Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or any of J. R. R. Tolkien's works. Everything belongs to whoever owns them, my wishful thinking aside.
Authors Note #1: This is my first time dipping my toes into Tolkien's Hobbit/LOTR's universe, so this is more of an experiment than anything else. I hugely appreciate any and all feedback/constructive criticism you have to offer. The main pairing in this fic is Dwori (Dwalin/Ori) with a secondary pairing of Bagginshield (Thorin/Bilbo) for flavor.
Warnings: Contains spoilers for 'The Hobbit' and 'The Desolation of Smaug' if you squint. This is set in an 'everyone lives' style AU. Expect canon appropriate violence, mature language, minor mention of body image issues, age difference, discussion of injuries, timeline? What timeline? Characters being adorable little shits, dwarvish courting rituals, slash, and – oh yeah – smut.
Untraditionally, Yours.
Chapter Three
He hadn't known how to react when halfway through their journey, Ori had come over to him stuttering. He'd been bashful and far too endearing with his flushed cheeks and harried braids, murmuring something he didn't quite catch, something about top stitches and low quality felt, before the lad was pressing a cloth bundle into his arms.
He'd taken it, more out of reflex than anything, the action sudden and abrupt before Ori shifted, nervous, eyes darting from him, to the bundle and back to his feet in quick succession. The young dwarf had given him one last, meaningful look before skittering off like a frightened deer, hiding under Dori's confused but watchful wing as he just sat there, stunned, still trying to figure out what'd just happened.
A courting gift.
The rest of the evening passed in something of a blur. Hell, if not for the bundle, safe in the deepest reaches of his pack, he might have been tempted to believe he'd imagined the entire thing. That it was some sort of fever-dream, a hallucination. And really, who could blame him?
After all, it wasn't often that the object of your affection beat you to the punch.
The boldness of the move was striking. Especially considering the lad's age, but it was a trait he found endearing. Brave. The willingness to take a risk for something you desired was a heady thing, something to be respected no matter the mode or method. One did not have to be well versed in battle or warfare to be courageous. More often, it was the little things that showed ones true mettle – something which, since the beginning of the quest, Ori had shown in spades.
He had no idea how long the lad had been pining for him. But he could guess. As loathe as he was to admit it, his feelings had started almost immediately, when they'd come face to face in that Hobbit hole all those months ago. The lad had been polite, but not overly so, clearly influenced in personality by both of his elder brothers as he followed in their wake. Even amidst the revelry he'd been cheerful but introspective, observant, yet young. It was a strange mix for a youngling, especially one that hadn't grown into his beard yet.
There was a desire to prove himself, a compliant buzz of energy that fueled his thirst, a thirst to know – to experience – to understand. It was one that had already granted him the position of scribe amongst their people. He was a favorite of his elder brother, Balin, and from what he'd heard, more a master himself than a pupil.
But frankly, he'd wanted the boy since the moment Dori and Fili had fished him out from under the pile sprawled across the Shireling's front door, because despite being half crushed by Bofur and Oin, he'd emerged out of the tangle laughing. He'd let Dori fuss over his clothes and set off in search of his lost cap as Fili and Kili had swarmed around him, knocking heads and talking animatedly. The hobbit had just looked on, nervous, quietly fuming as Bombur rolled across the length of the foyer, smearing mud across the carpet as he struggled to get to his feet.
He hadn't been able to explain it. And try as he might, the feeling hadn't faded. Perhaps it was the contrast he found attractive. Perhaps such a thing couldn't be explained, and if it could, certainly not by the likes of him. Only Mahal knows, he supposed.
He spent the evening deep in thought, keeping watch long into the night as the others slept.
And he wasn't the only one.
Because while Ori had been discrete about it, likely too shy to make such a gesture in front of the others, their burglar, who'd been sitting across from him around the fire nursing a mug of hot cider, had witnessed the event. In truth, he'd forgotten the creature was even there. At the time, he'd been too stunned to consider anything else. It wasn't until morning that the ramifications of that lack of attention were truly felt.
Good intentions or not, the hobbit, curious of the customs of dwarves, asked Bofur during breakfast the following morning. Digging into his bowl of grits and oatmeal with a relish only he seemed to share as half the conversation around the fire spluttered to a standstill.
You could have heard a bloody pin drop.
Bilbo, bless his hairy soles, seemed oblivious to the entire affair. In fact, he used the pause to remark on a similar custom in the Shire which seemed to involve some sort of pastry and a whole bunch of rather indecent sounding uses for cream filling.
Thorin had just spluttered, glaring into his bowl and trying not to look like he wasn't closely following the conversation as Bombur perked up from his seat by the stew pot. Liege lord or not, he hadn't been able to hold back a snort, glad for the distraction from his own predicament as he watched Fili and Kili sidle onto the log on either side of the Halfling, no doubt intending to wring out all the details as he glared daggers from across the fire.
But considering that Ori had only blushed, smiling shyly whenever he chanced a look his way, he figured he could stomach the good natured ribbing - at least for a few hours.
A/N #1: Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think! Reviews and constructive critiquing are love! – There will be two more chapters and this story will be at a close. Stay tuned, the next update will be on Wednesday.