Summary: (Pre-Hobbit) Patience is not always something we are born with but must work for instead.
Hearing a noise, you carefully opened your eyes to see what had woken you. The fire burning a few feet away from you was casting interesting shadows on the walls of the cave the caravan had stopped in for the night and it took a second for your eyes to adjust. Dwarves were asleep all around you, the steady rumble of their snores echoing off the walls. But that wasn't what had pulled you from slumber. No, you drifted off to those sounds every night. This had been something different.
You pushed up on one arm to see if anything was happening, but everything looked normal. Everyone was asleep, the goods were untouched, two guards sat at the cave's entrance, the ponies were dozing and-You blinked and looked back at the cave mouth. There were two dwarves sitting there. Why? Had something happened?
No, everything was fine, but what was going on? You couldn't move closer without drawing attention, but you wanted to know. You had been told your curiosity was going to get you in trouble one day yet it never helped to quell the urge and it certainly didn't help now.
Trying to calm yourself, you fought to sort through the snores to focus on their soft voices. It was hard because they were making a damn good effort at being quiet.
"-patience is what you need, Bofur," a low voice chuckled.
"I've got plenty but seems pointless on this."
Ah, the cousins who had joined the caravan near the Misty Mountains. They had mostly kept to themselves since joining, but the eldest was approachable enough and his daughter was sweet. He had introduced the other two as his cousins. Bombur was soaking up the recipes your mother made over the camp fire and the other sulked most of the day away.
"No, Bofur, you don't have patience. You're too angry," Bifur's quiet voice came again, "and it shows in your work."
"No one's going to buy these. It isn't a good way to earn our keep."
"You think that charging into a mine to follow in your parents' footsteps is so much better? You wouldn't last a week in your current state."
"It's better than this," he muttered, tossing a piece of wood to the cave floor. "It's better than leaving our home for a set of mountains we've never even seen."
"I've already told you, orcs are getting too bold and too many mines are collapsing. The monsters were going to attack soon and there were too few of us to face them properly because of the collapses. The colony in Ered Luin is safer, for all of us." Bifur paused. "And if you're so set on dying in a mine you can do it there."
Your eyes widened at the blunt statement and you heard Bofur hiss in a short breath.
"Bofur, I'm sorry."
There was no response from the other dwarf but you heard heavy steps as he walked away from his cousin.
You tried to see where he went but without pushing yourself up further, you couldn't see and that would give you away. Eavesdropping was frowned upon by everyone and you knew he wouldn't take well to it. He didn't take well to much of anything actually. You settled back down in your blankets, trying to push thoughts of the encounter from your mind. It was none of your business and you needed to not think about it.
Keeping your eyes closed, you tried to sleep. You needed to rest because the days were long and you had to be sharp to drive your family's wagon. You couldn't afford to be tired.
But your mind kept turning over the conversation and Bofur's departure. It wasn't hard to figure out where the subject was going or rather what had happened to cause it. Blowing out a breath, you pushed yourself up when it became obvious you weren't going to go back to sleep.
Bifur was still at the cave entrance and Bofur was nowhere to be seen. But you could hear a faint sound coming from the back of the cave where all the supplies and wares were being kept.
Carefully leaving your bedroll, you crept past your slumbering family. You didn't need them waking to question where you were going. They cared but sometimes it was too much. They had forbidden you from speaking with them since the first night and Bofur had offended your father. It didn't matter that Bombur was cooking with your mother; you were not to converse with any of them.
Naturally, it was all you wanted to do.
Silently moving to the goods, you were cautious as you searched for Bofur. You were sure he wasn't going to like the intrusion and you didn't want him attacking you. Following the sounds, you found him with his back to the cave wall. The chunk of wood was back in his hands and he was slowly whittling on it, but you were unsure of what he was making.
"What are you looking at?" he demanded suddenly.
Your gut clenched at the hostility in his voice and you nearly went back to your bedding. But you stood firm. "I was wondering what you were making," you forced yourself to say.
He studied you, his dark eyes narrow. "No, you weren't. Come to see the poor miner who's trying to be a toy maker?" he sneered.
