Okay so if people don't ship these two after watching the movie then they've obviously got issues, lol! This will be a mix of movie & bookverse, however I haven't read the book in a little while & from having seen the movie quite recently, I may get some things mixed up – apologies in advance for that! Ooh, so yes minor spoiler alert! Also, this is my first Hobbit fic, again, I apologise in case there's any/too much OOCness. Another quick note: Balin leaves for Moria when Frodo is born, I just pushed it back to fit better with this story. One more thing! Bilbo & Frodo are cousins; they just refer to each other as "uncle" & "nephew".
Summary: After the Battle of the Five Armies & everything is done & dusted, Bilbo leaves as quickly as he can because he feels that Bofur is too good for him. Forty-seven years later, none other than Bofur himself shows up at his doorstep.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Feeling relieved that Dain let him have two small chests filled with silver and gold, Bilbo made arrangements to leave as quickly and quietly as he could. It wasn't just that he wanted to get back home; it was mostly because of Bofur, his closest companion throughout the adventure.
Bofur had been there for him on nearly every occasion. At Rivendell Bofur pulled him back and stood protectively in front of him when the dwarves thought that the elves were going to attack them, at the mountain pass where the Company was caught in a battle of the Stone-giants; Bofur was the first to notice that Bilbo was about to fall off the edge of the cliff, and of course, the most important for Bilbo: Bofur was the first to see him as a true member of the Company and despite this, was still going to let Bilbo return to Rivendell with no ill-feelings towards him. Throughout his adventure Bofur was constantly by his side; whether it be for a good laugh over a story or making sure the Hobbit was safe. Bofur's actions didn't make it hard for Bilbo to fall hard and fast for him. But when it was Bilbo's time to prove his worth at the Lonely Mountain, what did he do? Almost get Bofur trapped at the bottom of a cliff! He would have died as well if it weren't for the others! Bilbo didn't even fight side-by-side with his friend during the battle of the Five Armies! Instead he took his stand on Ravenhill and watched the battle unfold.
Packing his things, Bilbo fought back tears as he thought of all of this. Why did he fail to help Bofur when the dwarf needed him the most? With this thought in mind, Bilbo knew it was best if he left without any farewell. He couldn't bear looking into the eyes of the dwarf he had failed, for Bofur would be cheerful and wouldn't hold any sort of bitterness towards him, which was what cut Bilbo to the core. Bilbo knew exactly how it would play out: he would try and explain to Bofur why he had failed to help him and Bofur would stand there, smile and say something affectionate to ease Bilbo's spirits. Bilbo didn't want that. No, he wanted Bofur to let out some raw emotion, to get angry at him, to get so angry that the dwarf would shove him against a wall, and in the intensity that would be running thick between the two of them lead to…why on earth was he thinking about stuff like this when he was meant to be meeting with Gandalf?
As if right on cue, there was a soft knock upon Bilbo's door and Gandalf called out quietly that all was ready. Gathering the last of his things together quickly (his two chests were already strapped onto his pony) Bilbo followed Gandalf to where Gandalf's horse and his pony were waiting.
"Leaving without a farewell?" Bilbo heard Balin's voice say, breaking the silence between the Wizard and the Hobbit.
Sighing, Bilbo turned to face Balin, who was now standing a little way behind him, "It's for the best." he answered.
"Or the easiest?" Balin asked, and when Bilbo didn't answer he continued, "He's going to be upset, you know."
"What? How?" Bilbo started when he pieced Balin's words together.
"I may be old but that hasn't deterred me in any way yet." Balin answered which earned a small chuckle from Gandalf.
Naturally Balin would notice; there was next to nothing that didn't pass his eyes. Bilbo shouldn't have been surprised that Balin had noticed Bilbo's growing feelings for Bofur.
"The one chance I had, I couldn't protect Bofur, even after all the times he helped me during the quest. That alone shows that I don't deserve him."
"You're being too hard on yourself, laddie. I'm sure Bofur won't hold that against you."
"Even if he forgives me, what am I to do then? Demand that he come back to the Shire with me? I can't just pull Bofur away from his family and home! Especially since he just got it back!"
Balin didn't have an answer for that, and from his silence Bilbo guessed that Balin agreed with him. However, Balin was thinking of the possibility of Bilbo coming to live at Erebor. But Balin knew deep down that Bilbo wouldn't leave the Shire for anything, not even for the dwarf he loved.
Repeating what he said earlier, Bilbo said, "It's for the best. Farewell, Balin. My door's always open."
