No Balin, a light breeze doesn't bother us, we keep going," Thorin ordered, and everyone groaned but kept walking.
They had barely made it an hour's journey in time that they would have been able to make four times that, Bofur decided to have a talk with the leader of the company.
"Thorin?" He asked, cautious of the leader as he wasn't in the best of moods after the wind had struck.
"Yes, Bofur?" Thorin didn't turn around, but it was a big relief for Bofur that he answered.
"I have been thinking. The wind doesn't show any signs of lifting and everyone is growing pretty tired." Bofur chose his words carefully as he didn't want to go against the leader's words, but everyone was growing really tired and they needed to rest before they reached the mountains, they would need their full strength there.
"What is it, Bofur? Spit it out." Thorin spoke as a particularly big gust hit them and they were sent backward a few inches against their wills.
"I happen to know a place where we could rest, and it's covered from this wind. We could also get a hot meal there, I'm sure of it." He refused to let any emotion show in his voice, but the truth was, he prayed to Mahal that Thorin decides on a detour. Homesickness weighted on him heavily, even if it hadn't been long after he had left the house to join the others at the Shire.
"Fine. Lead the way. We are taking a detour, keep together!" He yelled the last part to the company that breathed out in relief.
Bofur walked along the familiar paths with his head held high, and the others followed, looking around in the forest with amazied eyes. There was a small stone wall that protected the valley from the wind, and the company sighed in relief as they could walk normally again. The weather had done a complete turn. Now it was sunny, the birds were singing and there were nearly no clouds in the sky compared to the vast wind, grey skies, and the light drizzle.
Bilbo was the first to spot you. Or rather, hear you.
"Do you hear that?" The whole company stilled, thinking it was something dangerous, but it was a young woman singing softly. Bofur perked up and the others noticed this.
"Now is not the time for you to start charming some ladies. We need to get to the house." Bofur decided to leave the comment to be, but the next comment made him see red.
"I wouldn't mind charming some ladies," Kili whispered to Fili, and Bofur turned around, his eyes dark and he growled deeply.
"If you even look at her in a way I don't like, I will throw you down the nearest cliff, whether you are royal or not." He gave everyone a warning glance before storming off, and everyone was stunned. They didn't believe that the usually jovial dwarf had snapped like that.
The company reached Bofur who gestured them to follow. Slowly, they approached a good-sized house that was built half in the mountainside. Outside wandered chickens and geese, a cat layed on a stone fence, and on a pasture further away they could see a couple of cows, sheep, and few goats as well as a pair of brown ponies.
"What is this place Bofur?" Thorin asked, but he didn't answer, he just signed them to be quiet. Soon, he spotted what he had been looking for.
A young hobbit woman was standing next to a line, hanging laundry while singing. Bofur smiled at the company who stared, not understanding what was going on. Slowly creeping closer, Bofur passed the cat and gave it a gentle rub before walking right behind the woman, who was still completely oblivious that he was there and kept humming the song to herself as she hung a shirt to hang. Bofur cleared his throat and spoke softly.
"Hello, lass." The woman jumps and Bofur lets out a small laugh.
*WHACK*
The woman hits Bofur in the head with the towel she had on her belt, and he takes a step back, surprised.
"Never do that again! You scared me, I was sure that you were a robber!" She screamed and turned around, staring at Bofur with flaming eyes as she poked his chest with her finger and hissed out words that the company was not able to hear. Bofur stood still, head slightly pressed down, looking like a child that had been caught stealing cookies and now was being scolded by his mother and every now and then seemed to try and defend himself, not succeeding.
They inched closer as the Bofur was still getting an earful from the woman, but Bombur told them that she was nice and they would have nothing to worry about once she's calmed down. A young boy, maybe around five or six, peeks from behind a pillar supporting the house and as he spotted the company, he hurried to hide behind her mother's legs, who turned to look at the boy.
"Momma, who are those?" He pointed to them with a shaking finger, and you glanced over your shoulder to see twelve dwarves and a hobbit standing there and her anger seemed to soothe.
"Visitors, Darroc. It's unpolite to point with your finger." She gently told the boy and scooped him up, who was still looking at the group standing further away until he noticed the dwarf standing close to him.
"Papa!" He squealed and reached over to him, squirming in his mother's arms to get into his fathers. Humming, the woman handed the boy to Bofur as the company watched the scene folding in front of them, still not quite sure what was going on.
"Are you going to introduce me to your friends?" The woman was looking in the direction of the company, who watched her with rising interest. How come they had never heard of you?
"Oh, right. Sorry. Everyone, this is my wife, Y/N, and our son, Darroc." The members of the company give you curt nods, bow, and waves and you curtsey to them while your son waves enthusiastically.
"Why don't you take Darroc to meet them more closely, and I'll get started on dinner. I suppose you are hungry after the journey?" You kiss Bofur on the cheek and grimace and pull away.
"And I'll warm some bathwater as well." Bofur gives you a confused look, but the other hobbit of the company chuckles as he knows what you mean. The dwarves are in desperate need of a bath.
