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Fire rained down from the sky as Smaug flew around the mountain, the sound of his beating wings sending thrills of fear through your spine. Your hand was tightly squeezed in Bofur's who pulled you by your arm, guided by sheer terror.
"We have to get out of here!" His breath was labored as he tugged you along yet another hallway. You had no idea where you were, but you just clung to his hand with all the strength you had.
You couldn't understand how your relaxed and completely normal day had turned into this. You had made breakfast like you did every morning, just in time for Bofur to eat before he left for the mines for his short shift in the mornings. While he was there, you snuck your way into the healer's rooms, avoiding anyone you knew. You had your suspicions about what was going on but had retained from telling Bofur until you were absolutely sure. Now, you were sure. You were going to have a little dwarf in just a little under three years.
The halls were filled with dwarves desperately trying to escape the lost city. But in the panic and people running around, your hand separated from Bofur's.
"Y/N. Y/N? Y/N!" You could hear him calling for your name for a moment before it was drowned under the panicked wails. But you were alone now, not knowing where your husband was and you were terrified. It had only taken one tug of a body that was desperately trying to make its way out of the kingdom. But you couldn't stop and look for him, the panicked crowd sweeping you with them towards the gates of the kingdom. Only a blink of an eye later, fire enveloped the hallway, and horror grasped your heart as you heard the screams of pain and despair. You were forced to run out of the kingdom with the waves of panicked dwarves. You just had to hope he would make it out on his own and you would meet again when all the horror had passed.
You grasped for air as you stumbled out of the kingdom, the smoke and dust keeping a tight grasp on your lungs as you sucked in heavy breaths of air. You were looking around you wildly, trying desperately trying to find the familiar hat in the crowd of dwarves.
But as the son of the king got the people to call down and started to put people in order, trying to assess how many of his subjects had survived, it was becoming painfully aware to you that you could not see Bofur's had anywhere. So either he had dropped it when he had been running, or... That was an option you did not want to even consider, but as Bombur approached you, holding his youngest, crying son in his arms, the look on his face told you everything you needed to know.
You fell to your knees, tears starting to flow, your sobs drowned by the cries of pain and despair. How were you going to survive without him out here with no home and nothing to call your own, pregnant with a child, who you now realized, would never know their father?
- - - -
People were just starting to arrive at Erebor after the news had started to spread that the kingdom was opening its doors to any dwarf willing to move inside. You hadn't wasted a minute making the decision, yelling at your daughter to pack her things, running to sell your house as soon as you possibly could. You had just arrived, exhausted after the long journey but pleased as you had finally reached your destination. Your daughter, Cleissy, watched around in wonder, taking in the tall stone walls for the first time. You, on the other hand, took a deep breath in, allowing your muscles to relax. You were finally home. It felt good, but a small tug in your heart reminded you that things would never be as they used to be, he was gone.
"Cleissy!" You called for her as she was starting to strain too far away from you. She turned around, turning her brown eyes from the walls to you, the smile on her face telling of the wonder she felt.
"It is so beautiful here." You let out a small laugh and brushed her hair out of her face.
"That it is. But I told you not to get too far. These halls are so complicated, it's not hard to get lost. I cannot count the times Bofur had to come and find me after I managed to get myself lost among these halls." You tried to keep your voice reprimanding, but it softened as you mentioned his name. Your daughter released a sigh but kept it hidden from you. She had always wanted to know more about her father, but she never had the heart to ask you, as she could see the pain thinking of him caused you.
You were conversing with Hettie, a dwarrodam that had a daughter the same age as you. The two of you had met on the journey and kept each other company as your daughters, Cleissy and Gretel, gushed over each other's dresses and how handsome some of the guards escorting them were. The two received a few winks from here and there, causing them to giggle and fix their hair with flushed cheeks, acting coy. But the guards quickly retreated when they saw yours and Hettie's eyes and the cold, warning look in them.
Your conversation was cut short when a voice called your name so gently that you almost missed it.
"Y/N." You froze completely, a part of you thinking whether or not you were hearing things. That the familiar environment was just playing tricks on your mind.
"Y/N?" You turned around and met a pair of brown eyes, ones you thought you would never see again.
"Bofur?" You breathed out, tears collecting in your eyes, causing Cleissy to freeze. She shifted to her left to see you staring at someone, but the crowd was in the way of her making out any features or characteristics.
Bofur and you stared at each other for a good while before neither of you moved. You were in a daze, not sure how this was possible or that it was even true. A part of you feared it was just a dream, one that would shatter when you moved toward him. The whole hall seemed like they were holding your breath as the two of you collided with each other, his arms wrapping tightly around your waist as yours went to his shoulders, squeezing the other so hard that your breathing hitched, but you barely even noticed.
As you released each other from the constraining hold, you leaned back, still wrapped in his arms, and wordlessly, pressed your lips to his. The kiss was filled with every ounce of the longing and relief the two of you felt. The world seemed to disappear from around you as you were focused on each other's lips, reminding yourselves of the feeling, cherishing it after being without it for so long.
Your daughter, obviously, did not recognize the dwarf that had wrapped you in such a tight hug, but she had her suspicions. They were proved right when she met his eyes, the same brown eyes that stared back at her every time she looked into a mirror. She did not know what else to do but to storm forward, colliding with your hugging bodies. You rearranged your arms so that she would fit comfortably in the middle, and
Neither of you noticed the intrigued look Kili threw in the direction of your daughter.