With those words he departed from Erebor with Gandalf.
…Forty-seven years later…
"Thankyou, for everything, Uncle." A young Frodo Baggins said as he placed his bags in the main hallway of Bag End.
Placing his hand on his nephew's shoulder, Bilbo smiled and said, "You're more than welcome, my boy." He paused, and with his other arm gestured around the place, "Welcome to your new home! Come, I'll show you the place!"
Bilbo was glad that he decided to adopt Frodo and make him his heir. Before the death of Frodo's parents, Bilbo would venture down to Buckland every now and then to visit his relatives and young Frodo reminded Bilbo so much of himself when he was Frodo's age. It felt the right thing for Bilbo to do to bring young Frodo into his home. It was also around this time when Bilbo's thoughts had turned to adventure again, and more often than not he was thinking of Erebor, and a certain dwarf who lived there. Bilbo had constant letters from Balin, telling him of life back at the Lonely Mountain, and every now and then there was a sketch or two from Ori. However, Balin never mentioned Bofur nor did Bilbo receive any letters from him. As saddened as he was because of this, Bilbo didn't blame Bofur, the dwarf was probably upset with him. It was Bilbo after all who left Erebor without a word.
A few months had passed and Frodo had settled quite well into Bag End and he was constantly off with his two cousins, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took (who came to Bag End a lot to visit Frodo), along with the Gaffer's young son, Samwise Gamgee. It was on one of these days when Frodo was out with Merry, Pippin and Sam (where Bilbo had a sneaking suspicion that they were off trying to steal mushrooms from Farmer Maggot – yet again), when his doorbell rang. He was hoping that Gandalf had returned to take him on another adventure and not the Sackville-Bagginses, who were bothering him a lot more since he took Frodo in. Of all the possibilities that Bilbo thought up of as he made his way to the front door, he did not expect Bofur to be the one standing there!
The two of them stood there, staring at each other before Bilbo quickly remembered his manners, "Ah, good morning!" he greeted, "Come in, come in! I'll get tea started." He continued before quickly making his way to the kitchen.
He could hear Bofur sitting down at the same table where he first sat with the other dwarves all those years ago. Taking a peek at the dwarf, Bilbo was still happy to see that Bofur still wore that goofy hat, the same hat which Bofur used to let him wear on some nights to help keep him warm. Hearing the water boil, Bilbo snapped out of his thoughts and continued with the tea. Once everything was ready, he took a few deep breaths and made his way to Bofur.
Placing the tea and some cake and biscuits down onto the table, Bilbo sat across from Bofur and after a few quick seconds of being greatly interested in his feet, he eventually looked up at the dwarf.
"Yeh've barely aged a day." Bofur blurted out, studying Bilbo.
"The same could be said for you." Bilbo said, "Besides a little more wrinkles and the grey streaks in your hair, you haven't changed."
With a small chuckle, Bofur then said, "But yeh look the exact same as when I first met yeh, is this normal for Hobbits?"
"Not really, no" Bilbo answered, having a think about it. It was strange, strange indeed.
"I always thought yeh were special" he heard Bofur say quietly.
"Please don't" Bilbo started, knowing exactly where this was going.
"Don't what? Tell yeh how I've always missed yeh ever since yeh left Erebor without so much as a goodbye? I planned to come much sooner, but when I didn't hear anything from yeh I thought yeh were angry with me, and that deterred me for quite a while. If it weren't for Balin giving me a scold, telling me yeh were lonely and that if I hadn't left for yeh by the time he was ready to leave for Moria, he'd go and find some wargs for me to deal with."
Bilbo couldn't help but chuckle at Balin; making a quick mental note to give Balin his regards the next time he saw him, Bilbo said, "That's not it at all! I was never angry at you; I thought that you were upset with me!"
"Why on earth would yeh think that?"
Bilbo suddenly realised their misunderstanding, both of them thought that they themselves were in the wrong.
"It's not your fault, Bofur, not your fault at all." Bilbo paused before continuing, "I left straight away because…because I wasn't there for you when you needed me most. If anything, you really should be upset with me."
In a quick motion, Bofur jumped up and pulled Bilbo into an embrace, "I could never be angry at yeh" Bofur whispered, pulling Bilbo in closer and tighter.
Bilbo didn't say anything as he reached up and gently placed his hands on Bofur's cheeks and pulled him close as he placed his lips upon Bofur's.
The two were too focused on each other that neither of them heard Frodo walk into the kitchen.
"Uncle?"