The Hobbit Imagines

1. Bombur x Reader

The incessant rain drenched the company as you all sulked down the path, through the fields. It was a miserable day: grey late-evening skies and low spirits shadowed the sleep-deprived travellers. Seemingly only one smile was to be found amongst the woebegone dwarves, and it was that of Bombur. Bombur, though constantly put down by the others for his stout figure, was decidedly the most affable creature you had ever been acquainted with, and you found him to be modest above measure. In fact, he wasn't modest, he just failed to see his own worth. Forever the butt of the jokes and the teasing, it was no wonder he never spoke. The company loved him, of course, and they would never let things go too far. But that night, the grouchy members of company appeared to forget their boundaries. That night at dinner, they made a mistake...

Huddling around the piteous fire, the dwarves ate what little they could stomach. For Bombur this was rather a lot. His brother, Bofur, began teasing him "How do you expect any girl to fall for you when there's more food in your beard than there is hair?" He chuckled. Bombur brushed off the comment as usual, feeling it unnecessary to confront his boisterous brother. However, then the others started. Dwalin chided "Oh, aye lad. He could never have a girlfriend... He'd probably eat her!" The dwarves cackled like a chorus of crows. You were sat away from the rest of the group, on your bed, reading a book, but you found yourself being drawn to the conversation. Why do they always do this?  You looked up to the sky, as if searching for an answer in the thundering clouds. Still, the taunting continued. As Bombur reached for his blanket on the ground the others laughed and shielded their plates of food from him. "Watch out, he'll snatch it if you're not careful!" they called, and "You've had your dinner!" An empathetic ache arose in your chest, why does he deserve this?  Bombur grew weary of the constant jibes. His voice cracked as he mumbled "I won't. I don't want your food." Feeling much more self-conscious, he put his plate aside. "By God, none of us ever thought we'd live to see the day Bombur didn't  want food!" Bofur sneered. "It's so wrong."  You whispered to yourself. Standing from your bed, you tip-toed to Bombur's side and perched on the log, next to him. "Hey, are you okay?" You asked him quietly, linking your arm with his. At first, he was surprised, but didn't move away. He nodded solemnly, trying to ignore the other boys. Deciding to include you in their spiteful games, they goaded "Bombur! How long have you fancied Y/N now? By my count, that's almost half a year!" Fili yelled. You turned your body towards him and placed a hand on his arm as you sighed "Ignore them, they're just bored." You tried to comfort him. He replied "They must always be bored then, because it never stops." This upset you a bit. He was right though. There was never a time when the company didn't have something to say about Bombur. Kili wolf-whistled at you two and you shot him daggers with your eyes. He audibly gulped and looked away, but the others didn't shy so easily.

It seemed the boys were trying to convince Bofur to say something. He almost didn't want to but the others encouraged him. He coughed, the idea disconcerting him clearly. Why would he say it, if it was this difficult for him? "Hey Bombur... Aren't you glad Ma and Pa weren't around long enough to see you striking out with another girl? To see you fail again? "Perhaps it was the look on Bombur's face at the mention of his deceased parents, or perhaps it was the pride in which Bofur took for saying such a thing, but you felt an immeasurable rage take hold of your mind. Bombur stared at his brother in utter disbelief, his mouth ajar. Broken and defeated, Bombur turned and walked away, passed his bed and bags, passed the trees and into a world of nothingness. Seething hatred filled your eyes as you approached the group. Initially, they laughed at Bofur's disgusting comment, while Bofur himself seemed to drown in his instant regret. You glowered at them and soon they fell silent.

"Who are you?" Your words were pure fire. "Who are you to belittle your own brother like that? Your own blood?" You directed your words at Bofur, who could not bring himself to look at you. "You're despicable." You spat. They all cowered as you grew in ferocity. "All of you! Are you proud now?" You pointed at them accusingly. "Are you glad you have treated him as if he were nothing but dirt on your shoe for so long that he accepts it? You have driven him from his company, his family. You call yourselves warriors, maybe you should rethink who you are waging war on- for it should never be your own kin!" You roared. "You have your fair share of flaws though it may take last of my breath to name them all. Don't you tire of the relentless bullying? Give him a break! He may be big, but he has so much love. Clearly it has been misplaced for a long time." Your voice became hoarse and lost it's strength. "I would not sell my friendship with him for all the gold in Middle Earth. I cannot say the same for my relations to you; currently I am inclined to believe that a farthing would be too pretty for all of you put together!" Once again, hatred arose in your voice. "You really  think you're so high and mighty? King Under the Mountain? " You whipped your head round to look at Thorin who shrunk in his seat. "Heir to the treasures of Erebor? " Accusingly, you glared at Fili. "You are not noble and you are not worthy of the kindness which is bestowed upon you. You are no brother of his." This time you looked upon Bofur pitifully. He sat with his head in his hands, eyes brimming with tears. "And now he is out there, your little brother, alone, with no home and no hope." The words came without prompting. You were just realising this for the first time too, Bombur was gone...

Casting a horrified glance at the rest of the company, you turned and ran into the woods as fast as you could. You swiped at branches, tearing your way through the forest. The clearing was in sight, as was Bombur. Shivering, he watched out into the night sky. Stars traversed the darkness, like a stairway to the Universe. His shoulders shook violently as he sobbed. Heartbroken, you watched on, guilt paralysing you. Ridding your head of doubt, you glided out into the open. "Bombur?" You cooed, not wanting to startle him. His head rose to catch your eye, and sadly he smiled at you.

There. That smile. An affable smile which did not fail to appear every day, despite the ridiculing and the berating.

"Bombur, I'm so sorry." You floated to his side and gently patted his back. "It's not your fault." He sniffed "It gets harder to ignore them. And one day, I won't be able to. How can I spend my whole life pretending that my brother isn't there because it hurts too much when he is?" He asked you. You shrugged, not having a reasonable answer to give. Bombur's lip quivered as he whispered "Bofur.... He never speaks of our parents. I preferred it that way I suppose." Feeling a tear run down your cheek, you hugged Bombur and didn't let go. You told him "You will never be unloved. You will always have me, I promise." Reassuringly, you smiled and he nodded a 'thank you'. "I don't want to go back there." Bombur admitted. "I think my scolding had some affect. It will never be as bad as it feels now. Come on, we'll be fine. We always are." You took his hand and began to lead him into the forest, but he stayed planted. "Not yet, let's not go yet. It's quite nice out here." He turned back to admire the stars. "Yes, it is pleasant, better than the day." You agreed. The two of you sat on the fresh grass, your hands entwined. You found yourself giggling and Bombur cast you a confused expression. You explained "It's rather strange they had the nerve to call you a failure, yet here you are, holding hands with the only girl in the company." Bombur nodded, slightly embarrassed that you pointed out that he didn't let go of your hand. When you saw his hesitation, you added "And she's feeling pretty lucky to be here with you, you know..."

Think what you like about appearances. In the end, it's the love you give which dictates the love you receive.

Hi guys :) So I wanted to be a bit more serious with this one purely because the meaning of it is just as important to me as the story itself. I hope you guys don't mind this one being a bit more profound. I hope you still like it. If you do, please vote/comment/add, it really helps me out. Requests are still open so if you want any characters, just message me! Once again, enjoy and I will see you for the next one <3

~Niamh~