Chapter Text
Bofur woke to sunshine on his face. He patted the bed next to him, but wasn't surprised to find it empty. Yawning, he stretched, his back making a few satisfying pops. He got out of bed, and tidied up the covers as Bilbo was always nagging him to do. Having slept in his underthings, all Bofur had to do was pull on a fresh tunic, trousers, and socks. His hair was still in one thick braid from his bath the night before, so he didn't need to brush it quite yet. Besides, he liked it when Bilbo did it for him.
Yawning again, he wandered out of the bedroom to the kitchen. Bilbo was already there, humming as he tended to a few pans on the stove. Coming up behind him, Bofur wrapped his arms around Bilbo, resting his chin on the hobbit's head.
"G'morning, dearest," Bofur mumbled. "What's the plan for today?"
"Good morning." Bilbo took one of Bofur's hands and kissed it before returning it to his waist. "First up is second breakfast, and then we're due at the tailors to do one last fitting. Then we'll head to the Party Tree to make sure the decorations, tables, and chairs are all set up. The Company should be arriving this afternoon, so we'll have plenty of time to get everyone settled in."
"Excellent." Bofur grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to Bilbo's cheek. Finally, after weeks of planning and meetings, they were getting married. They had agreed to wait until two winters had passed, giving them a nice engagement period and allowing enough time for Erebor to get back on its feet. That way, they wouldn't be depriving the young kingdom of valuable workers for the time it would take for them to journey to the Shire and back.
Kíli and Tauriel had stuck around for a few days, then left for Ered Luin. They'd spent time with Dís, had their own quick ceremony, then spent the rest of their time wandering the world. Eventually, they'd made their way back to Bag End, and were just in time for the wedding.
With Dís and the Company all making their way to the Shire for the cermony, it was going to be a lovely little reunion, and Bofur couldn't wait.
Bofur helped Bilbo finish up with second breakfast, and took it to the table to eat. Eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and pancakes with sweet syrup were the meal, with juice and milk to drink. Bilbo had returned to his seven daily meals with great joy, and had regained all his lost weight. Bofur didn't eat as much, but did join his beloved for the meals. Second breakfast— or only breakfast for him— was one Bofur was happy to eat. After breakfast, they cleaned up together and got ready to leave. Bilbo combed and braided Bofur's hair, both of them changed into "going out clothes", Bofur got his boots on, and they were set.
They left the smial arm in arm, as they always did, waving to neighbours as they walked. The other hobbits had been a bit wary of Bofur at first, when they'd figured out he was planning on sticking around and moving in with Bilbo. For a while, it had been… hard to talk about what they'd gone through. How do you tell a peaceful folk that you'd fought in a war and watched your dear friends die? Bilbo, Bofur, Kíli, and even Tauriel had told the story in bits, until Hobbiton had the full picture. They'd become a lot more sympathetic, even if they didn't always grasp the scope of what they'd experienced. After that, Bofur had become a welcomed member of the community.
When they arrived at the tailor's place, it was bustling with activity. The head tailor, a ginger hobbit named Bodo Dewfoot, hurried up to them.
"Right on time, gents, right on time!" Bodo said, shaking their hands. "Come this way. We'll have you in separate change rooms, as is tradition. Bad luck to see your betrothed's wedding clothes before the ceremony, you know!"
Bofur was led into a changing room by another hobbit, and changed into his new clothes. It was a truly lovely outfit— a crisp white shirt, vest, a jacket with detailed buttons, a plaid sash, and a skirt made by a longer length of plaid fabric. Apparently it was traditional to use a plaid specific to your family, but as Bofur was a dwarf and didn't have a family plaid, they came up with a new one for him. It was dark blue and black, with thin stripes of bright red and yellow. Bofur was quite fond of it.
The tailor checked the fit of everything, and declared it perfect. Bofur got back into his day clothes, and went out to meet Bilbo. His beloved was finalizing the payment with Bodo, looking just as excited as Bofur felt. Once again arm in arm, they left to check on the decorations.
As expected, it was beautiful. Bilbo's Took and Baggins relations had come together to decorate for the wedding, which they both really appreciated. It had warmed Bilbo's heart to see both sides of his family working together to make such a special day look perfect. There were plenty of chairs for the guests, tables ready to be laden with food, an archway for them to meet under, and, of course, flowers everywhere. It wasn't anything like a dwarven wedding, but Bofur didn't mind. He was quite fond of hobbits and their way of doing things— wouldn't be marrying one if he wasn't!
They went home afterwards so they could meet the rest of the Company when they arrived. Bilbo did one more check of the guest rooms, and then the commotion of 10 dwarves started floating up the road. Led by Dís, her blond hair shining in a sea of brown and white heads, they made their way up the path to Bag End. Bofur and Bilbo came out to watch, as did most of their neighbours. Everyone was quite used to Bofur now, so none of them were given the distrusting looks hobbits gave to outsiders. In fact, it was entirely possible they recognized them from the stories Bilbo and Bofur had told of their adventure. A few faunts were even bold enough to run up to the dwarves to offer them flower crowns and little treats, all of which were accepted. Glóin's lad, Gimli, seemed to be facinated by the hobbits. He'd heard stories of Bilbo and other hobbits, sure, but seeing them was different. Màiri, Glóin's wife, seemed to be very amused by her son's interest in the hobbits.