"You don't have to be mean," you chided. "I was curious but if you'd rather be alone I'll leave you to it."
Turning away from him, you started back towards your bed. You had barely taken two steps when a hand closed on your arm. Looking at him, you saw he was frowning. "I'm sorry," he said roughly.
"Stay?"
You pursed your lips, unsure if you should.
Bofur swallowed hard. "…Please?"
You nodded and followed him back to his spot. Settling next to him, you saw him stare blankly at the wood in his hands. "What were you trying to make?" you asked after a moment of him doing nothing.
"Not sure," he admitted quietly. "I can't think of anything to even make."
"The wood is light enough that you could make a flute," you offered.
He frowned at you. "I can barely carve a pipe and you think I can honestly produce a flute?"
You tried not to laugh. "Well it'll take a while but you should get it done before we reach the Blue Mountains. You just need-"
"Patience," he growled.
"Practise," you corrected. "No one is immediately good at anything. It comes with time and practise."
Bofur made a low noise and scratched under the brim of his hat. "I don't have the patience to practise," he muttered.
You studied him for a moment, wondering if he would take offence at the offer you had. "I could teach you, help you practise," you said softly.
Dark eyes stared at you. "How are you going to do that?" he demanded. "You're not even supposed to be talking to me."
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
He pursed his lips and stared hard at the wood. "Maybe you should just do it," he muttered, holding it out to you.
"Then you won't learn."
"I never asked to be a toymaker. I never asked to leave!"
So much anger inside him. It was a good piece of wood and you knew it would be perfect for a flute. But if he wasn't ready to see that or anything else there wasn't much you could do for him. "We rarely ask for anything that happens to us," you said quietly. "All we can do is learn or break from what life throws at us."
You could feel him staring at you, but you didn't look up as you ran your fingers over the block. Whatever he was thinking and feeling, you couldn't fathom. Your lives were too different. You'd been born to the caravan, travelling between dwarven cities and colonies. He'd been born to the mines, travelling deeper into the earth for the metals and jewels your people adored.
When silence lay heavy between you, you knew it was time to go. You looked up but before you could say anything you realised he was closer to you. "Bofur?" you whispered
He made a low shushing noise and leaned in a little more.
There was plenty of time to stop him if you'd wanted to, but you knew you didn't. The anger in Bofur wasn't the only reason your father had warned you away from him. He had seen the interest you'd failed to hide in the dwarf. When his lips touched yours, a soft sigh left you at the contact but he misunderstood.
Pulling away sharply, he glared at the ground. "Sorry," he muttered. "You can't want a dirty miner kissing you."
You caught his jacket and pulled him back to you. "There's nothing dirty about you," you said softly, meaning every word. "And without miners my family would have nothing to trade."
His gaze lifted to yours and you saw wary trust in his eyes. He hesitated before leaning forward to kiss you again. This time he stayed, his lips firm on yours. You had a moment to wonder if he had kissed someone before but his mouth softened as his hands came up to cup your cheeks.
Rough thumbs rubbed against your skin and the gentle rasp made your heart rate speed up. He slowly explored your face as he kissed you and then his hands slid into your hair. You shivered as the heavy mass slipped through his fingers, the feeling making chills break out all over you. When he cupped the back of your head, you couldn't resist.
He jerked slightly as you nipped his lower lip and it made you laugh softly. Growling in response, he kissed you again but this time his tongue slicked over your lower lip. Your breath caught and your lips parted slightly. He didn't take the invitation; instead he kept slowly tracing your lip with his tongue, teasing you even more.
Your hands tightened in his jacket at the maddening touch. Was he doing this on purpose? Did he know how much you had been craving a kiss from him? Had he been wanting it too and was now going to savour and tease for all he was worth?
A sharp gasp left you when his hands moved to your hips and he tugged you into his lap. You were startled at the bold move but he distracted you from it. His tongue slid past your lips and curled around yours. The action sent lust flaring through you and you squirmed on his lap. You were proud when he growled in response, his hands flexing on you.
