DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT
A Christmas chapter for happy feels for the season. :) Enjoy
Nori, Dori and Ori.
Nori was hardly ever home and Dori and Ori never got used to it. Oh they tried to pretend that they didn't worry about him, but they knew that they were lying to themselves. The worst time that they missed him was at Christmas. Ori would be cooking and thinking if Nori was getting enough to eat wherever he was. Dori would be buying and sewing clothes and wondering if Nori was warm wherever he was. Christmas was about family and the Ri family was not together, therefore the oldest and youngest member always felt out of sorts around this holiday.
Christmas Even, Dori put their gifts in a pile in front of the fire. Ori chocked back some tears when they placed Nori's with theirs. He and Dori shared a look then went to eat, with one plate sitting in front of an empty chair. Then their brewed tea and sat in their chairs, with their backs towards the door and stubborn hope in their hearts. The clock stuck twelve and Ori let out a smothered sob and strode quickly to his room. Dori sighed and refused to curse Nori. Instead he said a prayer to Mahal for his brother's safety and went to bed.
Ori woke first. He sighed and lay in bed for moment trying to conjure a happy feeling in the heart. He managed a small smile when the fact that Nori didn't come home struck him again. He covered his mouth to smother his sob when he heard a similar sound in the next room. He took deep breaths in time with Dori own breaths then they both exited the rooms at the same time. He caught sight of Dori red rimmed eyes and then they were both hugging. They both walked in silence to the fireplace and stopped with open mouths. Nori lay curled up in front of the gift pile with sting wound up in his hair and two poorly wrapped gifts next to the pile. Dori and Ori shared a look before they jumped onto Nori and smothered him with hugs and kisses. He let out a yelp at first then placed two solid kisses on their foreheads. And for once the table had three full plates.