"What do you think?" Bofur asked Bombur when he showed him his work. It was a finely carved woodcut depicting a figure defending a group of people with a single mountain in the background. He had worked on it since they had left Beorn's house. He and Bilbo had spent a lot of time there, just talking and then in Mirkwood Bilbo had been there to give him a shoulder to lean on when he had been afraid that Bombur might not wake up again.

"It's beautiful", Bombur said and Bofur couldn't hide how hopeful he was. Sure he was nervous, too because Bilbo might still turn him down but he was mostly certain that he wouldn't. Then he took another look at his carving and hesitated.

"You don't think it's a little lacking?" Bilbo was certainly used to much better, much finer craftsmanship.

"He's invited you to take a walk along the docks, hasn't he?" Bombur reminded him, half pushing him out of the door. "You'll be late."

Bofur still made an effort to stall but Bombur glared at him.

"Careful, little brother or you'll turn into a wise man", Bofur teased him.

"Then at least one dwarf in this family will have brains", Bombur replied and closed the door, leaving Bofur to stand in the hallway.

/

Bilbo was waiting for him in the parlour, smiling when he saw Bofur coming down the stairs. It was early evening and the inn filled with people. Kili and Fili had already attracted a crowd that was more than willing to hear the tales of their journey.

Inside it was pleasantly warm but as soon as they opened the door cold air greeted them and they both shivered slightly.

Bofur took care to walk between Bilbo and the water's edge since he knew that Bilbo wasn't the biggest fan of lakes or rivers. They didn't talk but merely enjoyed each other's company and the peaceful atmosphere of Laketown after the weeks of wilderness and imprisonment.

"Until Smaug came I never minded not seeing the sky", Bofur told him when the first stars appeared in the east.

"And now you do?"

Bofur nodded. "To see what's coming. Or maybe I just got used to seeing it after spending so much time on the road, who knows?"

"I know what you mean. As long as I don't have to see the sky all the time", he added with a teasing smile.

"Nothing against a good, sturdy roof", Bofur agreed. The silence between them stretched comfortably as they watched the moon rise slowly over the horizon. Knowing that Bombur would kick his arse if he didn't say anything, Bofur cleared his throat.

"I..I've got something for you." His fingers were sweaty and trembled slightly as he took the pendant out of his pocket. "I made it."

"For me? Bofur, it's beautiful. I..I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Say yes, Bofur chanted in his head, please say yes.

"Would you – " Bilbo tilted his head slightly and Bofur felt his heart leap in his chest.

He tied the leather band carefully around Bilbo's neck and leaned back. Bilbo laid his hand on his arm and looked at him expectantly, almost as if he wanted Bofur to kiss him but Bofur had sworn to himself not to rush into this like a love-sick dwarfling.

"We should go back. The other's are probably worrying where we are", he said lightly.

Bilbo made an affirming noise in the back of his throat but he didn't move and his eyes held Bofur rooted to the spot as well. The hand on his arm felt heavy and warm even through the thick cloak he was wearing and Bofur could feel his heart racing in his chest. He wanted to kiss Bilbo so badly that it hurt him to hold back.

"Bilbo?" He asked softly and with more restraint than he had thought himself capable of.

"Yes, of course", Bilbo said and the moment was broken. He squeezed Bofur's arm. "Thank you, again. It's beautiful." He laid a hand over his coat where the pendant was and Bofur beamed at him.

/

"Hey there", Bilbo smiled reassuringly at the little girl. She was the innkeeper's daughter. "You don't need to be afraid of me."

"My brother says you'll bring the dragon back." She sounded half afraid, half accusing.

Bilbo shook his head. "We're here to kill him."

"My brother says you can't. No one can kill dragons. He says dwarves are bad."

"Not the dwarves I came with. They're very nice and even braver."

"Really?" She looked doubtful but came out from her hiding place a little.

"They have killed goblin kings and ridden on eagles. They escaped from the cells of the Elvenking and defeated giant spiders. The dragon should be afraid of them."

"But dragons fly and dwarves don't." Like every child in Laketown she had been raised with tales of the dragon that lived in the mountain and the city guard always kept a watchful eye on the sky.

Bilbo took the pendant Bofur had made for him out under his shirt and showed to her. "Do you see this? He's the bravest of all dwarves that I know. His name is Bofur and as long as you wear this he will always come and protect you."

"You swear?"

"I swear."

/

The news about what Bilbo had done spread quickly around the company. After all Bofur's intentions towards him had hardly been secret.

"What was he thinking? He's just a miner turned toymaker and Bilbo is definitely above him. He shouldn't have tried in the first place", Dori said decidedly snidely.

"He was in over his head", Gloin agreed with pity in his voice. "Hobbits aren't dwarves."

"And it's not like we have nothing else to do on this journey. I certainly didn't join to make eyes at my companions." Dori added.

"I should hope not", Nori snorted and elbowed Dori in the ribs who in turned glared at his brother.

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding?" Ori asked but no one listened to him.