Arms sliding around his neck, you pressed flush to him and weren't surprised by what you felt. He was of mining stock, hearty, strong and as solid as the rocks they worked. Bofur was no different and even though he was young, he was already well muscled. You wanted to stroke and trace along the planes and ridges that made him.
You both froze when you heard a noise from the sleeping dwarves. He broke the kiss to look over the piled goods. "This isn't the best idea," he said quietly, regret making his voice heavy.
"Your point?" you murmured, not caring.
Hot eyes looked back at you. "Do you know no fear?"
Oh, you knew fear alright but you also knew what you wanted. "It just means we have to be quiet," you breathed.
A low noise left him. "Have you done this before?"
"This exact situation? No." No one had ever tempted you enough to even consider it.
Another noise and he shifted to kiss your check. "Your father will skin me if he catches us."
"Hence the quiet," you said softly, tipping your head as his lips moved along your jaw.
One of his hands slid up your back and you didn't resist him as he lowered you both. There was only stone beneath you but you ignored it as his mouth found the soft skin where your jaw met your neck. Trembles coursed through you as he kissed under your ear, his tongue teasing you once again.
You bit down on your lip when his teeth closed on your earlobe for a moment. He flicked his tongue over the studs lining your ear before he started kissing down your neck. You were squirming under him by the time he reached the collar of your shirt.
Bofur rubbed his nose against the crook of your neck and you felt him smile when you shivered. "How much you been thinking about this?" he murmured, his lips tracing the opening of your tunic.
"A bit," you admitted softly, voice catching as he sucked on you.
"I think it's more than a bit for how often I've caught you staring at me."
Your heart skipped a beat as he pushed himself up to begin loosening the laces of your tunic. He knew you'd been watching him? A soft gasp left you when his fingers trailed along the centre of your chest. The bindings wrapped around your breasts were in the way, but you felt his fingers toy with them. You suddenly wanted all of your clothing off so he would be touching you.
"Easy," he breathed as you struggled to get out of your shirt even though it was still tucked into your belt.
"Bofur, please," you whispered.
He shifted off of you and tugged your belt loose. Once it was gone, you gripped the hem of your tunic and pulled it over your head. You ignored his chuckle as you sat up and began unwinding the cloth around your chest. It would be easier to cut it but you were not explaining why you didn't have it tomorrow.
You felt him push gently on you when had the cloth off and you let him stretch you out again. He followed you but this time his mouth closed around your nipple.
You choked on a cry as he sucked on you, struggling to stay silent. His tongue flicked over you, the tip dragging back and forth over the hardened bud. Your hands clutched at his hat tugging harshly on the material as he nipped at you. "Bofur," you whispered, voice shaking.
He switched breasts without answering, but you felt his hand trailing down your stomach. Your muscles tensed as he slid his fingers under the waistband of your pants, but heat flared inside you and made you rub your thighs together.
It didn't take him long to work the fastenings free and slip his hand further into your pants. Your back arched as thick fingers slid over wet flesh and your legs slowly spread as his touch grew firmer. A low moan escaped you when he found your clit, his fingers rubbing at the sensitive spot.
Bofur lifted his head from your breast and you had a moment to wonder where he was going next. His mouth quickly found yours and silenced the other sounds you wanted to let loose. His tongue curled around yours, stroking and teasing as his fingers worked between your thighs.
Using all the focus you had, you forced your hands to move down and hook into your pants. He made a noise as you lifted your hips and pushed the material down. You didn't get far before his fingers moved further down, one slipping inside your wet heat. A rush of pleasure filled you and you rocked against him, wanting more of what he was offering.
You tried to spread your legs wider, but they were caught by the material around your knees. He chuckled softly against you and you barely stopped a protest when he broke the kiss. Your eyes opened and you barely saw him as he moved down your body. You lifted your head when he caught your leg and quickly pulled your boot off. Running your teeth over your lower lip when he repeated it with the other, your breath caught when he jerked your pants off of you. Your eyes widened and your hands flew to cover your mouth when he spread your legs. His intent was clear as he settled between them and you sucked in a harsh breath as his mouth touched your slick flesh.
