Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Imagines

Bilbo ~ Comfort 3

The end of the journey had been nothing like either Bilbo or Shiera had been expecting. They both had thought that there would be a happy ending, that after everything that had happened, that everything had endured, that it would all be okay.

Instead, they wept over their dead friends.

Neither was sure who clung tighter to who after the battle, but neither was willing to let the other go.

At the funeral, they were distant from one and other.

The journey home mostly filled with quiet conversation, small moments of holding hands with little words said, and times of silence that stretched for hours, no matter Gandalf's efforts.

Returning home became a different matter.

They found an auction going on, one they put a quick stop to so as to save at least some of their possessions.

"Honestly, gone for just over a year and they presume us dead." Bilbo raged angrily, stomping through his home, seeing what hadn't been taken out, which was very little.

It took them a good amount of time, and some helping hands, more curious than anything, to put their home back together, rumours quickly being put down but with just as many returning in their place.

Finally, it seemed it all settled and Bilbo and Shiera returned to their quiet life.

Or, almost.

Despite the revelation they had made on the quest, they were almost as distant from each other as they had ever been, mostly only sitting for meals together before moving on to whatever they were doing.

Bilbo got lost in his garden and Shiera got lost in her books.

It was on a bright day in spring that Shiera decided a walk was in order, she'd been reading for hours and needed to stretch her legs.

As she walked towards the door, a thought that she hadn't heard Bilbo in his garden for some time, worried her.

She walks out and takes a moment to enjoy the fresh air and sun kissing her skin.

Then she heard sobbing.

She quickly followed the noise around the side of the house to find Bilbo, dirt covering his hands and face, as he sat, sobbing, next to a fresh patch of dirt.

"Bilbo..." Her voice was quiet as she knelt next to him, taking his hand as he looked at her through tear filled eyes. "Come, lets get you inside and cleaned up."

Keeping a tight hold on his hand and linking their arms, she gently pulls him until he moves and leads him inside.

Sitting him at the table, she moves away for a moment to get a bowl of water and a clean cloth, before sitting in front of him and gently cleaning his face.

He blinks at her numbly. "What are you doing Shiera?"

"Cleaning you up." She replies.

"Why? I was where I belonged, in the dirt."

Her hand paused on his cheek, looking at Bilbo's dull and miserable gaze.

"You do not belong in the dirt, Bilbo Baggins, and if you ever say such a thing again I'll...I'll...I'll sell all our furniture." She tries to hide her slight frown at herself.

A small smile threatens to tug at Bilbo's mouth. "Well, I'd guess I'd be closer then."

Shiera sighs. "Bilbo...what happened wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyones fault, it just...happened. There was nothing we could do."

He nods, numbly. "I know."

"So why are you beating yourself up so?"

"Why are you?"

They stare at each other.

Shiera lets out a slow breath and returns to cleaning the dirt off his face. "I guess...we just have to learn to live with it."

More tears were escaping Bilbo's eyes, but he just nods, leaving it be.

"Bilbo..." She leans forward and kisses the tears softly away. "I know how much they meant to you, they meant that to me too."

Bilbo is still for a moment before he moves and pulls her into a tight hug, one she returns, silent tears now streaking down her cheeks.

"I am sorry Shiera...I should've known you were going through this too." He mumbles into her neck, where he'd buried himself.

"It's alright, we must deal with this in our own way." Her grip tightens. "I am always here for you."

"Thank you."

They stay like that for a long time, until all the tears had stopped and they just held each other because they needed to.

"I love you Shiera." He says.

"I love you too, Bilbo."

He breaks the hug to look at her, his gaze lingering on her lips before he leans in and kisses her.

Shiera returns it eagerly, matching his need and hunger, now clinging to each other in a very new way.

They toppled over with a squeal and hit the ground in a fit of giggles, something that hadn't been heard in Bag End for a long time.

Later that night, as they lay in bed together, spent, Shiera's fingers running through Bilbo's hair as he listens to her heartbeat, his head resting on her chest.

"I'm glad you finally planted it Bilbo." She says quietly.

His arms tighten around her. "So am I."

"It will definitely be something worthy of passing on. I'm sure they would've liked that."

"I'm sure they would've too."

They let silence fill the room and soon, Bilbo's soft snores rumbled from him, still curled up on her.

Shiera smiles, continuing to brush her fingers through his hair. They might not have an easy road ahead of them, or behind them, but at least they would be together, no matter what they went through.

She sighs and lets her eyes shut, holding him as tightly as he held her, and allowed sleep to take her, for once not caring about what tomorrow could possibly bring.