When the group made it up the hill, Bofur and Bilbo were swamped by happy relatives. First upon them were Bombur and Bifur. The four of them gathered into one big hug, and they were then joined by Bombur's wife Jerilyn and Bifur's partner Cove. Bifur had met Cove after the battle at Erebor, and they'd become fast friends. Cove had lost some of their hearing in the battle, and Bifur had appointed himself their iglishmêk teacher. In return, Cove had helped Bifur re-learn how to write. Bofur wasn't ashamed to admit he'd cried when he read Bifur's first letter. Their relationship was still new, but it was strong, and Bofur figured he'd have a new cousin soon enough.
Next up were Dori, Nori, and Ori. Nori had actually slid quite nicely into court life. Dori had been offered a spot amongst the dwarf lords, but had passed it to Nori instead. Dori wanted to focus on making and designing clothes, and declared that he didn't have time to argue with dwarves all day. Nori did, though, and clearly enjoyed it. Ori was a lass now, and seemed all the better for it. Apparently she and Bilbo had had a few long conversations on the quest, and Bilbo had encouraged her to follow her heart and pursue her own happiness. She practically oozed confidence now, with her hair and beard braided and decorated with gold and gems, wearing a lovely burgundy dress.
Balin and Dwalin had also settled into their roles, and were doing very well for themselves. Óin's husband Bhaltair had made the trip despite his bad leg, and was happy to meet more of his own One's friends. Dís was also glad to see them, and hugged them both. She abandoned them when Kíli and Tauriel came outside, though, and peppered her son's face in kisses while Tauriel laughed. A smile stayed on the elf's face even as Dís tugged her down to kiss her face, too.
They got everyone inside eventually, and between the dining room and living room, they managed to fit inside. Bifur, Bombur, their partners, and Bombur's kids would be staying inside Bag End, along with Glóin, Màiri, Gimli, Óin, and Bhaltair. Everyone else would be camping in the back garden. There was enough space and it was warm enough, so they should be plenty comfortable out there.
Bilbo set up a fire pit in the back with a pot of boiling soup, and everyone took turns adding thin strips of meat and vegetables to the soup to cook for a bit before eating. It was very fun, and a big hit with the younger dwarfs in the party.
Bofur took a moment to step to the side with a mug of mead to just watch everything and take it all in. His friends and family— most of them, at least— all in one place again. Talking and laughing, eating and drinking. Though there were a couple fellows missing, Mahal guard their souls, it was an excellent little get-together. Perhaps there was something to make it better… He quietly slipped inside, and picked up his flute and Bilbo's fiddle. The fiddle was one Bilbo had been given by his parents when he'd come of age, and it was one of Bilbo's favourite things he owned. Bofur went back outside and passed the instrument to his beloved, and they shared a smile before they started to play.
Their friends cheered as Bilbo and Bofur began to play together, and started dancing. Ori had brought a tambourine with her, and pulled it out to join them. As they partied, a few neighbouring hobbits came over, drawn in by the music and sound of laughter. They were happily invited to join in, making the party even more merry. The hobbits brought more food and booze, and everyone had a grand time. They went into the early evening, and had dinner outside, but Bombur's little ones starting yawning, so they called it there. The hobbits went home, the campers set up their tents, and the rest went back into Bag End. Jerilyn helped Bilbo pack away the leftover food while Bombur and Cove got the children settled in bed.
Bofur hugged his brother and cousin, gave his nieces and nephew a kiss on the forehead, and then he and Bilbo went off to bed.
The next morning was a flurry of activity. Bombur helped whip up a quick first breakfast that everyone was awake to eat, and then preparation started. There were last minute checks of decorations and chairs for the ceremony, food and drink for the reception, making sure everyone's clothes were clean, and making sure they had enough little party favours for the guests. Once everything was ready, it was time to get dressed.
Bifur, Bombur, and Cove went with Bofur to the tailor's to pick up his outfit, then helped him get into it back at home. He washed himself, his hair, and his beard before putting his clothes on, and Bifur styled his hair while Bofur was putting braids and little decorations into his beard and mustache. Cove pinned a few flowers to his jacket, and as a final touch, Bofur slipped on the ring Bilbo had given him once they'd gotten back to the Shire. The ring had belonged to Bilbo's father, and it had been his wedding ring. Bofur was honoured to wear it, and loved it dearly.
Bombur, who had been teary eyed all morning, finally started crying when he saw Bofur all dressed and ready. The brothers hugged, Bombur doing his best to not get tears on Bofur's clothes. They were joined by Bifur and Cove, and Bofur's family all gave him a few whispered blessings. They separated after a few minutes, and it was time to get going.
