Becoming Omega
Winter
"There you are, Little Bunny."
As Alfrid stared up with big eyes at Beorn, Bilbo just smiled. "Hello, Beorn,." He greeted.
Squatting so that he was a little lower, Beorn held out his hand, in it was a book. "This is from Estelon, he had been meaning to give this to you, but he has been busy as of late."
It looked to be a journal, green in color, old, but well cared for. Taking the book, Bilbo frowned at the information about the Elf, "Has Estelon been able to rest any?" he asked.
The last time he had seen the Elf, he looked very tired, he didn't even know Elves could get tired.
"I do not know Little Bunny," Beorn said, "but it does not look like he has slept for a few days."
Bilbo hummed as he got lost in thought, not noticing how Alfrid easily took the book from his hands to hold for him. Beorn did though, and aside from a slight tilt of the head, said, and did nothing else.
"Beorn," Bilbo spoke gaining the other's attention, "erm, do you mind helping me with something?"
"Of course, my Little Bunny."
A few minutes later, Kili, and Bombur stopped and stared as Beorn passed them in the hall, carrying a protesting Estelon, Bilbo, and Alfrid following. Bilbo's eyes a rare steely determination, while Alfrid looked very much amused.
"Should we do something?" Kili asked.
"No," Bombur shook his head, smile knowing, "Bilbo is handling it."
Estelon rested well that day.
~.~
Bilbo had just settled down in his bed, when there was a knock on the door, "Come in," he called, curious.
The door opened, and Ori came in, "Something wrong?" Bilbo asked pulling the blanket back to get out of bed, worried.
Ori stopped him, "No, just thought we could talk, we haven't had a chance since the rebuilding had started."
"Oh...would you like to spend the night here?"
Nodding, Ori joined the other in the bed, taking the left. He curled up on his side once both were underneath the blanket, facing Bilbo who mirrored him. "So," he started quietly, "how was your day?"
"Erm, I was with Dori, and Gloin, today. We had the children help us, I think it's because I was able to make everything in a game that it went as well as it did."
"Oh, what kind of games?"
And that's how it went, late into the night, trading questions, and answering between them. Until they drifted off to sleep.
When morning came, so does Dori, and Nori, slipping quietly into the room, looking for their baby brother and knowing the Omega will be wherever Bilbo was.
"Aw," Dori coo'ed quietly when they walked up to the bed.
During the night, both Omegas had moved closer together, and somehow ending up with Bilbo cuddled up against Ori's chest, who's chin was resting atop of blonde curls, and a protective arm around Bilbo.
"This is far too cute for my well-being," Nori mumbled as he moved closer.
He didn't want to wake them, but breakfast was starting soon, and Bilbo, especially needed to eat. "Bilbo, Ori," he said shaking his brother's shoulder.
Bilbo murmured in his sleep, and nuzzled the still sleeping Dwarf, Dori made a sound that could have been a muffled squeal. Rolling his eyes, but not denying the cuteness, Nori tried again, this time Ori woke up.
"Nori." Ori yawned and rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"Breakfast," Nori told him, before trying to wake Bilbo who still wasn't opening his eyes.
Ori made a sound that the older Dwarves weren't sure was a yes, or fluffy chicken butt. Either one worked.
Bilbo was still asleep.
There is a knock on the door, "Come in," Ori said, looking moments away from going back to sleep.
There is hesitation, then the door opened, and Alfrid popped his head in. He looked curious at the sight of the Dwarves, but said nothing about it.
"He's still sleep?" Alfrid asked.
"Not for lack of trying," Nori grumbled.
Alfrid nodded, "I will be back with food." He then left, and closed the door.
With that taken care of, Nori, and Dori went back to waking, and keeping the Omegas that way. By the time they got the two out of bed, Alfrid was back, and he was not alone.
"Do the doctors know you're not in your room?"
"Only if someone tells them," Thorin answered Dori, the Kind leaning on a crutch.
Helping the rest of the Company find places to sit, Bilbo giggled. Thorin took the bed, while the rest of the Company either sat in a chair, on the floor, or any available space. Settled between Balin, and Bifur, listening to one half of the Company bicker over something silly, while the other half playfully teased Alfrid. Bilbo felt something warm inside him, and as he leaned against Bifur, the Omega wondered if they could have breakfast like this all the time.
~.~
"Why don't you like Alfrid?"
Bard paused in his unloading of more supplies, and looked down at Bilbo. The Omega was holding onto some parchment, and an quill, he was using it to keep track of everything they unloaded, as well as telling where to put everything. A little ways away, playing bodyguards to the Omega was Bofur, and Gloin.
When he realized that Bilbo was still waiting for an question, something like panic settled on his face before he looked at his fellow Lakemen for an answer, or some possible idea on how to explain. Those who had heard the question, suddenly found a lot of things very interesting. One even seem very engrossed in something upward.
Inwardly sighing, Bard looked back at Bilbo.
"It is complicated."
Bilbo titled his head, "Is it because of how he was when he was with the Master?"
The surprised expressions came not from just Bard, and Bilbo either ignored them, or didn't notice as he waited for an answer.
"He told you?" Bard finally spoke.
"Yes," Bilbo nodded, it wasn't much of a surprise to him, when Alfrid spoke that night in the Omega's room, and told him everything. In a way, Bilbo had been waiting for it. The man had just talked, and talked long into the night, and Bilbo listened. And when he was done, Alfrid just waited, looking like a person waiting for his fate, and knowing it would be less then favorable.
Bilbo changed that with only a few words.
"He didn't," Bilbo paused, licking his lips as he thought about his next words, "he didn't try to make it seem as though he wasn't blameless in his actions. And I wasn't angry at him, I did not approve of some of them, but I was not angry. And I think that's because in a way he's a bit like me."
It took effort to keep Bard, and the others listening from blurting out, that Bilbo was nothing like Alfrid. The Omega was kind, sweet, brave, and adorable. Alfrid was nothing more than a rat.
"Alfrid," Bilbo continued on, unaware of the turmoil Bard, and the other Lakeman were going through, "was only trying to live, survive in the only way he knew how. Just like you, and the rest of the people of Laketown, and like me in….Hobbiton. The only difference is how we went about it."
Bard, the best way to describe it, was that he paused, and something snapped on. "That is a way to look at it I suppose," the Alpha's voice was soft, thoughtful even.
Bilbo heard it, and while he didn't know what to do with it, he knew him being as honest as possible would do something. Something good he hoped.
"Is he wrong in what he did? I believe so, but to hold those actions against him when the desire to change is genuine, I also believe is wrong to do too."
Days later, when Alfrid received his first genuine smile from a familiar woman of Laketown, he'll have this dazed look about it, but something warm in his heart.
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