Fool for u

Warning: War ahead

It became a routine. Every night Bofur would take Periwinkle to their little balcony that’s more like a watchtower and they would spend a few precious hours together, stargazing and sharing stories. One night they spotted a shooting star and she insisted that both of them should make a wish.
“So what did ya wish for, lass?” Bofur asked once she settled with her head on his lap. He played leisurely with her hair, running his fingers over the hair clip and through her red locks, twirling the ends around his digits. Mahal, he adored her hair.
Periwinkle tilted her head upwards to grin at him, her eyes shining brighter than the stars as she recalled her wish, “If I tell you it won’t come true.”
“Fair enough.” Bofur shrugged and chortled softly, “I’m goin’ to tell ya mine anyways - most of it already came true.” He cleared his throat dramatically and met her gaze in feigned seriousness, “I wished that we can have this ev’ry night, but instead on this balcony rather on a soft patch o’ grass in front of a wee house of our own.”
She frowned a bit and propped herself up to look him dead in the eye, “That’s… that’s strangely close to what I wished. You can’t read minds, can you? Because if you can, we need to have a serious talk about it…”
“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to read minds, lass, ‘specially yers.” He grinned and leaned down to brush his nose against hers, “Would love to know what goes through tha’ pretty head of yers.”
Periwinkle couldn’t fight the mischievous smirk that graced her features. She hurried up and climbed on his lap, straddling his legs and threw her arms loosely over his shoulders. Bofur nearly squawked when her fingertips lightly tickled the back of his neck as she played with the shorter strands of hair that didn’t make their way into his braids.
“Oh, mostly I think about how handsome you are.” She said all too casually.
The silly dwarf quirked a brow, very much interested in where this was going, “Really now? Do go on.”
Periwinkle pursed her lips in thought and ran her hands down his back, and upwards to his shoulders, “And how much I adore the muscles in your back and shoulders.” Her hands trailed down his chest and rested on his belly and her eyes twinkled, “And I absolutely adore this!” To emphasize her words she gave his belly a soft squeeze, laughing as he tensed and squirmed under her touch.
While Bofur was recovering from his ticklish fit, she took an entirely different approach. Periwinkle lightly brushed her fingers over his braids and beard, smiling tenderly when she received a soft sigh from him.
“I also think your braids suit you.” She spoke softer this time, “Sometimes I like to imagine tangling my fingers in your hair and giving it a pull while you’re kissing me senseless…”
He moaned a breathy moan when she gave his hair an experimental tug before feeling her hands on his cheeks. Bofur’s eyes fluttered open to meet her emerald gaze, enchanted by her mere touch.
Periwinkle pressed her forehead to his and brushed her thumbs over his cheeks, “And I always think of your eyes. Your eyes are absolutely stunning; as warm as a campfire and as welcoming as home. And your smile… those dimples…”
Unable to keep a straight face anymore, Bofur flashed her that said smile, nearly making her heart combust. She made her point. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and brought her closer, claiming her lips tenderly. There was no rush, nowhere they needed to be, no one expecting them. So he took his time kissing her. Her lips were cool and soft against his warm ones, moving in perfect harmony while he wrapped both his arms around her waist to pull her closer. Periwinkle smiled into the kiss and grabbed hold of his twin braids, giving them another tug that nearly turned her dwarf feral.
Bofur pulled back with eyes a few shades darker than usual, “Yer playin’ a dangerous game, lass. Ye have no idea what it does to me.”
“On the contrary.” She replied in a beat, “I know exactly what it does to you. Why do you think I keep doing it?”
The silly dwarf shook his head with a short laugh. She would really be the death of him. He leaned back against the rampart and pulled her closer to him, wrapping her up in his coat when a nippy breeze picked up. Periwinkle snuggled her head underneath his chin, grinning uncontrollably when she felt his heartbeat against her chest. However, their previous conversation about wishes hasn’t left her mind yet.
“A wee house of our own, you say?” She muttered against him, her fingers aimlessly fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt, “Can you tell me more?”
“Aye.” He spoke softly, “Somewhere near a stream, as you mentioned once. With lots o’ trees. It should have a cosy little kitchen, a big porch with a view, and a garden at the back. I would come home ev’ry night and ye would wait for me on the porch, I would tell ya ‘bout my day at work, we’d cook dinner t’gether and have it in front of the hearth, I would offer to clean up afterwards so ye can take a bath…” He trailed off when he noticed the look of pure awe and surprise on her face, “Did I say somethin’ wrong?”