Bofur was blindfolded, per tradition, and was led to the Party Tree by his family. Instead of one spouse waiting at an altar and the other walking up to them, hobbit spouses started at either side of a circle, and met in the middle. Bofur's blindfold was removed after he was in position, and he felt his breath catch.
On the other side of the circle, Bilbo seemed to be having some similar emotions. His beloved looked splendid in his attire, which looked to be almost identical to Bofur's. The only differences were in the flowers pinned to his jacket and the plaid. Bilbo's plaid was a warm yellow, with three stripes of black and a thin stripe of red. If Bofur hadn't already been in love, he would have fallen in that moment.
A band started playing, and they started walking. Bofur had his family behind him, and Bilbo had Dís, Kíli, and Tauriel. Over the years, Kíli and Tauriel had come to visit them, and in that time had grown very close to Bilbo. They had both been thrilled when Bilbo asked if they'd join him in the ceremony.
They met in the middle and joined their hands, then both looked to the Thain, who was overseeing the ceremony. There was a lovely speech, both Bilbo and Bofur cried while making their vows, and then they were bid to be joined. They both removed and exchanged their plaid sashes, as well as some of the flowers on their jackets. Before the ceremony could be declared completed, though, Bifur stepped forwards, Cove with him. Bifur started signing, and Cove translated.
"On behalf of my family, I extend my thanks to the hobbits of the Shire," Cove said. "You have shown my dear cousin love and acceptance, things which have been hard for dwarves to find among outsiders. You have opened your lives to Bofur, son of Grafur and Bovrathi, so we would like to open ourselves to you, too. We would like to add the dwarven tradition of braiding a family bead into the spouse's hair, similar to the exchanging of sashes."
"We would be glad to have you add something of yourselves to the ceremony," said the Thain, smiling. Bofur felt glad, but also a bit panicked. He didn't they'd be doing anything with beads seeing as it was going to be a hobbit ceremony, so he hadn't thought to make one. Bifur saved him, though, as he took Bofur's hand and pressed a bead into it. Bombur passed one to Bilbo, and they stepped closer to do the braids.
"Did you know about this?" Bofur whispered, separating a bit of Bilbo's hair. He'd let it grow, so it was plenty long enough to braid.
"Perhaps," Bilbo whispered back, smiling. "I wanted something from dwarven tradition to add to the wedding, so I wrote to Bifur and he suggested this. I quite liked it, so he made the bead from my design."
Bofur was going to cry again. He loved Bilbo so much. Bofur didn't even have to be disappointed they couldn't do anything dwarvish during the ceremony because Bilbo had thought of that and put something in. His hobbit truly was the best.
They finished their braids at about the same time, and then the Thain declared them married and the ceremony complete. The crowd started cheering and throwing flowers into the air, and the newlyweds shared a kiss as petals rained down around them.
The hobbits moved quick after that. Chairs were put around tables, food was brought out, and everyone took their seats. Bilbo and Bofur were joined by those that walked them into the circle, while the rest sat at tables with various hobbits. Their table was served first, and it was all incredible stuff, of course. Perfectly cooked lamb, roasted vegetables, and soft bread made up the main course. There was also soups, salads, and plenty of sauces. There were also some little squares of puffy pastry filled with soft cheese and spinach, which was one of Bofur's favourites.
After dinner, the cake was brought out. Instead of one big cake, there were several smaller ones, so each table got their own cake. They were all decorated with flowers, and Bofur took great joy in feeding Bilbo forkfuls of cake.
They had a little break to crack open a few bottles of wine and drink for a bit, and then it was time to dance. Usually, the couple would dance first, and then the rest of the guests would join in, but they wanted to do things a little differently. Instead, they'd be playing the first song while their guests danced.
Bilbo took the stage, a fiddle and bow made from red cedar in his hands. Bofur stood with him, a fancy metal flute in his hand. They started playing together, hobbit feet and dwarven boots keeping time, as the notes of Bilbo's love song started to fill the air. It was beautiful, and hearing it brought so much joy to Bofur's heart. This is really what he was meant for— doing something he loved by the side of someone he loved for the people he loved. Dwarves, hobbits, elves, Bofur loved them all.
Their music was a hit with the gathered crowd. They got several calls for more music, which they were both happy to provide. Bofur was also happy to see the hobbits and dwarves mingling. Bombur and Jerilyn's kids had been folded into a group of tiny hobbits, and Gimli was happily dancing with any hobbit that asked him to. Kíli and Tauriel, though, seemed to be in their own little world as they danced. They'd never had their own ceremony, and Bofur was alright with sharing.
Bofur and Bilbo did get a chance to dance together after their sixth song, and spent their time swaying in time to the music, foreheads pressed together. All in all, it had been a perfect wedding. As the sun started to set, Bilbo and Bofur slipped away from the party, waving at the few who noticed them leaving. There was only one way to conclude a perfect wedding, and that was something best done in private.
As Bofur closed the door to Bag End behind them, he couldn't help but think the rest of his life was wide open.