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Bombur

When he came to think on it later it really wasn't a wonder that he had found a way to bond with the dwarf. His rotund girth and gentle countenance were reasons to be mocked by his dwarven brethren but to Bilbo he was almost hobbitlike, enough to make him feel at ease and a bit less homesick when he joined Bombur at the fire. In fact Bilbo found reasons to join the large dwarf, be it to help with the cooking or minding the fire and Bombur never tried to shush him or force him away. He knew, without a doubt, that at least Bombur respected him and saw worth. Even as he formed bonds with others in the party and became something much more than a friend to Thorin he could always content himself with the knowledge that Bombur would sit with him and talk of the one thing they had in common above all else...food.

…

"Seven meals a day? By Mahal, how do you get anything else done?" Bofur asked with interest as he rode with the halfling, in front of his brother. Bombur listened intently, because this was an interesting development.

"Well many of them aren't proper meals, more like nibbles to tide us over throughout the day. First Breakfast, luncheon, dinner and supper are the main meals of the day where we can truly eat our fill. Second breakfast, elevensies and afternoon tea are usually just snacks to tide us over until the next large meal." Bilbo explained and Bombur's stomach growled loudly in response, alerting his brother and the hobbit that he was listening in but Bofur was too curious to call attention to it and Bombur was glad, too often the butt of jokes as it was.

"Why d'ya need ta eat so much? Yer' just little things." Bofur asked and Bilbo smiled.

"Yes we're small but as children and tweens we run all over the place, getting in mischief and never stopping so food is necessary. It's only as we age and get less...lively...that we start to widen and the amount of food we eat catches up to us. I admit I've been slowing down in recent years." Bilbo continued to smile and Bofur clapped him on the back in a gesture of amusement.

"Hobbits...such strange folk..." Bofur said quietly before he chuckled to himself and rode his pony closer up to where Nori was and said something to them before they laughed and threw a grin Bombur's way. While they obviously mocked him Bombur rode up to his brother's abandoned spot and rode quietly with Bilbo for a few minutes before the hobbit looked over at him with a smile.

"Fine day we're having, isn't it Bombur?" Bilbo asked and the jolly dwarf nodded before he leaned over as much as he could without toppling off his pony or injuring the animal and whispered conspiratorially.

"How large are the meals?" The question was asked with such sincere curiosity that Bilbo grinned wider and moved closer to save the dwarf and his mount some discomfort.

"Full seven course dinners and four course breakfasts with plenty of food in between. When the quest is over and I return to the Shire you must visit and I will make you some proper meals Bombur. I feel like you'll actually appreciate my people's customs." Bilbo said straightening his back and puffing his chest out with pride and Bombur smiled. His offer did sound quite amazing and Bombur's stomach growled again at the thought of a seven course dinner.

…

"That smells lovely Bombur." Bilbo told the dwarf as he sat next to him at the fire, watching as Bombur added some wild herbs that removed much of the gaminess from the birds Kili had managed to take down that afternoon. Bombur just nodded and took some of the wild onions he'd been roasting under the fire, carefully removed the scorched layer and popped them in the pot. Once that was done he sat back against his bag and rested his hands on his bountiful stomach and looked around the camp before his gaze rested on the hobbit.

"Why is food so important to you and the rest of the Shirefolk Bilbo?" Bombur asked suddenly and Bilbo started at the sudden sound after silence from the larger dwarf but immediately tried to think of an answer. After a moment's pause he smiled .

"I suppose it comes down to us loving the simple things in life, a warm home, good company and full bellies. It's more than that though, to us food is necessary in all parts of life. We need it to survive but we also use it as a means to know our neighbors and share our good fortunes with one another. It's said that no family in the Shire will starve as long as they have good neighbors and we all pride ourselves in that." Bilbo answered but when he saw the thoughtful look on Bombur's face he continued. "Another reason we love food is that it gives us a chance to show ourselves for who we are. With food we can experiment and be true individuals, I'm not too proud to admit that I make the best strawberry tart of any hobbit in Hobbiton and that's no lie. But I can't forget that mine is the best only because I tried something new... Why is food important to you Bombur, if you don't mind me asking?"

"When Bofur and I were we lads we moved from town to town with our Mum and Da, they were always looking for work as most of our kin were. Sometimes they both found it and we were fed and cared for but other times were lean and we never knew when the next meal was coming. Then Mum and Da died and Bifur came and took over our care. He did his best and always made sure Bofur and I were fed and had a roof over our heads, then he went to Moria..." Bombur shivered and said a silent prayer of thanks for his cousin's life before he continued. "Bofur had just come of age when that happened and spent his time working in the mines to keep us alive while I took care of Bifur. This was when I learned how important food really was. Bifur became...peculiar...after his injury and would only eat certain things and I learned how to make them just right, to the point where Bifur would only eat what I cooked. It was a source of pride for me but it also caused me shame."

"Forgive me, but why were you ashamed? It seems to me that your skill helped keep your cousin alive and that's a very noble fact." Bilbo complimented him and Bombur blushed before he continued.

"My shame comes from what I did to procure the food for Bifur. Bofur is a hard worker and worked every job he could but it wasn't enough, not nearly enough to feed us all and Bifur's new needs. We did what we could at first but too soon we were beyond destitute and I was forced into behavior unbecoming of a dwarf. I begged, bartered and dug in the trash behind the butcher's stall for what we needed. It was the greatest shame of my life but I would do it again for my family." Bombur smiled as he thought of Bifur's joy at mealtime as he healed.. Bilbo smiled at Bombur, surprised and pleased that the large dwarf was sharing something so private and personal with him.

"Food is happiness and security for you, isn't it Bombur?" Bilbo asked and the large dwarf smiled and nodded.

"Aye, when you don't have enough each scrap is precious and when you have too much you can share it with those you care about and you can always, always enjoy it." Bombur explained and Bilbo grinned wide and patted the dwarf on the arms.

"You and I are not so different master dwarf. I may have had an easy life in comparison to you but we both understand the importance of food. I truly hope I have a chance to share a true feast with you one day, so we can enjoy our bounty together." Bilbo told him and Bombur nodded some more before he placed a hand on Bilbo's shoulder.

"I'm counting on it Bilbo, if for nothing else than showing you my skill. Now, we've talked enough. I must get back to the stew." Bombur explained, but as he moved to stand Bilbo placed a hand on his shoulder and stood.

"You sit and rest Bombur, I'll take care of the stew." Bilbo told Bombur as he gave the dwarf a smile then began fussing over the stew while Bombur sat back and watched him, content in the knowledge that he had a friend in the hobbit. Bilbo looked over at the dwarf and sighed a contented sigh, he had a friend, a true friend and all it took was a love of food to bond them. He hoped he could form relationships with rest of the Company so easily.

...

Author's Note: I know I have a ton of projects going on but I've got a bit of writer's block at the moment and these plots come to me. This story came from one of those plots and will be about how Bilbo bonded with members of the company. I intend to continue but the updates will be sporadic as my muse starts working with me again on my other stories. Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy these little tales.