Periwinkle blinked and shook her head fervently, “No, no, no! Not at all, it’s just… you really put a lot of thought into that, didn’t you?”
Instantly his cheeks flushed bright red as he stuttered, “I… maybe… perhaps… I mean…”
“Bofur.” She cut him off and sat upright to meet his eyes, “I never had a home to call my own. I don’t know the first thing about living in a house, doing… ‘housework’, or what it feels like to sleep under a roof every night.”
“Lass, it was merely a thought.” Bofur quickly said, afraid that his dreams for the future might scare her off, “We don’t have to settle anywhere if ye don’t want to. We could travel for all I care, as long as I’m with ya.”
Her heart swelled at his words. Here she was worrying over adapting to settling in one place while he was negotiating for the sake of staying together - as if she would want to part with him at all. If anything, she would stay in one place just for him. Periwinkle felt conflicted, torn between what she grew used to and the new possibilities she could have with Bofur. Sure, she has always been open-minded but this was the future they were talking about.
When it came to difficult decisions like this, she often wondered what Lily would’ve done. But when she thought about it, she realized she didn’t know herself. What would Lily have done? What would she have chosen? Periwinkle frowned. Perhaps she didn’t know her sister long enough to answer those questions. Perhaps it was time to start making her own choices and see what she’s been missing out all her life.
She shifted on Bofur’s lap and placed her hands on his shoulders with certainty. Her eyes held no falsehood as she said to him, “I think perhaps it’s time I should lay down some roots. I don’t know anything about having a house, but if it’s part of the Bofur-package-deal, I would gladly wait for you on the porch every night and cook dinner together and eat in front of the hearth. And…” She felt her cheeks heat up as a thought crossed her mind, “I guess I could share my bath with you. I’m sure it would be big enough to fit two.”
There was nothing but love in his eyes when he asked softly, “Are ya sure that’s what ye want, lass?”
“Yes.” She nodded, “There’s nothing I’d want more.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, heart ready to combust from the love he felt towards her that moment. This would have been the perfect moment to reveal that third surprise he’s been carrying with him for days now. The moment was right, the mood set, all he had to do was ask her the question that’s been swimming through his head the past few weeks after they courted.
However, it seemed no moment ever lasted long while they resided at the mountain. The next moment, the doors behind them burst open and Bilbo nearly stumbled through them. The hobbit’s face was pale and his eyes wide with concern.
Fearing the worst, Periwinkle rushed to him, “Bilbo, what happened?”
“Thorin.” The hobbit blurted out, “It’s Thorin. He has lost it completely.”
“What d’ya mean?” Bofur asked in concern as he joined them at the doors.
“He wants everyone to barricade the front gate.”
“Why?” Periwinkle frowned, “Bilbo, just tell us what happened.”
The hobbit waved his hands around exasperatedly, “There are survivors of Laketown. Thorin fears they’re coming for the gold. He wants everyone at the front gate immediately and you better come quickly. I’ve never seen him like this before.”
They took his word for it and followed him back into the mountain. Bilbo led them right to the gates of Erebor where Smaug had broken through that one dreadful night. The dwarves were already busy hauling up large pieces of debris to the others that stood atop the ramparts above the gate. The barricade was already above the ground, making any entering or exiting the mountain impossible.
Periwinkle’s eyes narrowed at Thorin’s lurking figure at the top, already thinking up a four-mile-long list of things she had to say to him.
“Is there something wrong with your hands? Why aren’t you building?” Thorin had climbed down the wall and came stalking towards them. Bilbo was right; that wasn’t Thorin.
But that didn’t stop Periwinkle from glaring at him. When Bofur inched forward to help with the construction work, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back, “We’re not having any part of this.”
Thorin’s eyes darkened, “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” She said calmly, “Or did you think I was talking to the trees? I hate to break this to you, your Highness, but I don’t see any trees around.”
“I am your king and you shall do as I say.” Thorin nearly growled as he inched towards her, his gaze sharp enough to set fire to the Lonely Mountain.
Periwinkle blinked, “Or what?”
“Or you shall be banished from Erebor.”