"Still, it was cruel. I wouldn't have thought Bilbo would do it." Kili looked disappointed. He liked Bilbo, Bofur as well and would have liked for them to be happy.

"Perhaps", Fili shrugged. "But Oin's right. Different races, different classes – there's nothing he could offer Bilbo.

"Regardless of whether it was proper for him to court Bilbo in the first place it was a less than thoughtful response." As usually Balin tried to find some middle ground.

"But what if Bilbo didn't know better?" Ori tried again.

"Even Elves know what a courting gift is", Nori scoffed.

A few meters away from them Dwalin joined Thorin.

"Are you going to do something about it?" He asked as he sat down, looking at their companions.

Thorin shook his head. "I will not meddle in their privacy."

"It could affect the quest."

"If it comes to that I will but not until then."

"You have no opinion on this?"

"Since when are you such a gossip?" Thorin asked teasingly.

"It's not…gossip", Dwalin looked a little uncomfortable.

"Of course not", Thorin said.

/

"Please eat something", Bombur said, holding the plate out to him.

"I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten yesterday either."

"There's more for you then", he tried to joke but his brother only looked sad.

"Please, I need you to eat something." Beside Bombur Bifur crossed his arms.

"Later", Bofur tried to deter them but Bifur grabbed the plate, set it down in front of Bofur and glared at him.

"Eat."

/

"Master Bilbo, can I talk to you for a moment?" Ori asked timidly.

Bilbo, who was enjoying a big meal of potatoes and sausages, invited him to sit down with a gesture.

"You're not wearing your pendant anymore."

Bilbo swallowed. "No, I gave it to Wyn, our innkeeper's daughter so it could protect her."

"Is it customary in the Shire to give your courtship gift away?"

Bilbo choked on his food. "What?"

"Your courtship gift", Ori repeated.

"Was that what Bofur meant it as? But…but we're not engaged."

"Hobbits only court each other once they're engaged?" Ori asked curiously.

"Yes, it's a token to show that you're taken."

"Oh, you mean like a wedding band."

"…I guess….what does a courtship gift mean for dwarves?"

"You give it to someone you want to court. If they take it then they accept you or they return it and turn you down. Or they…" He trailed off sheepishly.

"…give it away?" Bilbo finished for him. "How badly did I insult him?"

Ori didn't say anything but the pained expression on his face gave it away. Bilbo felt like someone had emptied a bucket of ice over his head. It would explain so much that had happened over the past couple days. Bombur had told him that his brother wasn't feeling well after the ordeal in Mirkwood and whenever Bilbo had come by to visit him Bifur had turned him away with a particularly grim look on his face but Bilbo had always assumed that Bofur had been simply sleeping and shouldn't be disturbed.

"Is that why the others…I mean Fili patted me on the shoulder but Kili won't talk to me…"

"There are different opinions about what happened." Ori remembered Dori's comments with discomfort. He personally liked Bofur but Dori had always been something of a snob.

/

"Is he here?" Bilbo asked but Bombur ignored him.

"Please, I need to speak with him."

There was still no answer.

"Please, Bombur, I just want to make things right. I made a mistake…I didn't know…please, please just let me see him."

Bombur, who had looked more uncomfortable with each of Bilbo's pleas, stepped aside reluctantly.

"Thank you."

But Bombur stopped him for another moment, his hand heavy on Bilbo's shoulder. "You better make this right." His quiet tone was more threatening than even Thorin's anger had ever been.

"I'll try my best."

/

Bofur could hear Bilbo's voice through the door and curled in on himself. Why would he want to see him? Why not leave him alone? Bilbo had made his opinion of him perfectly clear after all.

"Bofur?"

A part of him wanted to leash out at Bilbo and yell at him to go away. Instead he rose from the bed to face him with dignity. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know what your gift meant. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. If I had known I would have never given it away. Please, I'm so sorry, please forgive me, please…"

Bofur stared at him. Bilbo stood in front of him with tears in his eyes looking exactly as miserable and afraid as Bofur felt and begged him for forgiveness.

"You…didn't know?" Bofur asked slowly. He had never even considered this although it should have been obvious.

"I'm a hobbit. We do things differently. Please, tell me how I can make them right between us."

"You want me?" He had to ask, just to avoid another misunderstanding.

"Of course", Bilbo said as if that was self-evident. "I want you to be happy. And I had hoped…" He trailed off, suddenly flustered.

"I thought you looked down on me", he said quietly.

"Never."

"And then the others started talking and some of the things they said…it felt like you were justified."

"Whatever they said it's bullshit", Bilbo told him with surprising ferocity. "I couldn't do better than you even if all the kings of middle-earth offered themselves to me."

Bofur kissed him then because there was no other appropriate response to a declaration like this.

"I don't have anything to give to you", Bilbo whispered. "But do you think we could bend some rules and do the whole courting anyway? Or I could pick some flowers."

"It's fine. We're a little unconventional already", Bofur said and kissed him again. Because he finally could.