Your toes curled and you fought a scream as his tongue moved over you. He gave your clit a teasing flick before swirling it around you. You bit down on your palm as he sucked, a blinding rush passing through you and increasing the urge to cry out. Stars burst under your lids as you squeezed your eyes shut against the pleasure.
His hands were hot on your thighs as he kept your legs spread and you could feel your muscles trembling as all you wanted to do was close them on his head. You felt like you were going to fly apart as he sucked and licked, working your body into a near frenzy. Small sounds were slipping your control and you knew you wouldn't be able to keep quiet for much longer.
Your body bucked in protest when he levered himself away from you. Eyes flying open, your protest died when you saw he was harshly tugging on his clothes. You watched hungrily as he jerked his shirts off, exposing an already toned chest dusted with dark hair. Your mouth watered at the thought of touching him. Your gaze dipped down when he pushed his pants over his hips and you couldn't stop your purr as his erection was freed.
Dark eyes jerked to your face and you trembled at the desire on his.
Moving your hands from your mouth, you held them out to him. His expression tightened before he covered you. His skin was blazing against yours and you could help it as you lifted to rub against his erection. He hissed softly before catching your mouth in a fierce kiss.
You were expecting it, but you still arched up when he thrust into you. He shuddered as he sank deep and your fingers dug into his shoulders. He was still for a moment, kissing you slowly now before he gradually pulled back.
Your muscles contracted at the slick friction, a low hum leaving you at the pleasure he was creating. You lifted your hips to meet him as he thrust back in, heat singing through your veins now.
His thrusts were slow but deep as he took you, steady rolls of his hips that had you clinging to him. He groaned into your mouth as you shifted your legs, locking your ankles around his waist. It lifted you just enough to let him slide in easier and your thighs squeezed against his hips with each thrust.
You felt like you were on fire as he moved on you. His chest was rubbing against yours, the hard plains dragging over sensitive nipples. The muscles in his back were tense under your hands, coiling with every thrust. You could feel him shaking over you, his own pleasure matching yours.
"No," you protested softly when his mouth left yours.
Bofur groaned deeply and buried his face in your neck. His pants for air were hot on your skin and his lips were pressing short kisses to you. They were nice but you wanted his mouth on yours still.
You squeezed your eyes shut, pressing your lips together as he moved a little harder on you. How were you going to stay quiet when this felt so good? One hand moved back to your mouth as a whimper escaped. You bit down on your lip, back arching as he slid hard and deep inside you.
You lost all semblance of control when he ground against you, rubbing against your clit and sending you over. Barely containing your cry, you writhed under him, bucking as he kept thrusting into you. Your nails dug into his back, your thighs squeezing his hips as pleasure and desire crashed inside you.
He was moving harder now, his thrusts getting erratic as your muscles clenched around him. A low groan left him before you jerked, gasping, as he bit down on you, his body shuddering above yours. His hips slammed into yours, grinding again as his own climax found him.
You kept your hand over your mouth, muffling your pants for air as you trembled in pleasure. Your muscles were still jumping and twitching, ecstasy floating through your veins. You flinched slightly when he gently kissed the spot he had just bit.
"Sorry," he rasped, his voice husky and broken.
You shook your head, unable to speak yet. A shivering sigh left you as he pushed himself up so he could meet your gaze. You gave him a smile but you knew it was lopsided because that was all you could manage.
His lips twitched and he leaned down so they were brushing yours. "I'll bet I can learn patience if this is what I practice."
Your snort was soft and his chuckle was lost as he kissed you.
A/N: I've had zero motivation for the latter half of the week. Everything just left me, hence why this is a little late. I blame it on another series sinking its teeth into me. So this became harder than it should have been. The original prompt was for Bofur when he was younger on the way to the Blue Mountains. I figure he's about 50 (20 human years) here and I thought he wouldn't be too happy about being uprooted from the only home he's ever known. But Bifur promised he'd look after them so where he goes, his cousins go. So that became this and another one done!