A/N

Okay so chapter four. Thanks for reading it! I've had a writing bug for a while so it's good to get it out onto something fun like this.

Also, the titles of each chapter are that of flowers that I hope fit the theme of each chapter. I referenced Wikipedia, so I hope they haven't led me astray. And there will be more flowers coming soon. (I blame my job for the oncoming flowers, really. Played with garden stuff the other day and just. FLOWERS.)

Thank you for reading!

Chapter 4

borage

It had been a few days since Bofur had been around the tavern. It was as simple as he was very busy keeping up on the toys he was selling as well as the toys he owed Sebastian. The old hobbit was milking the dwarf for all that he was worth while he fed him information on hobbits. Bofur thought he would be quite the hobbit expert at any moment now, and was pleased that he would be able to reveal his knowledge to Clover. He just hoped she wouldn't be offended by it or anything.

He was also working on a new gift for her, so he was pleased he had not seen her for a few days. If he laid eyes on her, he would be far to distracted to even dream of finishing it, instead wanting to talk with her. He was lovesick already, and he did not mind it in the slightest.

Humming, he put the gift away in his satchel for safe keeping, so to work on it later. His stomach rumbled and he couldn't help but laugh. Bofur hadn't realized it was so close to lunch time! He had been so wrapped up in the carving for his hobbit lass, he didn't realize the time had passed.

Bofur slung his satchel on before heading down the stairs of the inn. While this place had nice enough food, it did not have a hobbit to serve it to him. No, he would go a few streets over to his usual haunt. Which is what he did, singing a lively tune as he walked through the streets.

Upon entering the pub, he was delighted to see Clover working. She was darting through tables, taking orders and delivering them. Her hair was a mess, she was flushed, and she looked like she may murder one of her customers when he slapped her firmly on her backside, laughing as he did.

Oh, Bofur would not stand for that. Straightening up, he marched over to the offender. The man was now trying to get Clover in his lap, and Bofur could see now how drunk he was. The man was treating this like a game! If looks could kill, Bofur suspected the man would have been dead already by the way Clover was glaring at him as she tried to get out of his grasp.

Bofur pulled Clover from the man's grasp, pushing her behind him. The man seemed confused when he lost his prize and turned towards the dwarf.

"What d'ye want?" He slurred, thumping his fist on the table. Bofur only offered the man a smile.

"That's not the way to treat a lass, sir. Especially the one who brings you your meal!" Bofur scolded, the smile never leaving his face. "I think you should apologize to her now."

The man stared at Bofur, his eyes rather unfocused. Then he laughed, making a poor attempt to grab the dwarf. Bofur just sighed, as though dealing with a pest instead of a full grown man.

"Yer jus' a dwarf! No bigger than a child!" The man laughed as he staggered to his feet. "I should show ye' how we treat dwarfs!"

The patrons of the pub were all watching now. The man made a grab for Bofur again, this time managing to snag one of Bofur's braids. The dwarf gave a surprised yelp and delivered a punch to the man's stomach. He let go of the braid in surprise and lunged for the dwarf, only for Bofur to take a step back. While the man staggered, clearly surprised at the dwarf's evasiveness, Bofur stuck his foot out, tripping him. The man fell like a sack of potatoes, groaning as he hit the floor.

The patrons laughed, and Clover felt relieved there was no more threat. Two of the other employees grabbed the drunk and hauled him out the door while Bofur fiddled with his braid.

"Ohh, he pulled out one of my clasps." He mourned quietly, frowning at the end of his braid.

"Oy, Clover! Get this dwarf out of here and take a few minutes to yourself, you hear me!" Her boss said, pointing to the upstairs. "Come down when you feel ready!"

Clover nodded and grabbed Bofur by the wrist, tugging him along. "Let's get you fixed up, Mister Bofur. Can't have a dwarf walking around with messy braids!" She exclaimed as she dragged him up the stairs to her room. Bofur smiled and trailed after her.

She had him sit down on her bed again. "I'll go get us something to eat. Wait here, and then I will fix your braids, all right?" She handed him her hair brush. "Get it all brushed out, and I'll be back with some lunch."

Bofur unbraided the rest of his hair, setting down the remaining clasp. He sighed softly as his fingers carded through his braids, loosening them up til his hair was down and wavy. Next he took the brush and ran it over his hair, smoothing out any tangles.

Clover came back after a few minutes. She set the tray of food down on the table and smiled. "Come on, sit down with me and we can eat."

The dwarf nodded and took a seat at the small table, eyes widening at the food. She had brought up stew(which was filled with vegetables and pork), bread, butter, some fruit, and a fresh pot of tea. To him, it was quite a feast and he gave her a questioning look. Clover poured him some tea and smiled.

"What? Hobbits enjoy their food, dear Mister Bofur!" She told him, passing over a cup of tea. "Now, tuck in! And then I shall fix your hair."

They ate in silence until they had their fill. Clover piled the dishes back on the tray before she retrieved the hairbrush and clasps from her bed. Smiling, she looked at Bofur.

"May I?"

Bofur smiled brightly and nodded. "Aye! I trust you."

And so Clover went to work, brushing out his hair before parting it. Humming softly, her fingers moved swiftly, trying to recall what she remembered of braids. While she didn't know much of braids in dwarven culture, she did know they were important to them, so she made sure that even the simple braids she gave him looked as magnificent as possible. As soon as one braid was one, she was putting one of her hair clasps on the end of it before moving to another. Clover worked in silence, only to hum in approval once she finished.

"I hope these are all right. I haven't been able to read much on braids, unfortunately. Will these do?" She asked, playfully tugging on one of the braids. Bofur's hands reached back, his fingers touching the news braids, inspecting. When his fingers touched the clasps, Clover knew he was smiling even with his back turned to her.

"Ah, but you seem to know a little bit on our culture, don't you?" He teased. "Bringing a feast to me, braiding my hair? Even giving me your hair clasps? That is courtship to dwarfs, my dear hobbit lass."

Clover merely blushed and playfully swatted the back of his head. "Oh, hush you. You lost a clasps defending my honor to that drunk, and I have not worn those since I was a child! I... I thought it would be a nice gift to you, since you have been so kind to me lately." She reached over, playing with one of his braids, her cheeks still pink. "And I didn't think that was a feast... I just wanted to thank you."

Bofur just grinned and glanced back at her. "Thank you for your kindness, my dear Miss Clover. For not turning me away or sending someone after me because of this. I know I am quite stubborn about this, but please take to hear that while we don't really know each other, we have the rest of our lives to learn. And I swear to you that I wish to know everything about you while being your husband."

Clover could only blush harder at that statement, but she did give him a bit of a smile.