You run around the kitchen like a madman, preparing meat for frying, stirring the sauces, making sure that the fire in the stove doesn't die, and checking that the potatoes are still boiling in addition to about half a million other things.
"What I can do to help?" Bofur's voice sounds from the doorway, and you answer to him without lifting your eyes from the meat you are seasoning.
"Can you check the sauces and stir them and then start frying these while I get some milk from the cows?" You turn around to face him and notice that Darroc is not with him.
"The others are watching him." You give a hesitant nod, but decide to trust his judgment in leaving him with a bunch of dwarves.
He steps closer and wraps his hands around your waist, pulling you to his chest tightly.
"I missed you." He whispers, and traces kisses along your neck, to your cheeks, and there to your lips. The kiss is short, more like a peck, and you smile at him as you stand on your tippy-toes to kiss his cheek.
"I missed you too. But we need to finish cooking so we can get to bed." He raises his eyebrows at your statement.
"Oh? And do you have ideas about what we will do when we get there?" Bofur asks, his tone low and you giggle and bat your eyelashes at him.
"Yes. Sleep." With that, you turn on your heel and go to milk the cows, not noticing Bofur's pout as you walk out.
Dinner was a success. It took forever to get ready but the dwarves seemed happy and nothing was left, so it was good. You received multiple praises and commendations of the food as well as the warm bathwater you had heated up, and you felt your cheeks flush, as you were quite shy and not used to a lot of attention. Luckily, Bofur was there to save you by hinting that it might be time for Darroc to go to bed, and you sneaked off to give him a bath while Bofur stayed in the dining room with his friends. It wasn't easy to bathe the young and lively dwobbit, but you managed and got him to into his pajamas rather easily. But getting him to settle to bed was a different story.
"Darroc dear, you need to get to bed. What story would you like today?" He patted to the bookshelf, pulled out a book, and handed it to you before he went back to playing.
"You know you have to be in bed when I read you a bedtime story, love." You gently tried to coax him to bed, but the unusual events of today had made him hyper and he wasn't settling down. So you used a trick up in your sleeve.
"Do you want daddy to read the story to you?" You asked him, and he smiled but shook his head.
"No." You frowned, this usually worked.
"Why not?" You asked, placing the book on the small table next to his bed.
"I want you and daddy to read it to me." He smiled brightly, and you hummed.
"Fine, love. I'll get daddy. But remember, when we come back, you need to be in bed, under the covers so we can start the story. You hadn't even stood up yet when he had jumped into bed and pulled the blanket over him.
"I'm ready!" he declared, and you smiled and bent over to give him a kiss.
"Wonderful. I'll be right back with daddy, you wait here." You whispered and walked out the door, leaving him sitting on the bed, holding the book tightly.
In the living room, Bofur had already helped the company to find places to sleep and had found blankets and pillows for everyone. They were laying on the floor or the sofas and guest beds, as Bofur sat in an armchair, casually speaking with Bombur when you appeared into the doorway.
"Bofur, Darroc wants you to read the bedtime story with me." You spoke gently, not wanting to wake up the dwarves that were already half asleep, and he stood up.
"I'll better come then. Goodnight." He wished the company and walked to you while you stepped forward.
"Does anyone need anything?" You asked politely, and all of the dwarves shook their heads, some of them muttering things like
"I'm perfectly fine, lass."
"It's all good."
"I need nothing." You smiled and curtsied, taking a step back.
"Goodnight then." You smiled at their responses and hurried after Bofur, who had already entered Darroc's room.
Yawning, you tiptoed out of Darroc's room. It had taken three books for him to fall asleep, and be damned if you woke him up now as you were leaving. You dared to breathe only after the door was closed behind you, and Bofur's hands wrapped around your waist. You turned your head so you could smile at him and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"I thought he would never fall asleep." He muttered, and you let out a small laugh.
"Today was an eventful day, of course, he was too excited to get to sleep." Bofur hummed and picked you up, making you gasp in surprise as he carried you towards the bedroom. He kissed your neck, and you giggled as his mustache tickled your neck. He noticed it and did it again, causing you to giggle and try and squirm off his hold but it was too tight.
It didn't take long for you to change into your nightgown, and you slipped into bed and crawled under the covers. You felt the bed dip and you squeaked in surprise as Bofur pulled you to his chest tightly. He tipped you over so he was hovering over you.
"I missed you so much." He whispered and pressed his lips to yours. The kiss started off as delicate and soft, but it soon got more heated and his hands started to wander down. You pulled away and gently pushed yourself off of him.
"Not tonight, you need to sleep." He gave you a pout but pulled you to his chest and allowed you to snuggle close.
"I love you." You whispered and pressed a short kiss to his lips before burying your head into his chest and sighing happily. It had been so long since you had been together like this, and his presence, as always, made you feel calm and safe.
"I love you too. Sleep well." He whispered into your ear and pulled the blanket over the two of you. He then settled down and wrapped his arms around you tight, not wanting to ever let go.