Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Oneshots (Requests Closed!)

Poor Communication

Hi folks!
So it's been literally forever since I posted a oneshot.  I'm really sorry guys, I've been running low on time, energy, and inspiration as of late, and writing has fallen to the bottom of the priority list.  I've said it before and I'll say it again- I'm not giving up on this book, I'm just slowing way down right now so I can keep my life properly organized and prioritized.  And I really appreciate your patience with this, you all have been quite lovely.  Anyway, this request is for a lovely person who I cannot seem to find.  They requested several months ago, and for some reason I can't find their comment to see what their username was.  I'm so sorry, lovely human!  But I hope you enjoy it ❤️❤️❤️
      ----
You sat at the campfire, laughing at one of the dwarves' jokes as you finished the steaming bowl of soup that Bombur had cooked for the Company. You shook your head and made eye contact with Bilbo Baggins, your older brother, from across the campsite. He chuckled and winked at you before turning away from you and going back to a conversation he was having with Bofur.
Once the laughter had died down and a comfortable silence settled in, you cast a glimpse at the dwarf sitting next to you. Ori, one of the few young dwarves on this journey, had become a close friend of yours in the past few months.  You found that he possessed many of the qualities that you missed of your people in the Shire- he was gentle, sweet, and cheerful, without all of the boisterousness of some of the other dwarves.  And so, slowly, you found yourself spending more and more time with him.  Unfortunately for the both of you, this didn't go unnoticed by the other members of the company.
      "Ah, look at the two of them," Dori remarked, nodding at you as you smiled at Ori.  Sighing, you turned to face the company, brushing your wild curls off of your face as you raised an eyebrow at the older dwarf who had just spoken.
      "I don't know what you are talking about, but surely it is none of your business," you said, trying (and failing) to sound intimidating and aloof.
      "Oh, don't you?  Because I'm pretty sure everyone else does," Dori chuckled, reaching over and patting you on the shoulder.
      "Do you have any idea what's going on?" you asked Ori, who merely turned red in the face and looked down at his hands.  Giving up, you were about to go check on the ponies when Nori stood up.  The rest of the company followed.
      "Well, come on lads, let's go on and gather some more firewood, check the ponies, scout ahead.  Ori, you stay here with Y/N."
      Perplexed at their sudden disappearance as they all walked away, you turned to Ori and cleared your throat, blushing slightly.  You had noticed his hand creeping slowly towards yours, and now it came so close that your fingers brushed.  As he opened his mouth, you expected something incredibly sweet and romantic to come out, but instead you heard-
     "Would you mind if I... Um... Braid your hair?"
      "...What?"
      "Could I braid your hair?"
      "I mean, I guess so.  Sure."
      So, much to your confusion, Ori scooted a little closer and started to section off a piece of hair next to your face, carefully weaving them together.  The two of you remained silent the entire time, Ori looking so solemn that he could have been participating in some ancient ritual.  However, soon enough he had finished and secured the braid with a beautiful little stone bead.
      As if they had been waiting for a cue, the rest of the company happened to return just moments after Ori had moved back to his original position.  Upon seeing you, the dwarves started laughing jovially and clapping Ori on the back.  What did all this mean?  Oh well, it was too late for this.
      Noticing how tired you were, you then excused yourself from the group to go unpack your bedroll and try to get a good night's sleep.  After tossing and turning for a while, the evening's events long lingering in your mind, you finally drifted off into a restless sleep.
      The next morning, you awoke to Ori gently tapping you on the shoulder.  You rolled over with a groan, prying one eye open to survey your surroundings.  The sky was just barely light, and it appeared that Ori and you were the only ones awake.
      "What troubles you?" you sighed, rubbing your eyes and peering up at the dwarf in front of you, who looked more than a little nervous.
      "Well, um, I realized that I probably confused you last night," he began, looking down.  "With the braid and all."
      "Oh, I took no offense, Ori.  It's not a big deal-"
      "But it is."
      You frowned, sitting up and reaching out to take Ori's hand.
      "Ori, I don't understand why you're so concerned.  It was just a braid.  What's the matter?"
      Reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, Ori mumbled something you didn't quite catch.
      "What was that?"
      "It was a courting braid.  In dwarven custom, putting a braid in your hair signifies that you're courting someone.  When you said I could braid your hair, you accepted my request to court you."
      Silence.
      "Oh." You sat there in shock for several minutes while Ori watched you pensively.  "Well, I guess we're courting, then?"
      "What?  Or- I mean- yes, I suppose we are.  Unless you wish to call it off-?"
      "No! Why would I want to do that?  Oh, just wait until Bilbo finds out what that meant.  He's going to be furious."
      And so you and Ori spent the rest of your time alone trying to devise a plan for how to best tell Bilbo that his sister was now in a courtship.

Thanks for reading, guys!  Even though I haven't been active, I still appreciate the support that I've gotten from you guys for this book.  It keeps me motivated (and reminds me) to keep writing.  Until next time xoxo