He felt almost sick it had been a few days since Bilbo went missing in mountains but Bofur had come to close to losing him way to many times for his liking. That's why tonight despite all of the consequences that could occur he didn't care and Bofur scrunched up towards Bilbo resting his head on a sleeping Bilbo's chest.
Of all of the consequences he was not expecting this...He had just woken up a little earlier than usual to get some water but he wasn't prepared for this..."Drat" he muttered..His beard was tangled in Bilbo's buttons. His large fingers fumbled around the golden buttons as he tried to separate himself from Bilbo...Suddenly he heard snickering from behind...
"What are you doing Bofur?" said an absolutely gleeful Kili...
"Shut up you! go back to sleep and if i hear of this tomorrow don't think I wont expose your shenanigans with Fili.."
A small whimper and no more sound...successfully shut him up thought Bofur...
First light was about to emerge from beneath the horizon. Bofur groaned he hadn't been able to make any headway with the knot...He suddenly heard a grunt from Bomber ..causing him to jump a little...Damn it he thought he took a knife out of his pocket raised it to the braids caught in the button... Took a deep breath..and severed the braids.
Bilbo awoke to a loud kerfuffle in the dwarfs camp. He could hear Thorin shout over the noise trying to get the gaggle (for want of a better word) of dwarfs to shut up so he could get the full story of whats happening..Bilbo heard quite a lot of shouting and quite a lot of people banging on about thieves and the like.
"Bilbo!" whispered Gandalf who had crouched down towards the sleepy hobbit "Bilbo, come on get up before the Spanish inquisition over there notice that new piece of decor on your buttons"
"Decor what do you mean Gandalf?"
"Nothing my boy" Gandalf smirked as he peered down at Bilbo's waist coat. Bilbo then allowed his own eyes to venture down towards his waist coat, he frowned as he noticed the oddly familiar fuzzy braids caught on one of his few remaining golden buttons "What, what is that Gandalf?"
"My dear boy, that is something you'll have to find out yourself, but for now I would make yourself scarce it would seem like you are the thief they search for"
"Thief?! but I didn't do anything how could I, I've been asleep for this entire time. At least tell me What I have been accused of taking!" Spluttered Bilbo.
"Bilbo I believe that they don't mean thief of goods so much as thief of honour and I believe that you have stolen the object in question but maybe slightly unconsciously."
"what are you talking about Gandalf can you please just tell me whats happening?!"
"Aright my boy, it would appear that sometime last night someone crept in and cut off a few braids of Bofurs' Beard."
"And they...somehow ended up on my buttons?" Bilbo couldn't help his mind wandering to the now beardless dwarf.
"Yes"
"But why would anyone do that?"
"I think that to get an answer to that question you'd have to ask Bofur, But first go quickly and remove the braids"
"Yes of course...I'll be right back"
Bilbo left Gandalfs' side and when Gandalf knew no-one would hear he let out a loud chuckle...
Bilbo scurried off into the undergrowth when he was a safe distance away he began carefully untangling the severed braids...Why would anyone cut Bofurs beard off...and why of all places would the thief attach it to Bilbos' waist coat? Suddenly he heard a loud giggle coming towards him...bilbo ducked down sticking close to the ground he heard "Come on Kili lets get back to camp we have to find the thief" Whinned Fili..
"pfft I can't believe you all believed that story, I happen to know the truth as to why Bofurs now beardless."
"Really, what happened? Orcs?"
"No, it was more domestic than that."
"Domestic what does that mean?"
"Quite simply my dear Fili it means that last night I saw Bofur trying to untangle himself from Bilbos Buttons"
"Noooo, it can't be your saying that.."
"yes that's exactly what I'm saying and the only reason I haven't exposed him it because he threatened to expose us."
"He knows?!"
"Yes but I think he is the only one and I'd like to keep it that way. So no one can know okay?"
"okay, lets get back before people get suspicious"
Bilbo felt his heart in his mouth he was the reason Bofurs beard wasn't intact anymore, Bofur couldn't stand the idea that people would make jokes about then for a little bit so much that he'd rather lose his "honour"...the thought almost brought Bilbo to tears...His unrequited crush which he had allowed himself to hope could...NO! His brain yelled you can't think about it anymore he ripped the braids from his buttons and was a bout to throw them as far away as he could but, he couldn't instead he shoved them into his pocket and trudged back to camp.
Bofur had looked around the camp all day for Bilbo but he wasn't to be seen he wanted to be able to explain himself and surely the sudden disappearance of the Hobbit meant he had figured out what had happened last night. Gandalf was all of a sudden behind him "Hello Bofur, your new look is something I have to get used to...but aside from that I believe the one you seek is in the forest."
"What do you mean Gandalf?"
"Bofur I have allowed for you and Bilbo to skirt around each other for the past two weeks if you think I will let you let an opportunity like this slip through our fingers you have another thing coming"
"Oh...That's what you mean."
"Yes that's what I mean and I do believe I told you The person you seek is in the forest right now. GO!"
With that Bofur scampered off into the forest running so fast that he couldn't see in front of himself properly, he kept running till he came directly into contact with Bilbos' back "OMMPH..."
"Ouch, who on earth?"
"BILBO?!"said Bofur excitedly.
"Bofur.." said Bilbo coldly
"Um what's up?"said Bofur cautiously.
"oh I don't know, I found your scandalous little bit of evidence"
"Um...I'm sorry I didn't realize yo..."He was cut off before he could finish by Bilbo.
"Is the idea that people make stupid little jokes about the idea that you have feelings for me so terrible that you'd rather everyone think that some ludicrous thief came and cut your beard off?!"
"No thats. not what. I meant. who gave you that idea...What? "
"So your saying you didn't fabricate that entire story to keep the fact that your beard got caught in my buttons?"
"Well erm that's not entirely I mean its true...but" he was cut off again
"So it's true your not even going to try and deny it?"
"argh Dammit Bilbo if I thought explaining myself to you was gonna be this hard I wouldn't have even tried" Bilbo tried to interject"NO! you will seal your lips and sit tight, i don't know why you jumped to the conclusion that I wanted to protect my reputation...I think just about everyone in this god forsaken party knows how I feel about you. The reason I lied and hid the truth was to protect your reputation you don't was to be associated with some run of the mill toy-maker" Bofur could feel the tears well up he stared at the ground so that Bilbo couldn't see.
"...Bofur..." said Bilbo in a small voice "is that really what you think?"
"Of course it is I wouldn't have said it if" He was stopped mid sentence by two hands on either side of his face..
"Bofur look at me...please" Bofur slowly dragged his face upwards to face the Hobbit. What he saw took him completely by surprise the Hobbit was staring at him a small smile forming at the sides of his mouth tears dripping down his face.
"W-why are you crying?"
"Take a wild guess Bofur"Bilbo said his smile turning into a fully fledged grin, his face then turned serious as Bilbo leaned in and kissed Bofur..It was the sweetest kiss Bofur had ever had and when Bilbo pulled away Bofur was left wanting more. "No not yet" he breathed "More"
"Later, I'm not allowing you to slip through my fingers now."
~The End~