That threat would have been enough to scare anyone of the Company members into submission, although Periwinkle hardly flinched, hardly batted a lash. It angered the dwarf king, even more, to see her so unfazed by both his order and threat. He was this close to lashing out and losing his temper completely.
Periwinkle crossed her arms and calmly shifted her weight from one foot to the other, “Banish me if you want, I don’t care. Never had a home anyway so I’ll just go back to travelling.” He opened his mouth to bark another threat but she never gave him the chance, “Do you honestly think the people of Laketown are coming for the gold, Thorin? Valar, they’ve just survived a dragon and they lost everything! All they’re looking for now is shelter and food and you can provide both.”
“Do not tell me what they have lost.” Thorin’s voice darkened, “I know well enough their hardship. Those who have lived through dragonfire should rejoice. They have much to be grateful for.” He tilted his head towards the Company and barked an order, “More stone! Bring more stone to the gate!”
Bofur sent Periwinkle an apologetic look, nodding over to his brother and cousin working with the others. He wanted to join them, it was clear, no matter how absurd this plan of Thorin was. She let him go but was not done with the dwarf king just yet.
When Thorin looked back at her, clearly expecting her to follow Bofur to help barricading the gate, he was utterly annoyed that she remained standing at the same spot. Those eyes spoke more words than she bothered to recognize. Periwinkle only held up her hands, “Don’t look at me, I’m not your precious gold and treasure.”
Truthfully, she was surprised she was still as calm as she was, despite her heart racing in her throat and her emotions raging within her. She wanted to grab Thorin by those big, dwarven ears and just… shake him around until he was thinking straight again. Periwinkle couldn’t help but recall what the elven king told her about the treasure being cursed, how Thorin grandfather fell ill because of it, and that she would lead him right to it. And she did. She was looking at the consequences of her actions as Thorin barked out more orders for the Company to pick up the pace.
“I want this fortress made safe by sunup! This mountain was hard-won - I will not see it taken again.”
But this wasn’t her fault, was it? She never led him father than Mirkwood, did she? She stayed behind in Laketown to help Kili, he continued the quest on his own. Nothing of this was her fault - but why did she feel so responsible then?
Periwinkle’s eyes scanned over the Company and Bilbo carrying blocks of debris around, all working together to rebuild the gate the dragon destroyed. And although it was for the wrong reasons - to keep the survivors of Laketown out, she knew she would help nonetheless. They were her family now, and the Valar knows what she wouldn’t do for them.
Thorin’s glare on her narrowed as she pushed past him to lift the nearest stone. He watched her carry it to Bifur, who took it from her hands to haul it up to an awaiting Nori. He scoffed darkly, “Good to see you have finally come to your senses.”
Periwinkle dropped the stone in her hand, alerting every Company member with the deafening sound it hit the ground with. They paused momentarily to observe, felling the growing tension between their leader and guide. Bofur took a cautious step towards his lass, but Bifur grabbed his arm to stop him. This was not something he wanted to come in between.
“Come to my senses?” Periwinkle echoed Thorin’s words, feeling that long-suppressed anger surfacing, “What about you, huh? You have no sense left! What person, what king, would not reach out to help helpless people?”
“They survived.” Thorin growled darkly, “That’s enough reason for them to be grateful. I’m done having this conversation.”
“I’m not.” She snapped, “But I am done with you. The Thorin I know wouldn’t standby and watch innocent people suffer. The Thorin I know, knows what it feels like to lose everything. He would sympathize with those who suffered the same fate. You are not that Thorin. Whoever you are, I’m not taking orders from him.” With that said, she stepped back and stomped down the hall, calling over her shoulder, “Anyone who feels the same, feel free to join me in the kitchen for breakfast.”
It was safe to say no one followed her. She made an excellent point, though. The dwarf they saw standing on the rampart, ordering them to build faster, was no the Thorin they knew. And yet they proceeded following orders, their loyalty was stronger than their desire to join their guide.
“I’ll go check on her.” Bofur half-muttered and made a move to run after her, but Bilbo stopped him.
“No, stay here. Thorin already threatened to banish her, he would not hesitate to do the same to you.” The hobbit talked sense into him, “I’ll go talk to her. At least if I get banished, you’ll still be with your brother and cousin.”
“He can banish me if he wants.” The dwarf shrugged, “I only just courted Periwinkle and Mahal forbid, I’m not lettin’ anythin’ come between us, lad. Not even empty threats. I’m goin’ after her, ye can come too if ya want.”
The hobbit knew there was no arguing with a dwarf. They were all equally as stubborn, the usually silly, fun-spirited Bofur included. Bilbo sighed in defeat and gave in. They waited until Thorin wasn’t paying attention before sneaking off towards the kitchen. But, to their bafflement, Periwinkle wasn’t there. Strange, she told them she was heading there. They searched around the mountain a bit, everywhere they thoughts she would be, but couldn’t find her anywhere.
Until Bofur paused when he realized something, “She’s at the balcony. She usually goes there when she’s upset.”
They changed course and hurried their way down a few corridors until the large doors came into view. Bofur held out a hand, a silent gesture that he would go first. Bilbo didn’t argue as he allowed the dwarf to open the doors to reveal a familiar redhead at the end of the balcony.
Periwinkle’s back was turned on them, but they were aware of her shoulders shaking in the slightest movements. Bofur slowly approached her and placed a gentle hand on her back, “Lass?”
She was hardly startled by his presence. Periwinkle tilted her head to look at him, her eyes watery but still, she was not crying. It broke both Bofur and Bilbo’s hearts to see her in this state when they were used to her never-fading smile.
Periwinkle sniffled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’m fine. Just feel a bit… frustrated. And helpless. And scared.”
“We all feel that way, love.” Bofur enclosed her hands in his, bringing them up to his face to place a kiss on her fingers, “Trust me, if there was a way we could help Thorin, we’d do it. He’s more our friend than our leader.”
Bilbo swallowed nervously and fidgeted with a wrapped-up round object in his pocket. He had a word with Balin earlier about the Arkenstone - the subject of Thorin’s obsession which he found while he was running from Smaug. He’s been carrying it on his person since they reclaimed the mountain, first not knowing if he should tell anyone about it or not. But Balin made it clear that the Arkenstone wouldn’t solve anything, in fact, it would only make things worse.
However, now that the hobbit saw that Thorin was getting worse nonetheless, Arkenstone or no, he had no idea what to do with the thing. And he was done keeping the secret to himself. When it came to ideas, Periwinkle was a mastermind. If anyone could help him with this, it was her.
“The Arkenstone.” He started, reverting the attention to himself, “I… uh, found it.”
“You what?” Periwinkle muttered. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, Bofur matching her surprise.
The hobbit nodded and reached into his pocket, revealing a wrapped-up object. He unwrapped it to reveal the most beautiful gem Periwinkle and Bofur has ever seen. It glowed white, blue, orange, pink and silver all at once, and it was no wonder it drove Thorin’s grandfather insane. Periwinkle could feel the cold slither up her spine, the feeling she got when sensing evil. This gem was… wrong somehow.
“How… when…” She couldn’t find the words.
Bilbo knew what she wanted to ask and quickly replied, “A few weeks ago when we entered the mountain. I’ve had it ever since.”
“Then why didn’t ya say anythin’, lad?” Bofur asked, “Could’ve saved us a lot of trouble sifting through all that gold.”
Periwinkle nodded in agreement. Gods, the mere colour of gold make her sick.
“I wanted to, I really wanted to.” Bilbo jumped to his own defence, “But Balin said it would only make matters worse. And now I don’t know what to do with it. Thorin already suspected me once today, and he will again. I just don’t know what to do with it.”
The pleading look he gave his best friend made her realize he was asking for her help. The thing was, what does one do with the Arkenstone? Can it be broken? Should they throw it in the nearest river and hope it doesn’t get fished out in the future? Should they bury it? She knew too little about both the stone and Thorin’s sickness to think of a plan that moment. But time was running out. There was still a whole Laketown out there that needed aid and the possibility was there that they’d wager war if not receiving any. Periwinkle doubted thirteen dwarves could stand a chance against a whole army of angry survivors.
“I…” She sighed and ran her hands over her face, “I don’t know what to do - yet. Just give me until the morning to think of something.”
“Aye, I’ll help ya think, lass.” Bofur offered a kind smile and wrapped his arm around her waist, “We’re together in this now.”
Together. That was a word she wasn’t quite used to. She always had to solve her own problems in the past, hence all the skills she learned to create diversions. Having Bofur eased her mind into thinking that they might still win this. And even if they didn’t, at least she knew she would always have him at her side.