cultural misunderstandings fic idea/headcanons/word dump for bagginshield bc they have consumed my brain
!!!cw for swearing!!!
I find it HILARIOUS when no one else is down bad for Bilbo like Thorin is. combine that with cultural misunderstandings and you have the perfect rom com
and its not like Bilbo is some dwarven beauty who is handsome by hobbit standards but gorgeous by dwarf standards. it’s just that, while the rest of the company see Bilbo as just Some Guy, not particularly outstanding in the looks department but definitely not unattractive either—Thorin is simply built different
for some reason Thorin sees Bilbo, with his honey colored hair and his upturned nose and his fiery attitude, and promptly loses his grip on reality.
That’s right: Thorin “I’ll be single for the rest of my life, I already have heirs” Oakenshield’s ability to feel romantic attraction suddenly kicks into gear after 195 years of lying dormant because this is the most beautiful creature he’s ever laid eyes on
And applying this to the scene where they first meet is hilarious because what do you MEAN Thorin was already clocking Bilbo as a threat to his quest because of his very apparent beauty
forget about canon, Thorin actually didn’t like Bilbo at first because he thought the super duper attractive boyfriend shaped creature popping up out of nowhere was just another case of his horrible Durin bad luck acting up again. like okay Gandalf what kind of game are you playing at, inviting this clearly soft and incredibly fair hobbit along on our dangerous quest. we can’t afford distractions right now
like imagine they’re a few months into the quest. Bilbo is sitting on a rock, combing his hair out in the sunlight, already having taken off his coat and vest because it’s hot as hell outside. he’s left in his cotton undershirt, which is partially see through because of a combination of light and sweat
none of the other dwarves give a shit, they’re perfectly used to nudity and bathing near others, and Bilbo is by far the most modest and self-conscious of them when it comes to showing skin
But of course, from Thorin’s pov it’s like watching a beautiful forest nymph bathe in the river. mythical creature meant to seduce you type beat
in his eyes Bilbo is bathing in the glow of the sunset, combing through strands of molten gold while exposing a scandalous amount of skin (cough his collarbone cough). AND Thorin can see the tan of his skin through his shirt. and he immediately thinks that this has to be the work of purposeful seduction. Bilbo wants to ensnare a dwarf for a husband by the end of the journey and he’s being painfully obvious about it. how dare he do this in front of people that aren’t Thorin
which is consequently why Thorin is hiding behind a rock as he watches, trying to make sure no one else is seeing what he’s seeing and scaring off anyone that comes close with a well timed glare. and he’s also trying not to come off as a creep because he’s been staring for a bit too long, and the last thing he wants is to scare Bilbo off
but then Bilbo starts humming a jaunty little tune and braiding his hair, as it’s gotten long over the course of the journey and he’s picked up some useful things from the company when it comes to grooming.
Thorin thinks he might actually pass out because Bilbo looks like he just popped out of a dwarven wet dream, singing and looking all shiny n shit
by the end of the night, Thorin’s sitting there with his head in his hands thinking “I must destroy him and his majestic allure. or make him my wife. I can’t believe those are my ONLY two options”
and would you believe it, their dynamic continues like that for the whole journey.
Dwalin and Balin are the first ones to pick up on Thorin’s plight, being his best and oldest friends—but they both have very, very different reactions to it.
Balin doesn’t indulge Thorin because he knows that Bilbo is a hobbit, and a very sheltered one at that. he realizes that their burglar most likely isn’t aware of the inherent intimacy of touching a dwarf’s hair, or braiding, or anything Bilbo has offered to do during their quest. in fact, he’s absolutely sure that absolutely none of the courting rituals Bilbo has performed were intentional, and were in fact blindly stumbled into.
Dwalin, however, is totally supportive of Thorin’s bullshit because Dwalin is the exact opposite of his brother when it comes to subtlety, and he is also physically unable to consider any conceptual alternative to whatever is plainly happening in front of him. he trusts his eyes and his eyes are telling him that Bilbo Baggins is a skilled temptress with designs on his king
Thorin, being delusional: Dwalin I’m being seduced and I think I’m losing
Dwalin, an enabler: I’ve never seen such blatant, shameless flirting in my life. brother he REALLY wants you
Thorin: FUCKING RIGHT?
Balin, staring in confusion because Bilbo literally just took a moment to pluck some leaves out of Thorin’s hair: No????
Balin tries—he really tries—to nudge Thorin in the right direction, to get his king to realize that Bilbo, in fact, is not doing all these borderline courting rituals on purpose. then again, he is an old dwarf and the whole situation is extremely entertaining, and he’s always had a mischievous streak in him. which turns him into yet another enabler—and at the end of the day, he doesn’t correct Thorin on his assumptions. sometimes he actively tries to make them worse, just for the hell of it, because if anyone deserves to have a little fun messing around with Thorin Oakenshield it’s Balin
Balin, teasing: ohohoho, wasn’t it nice of Bilbo to help Bofur rinse the dirt out of his clothes?
Thorin, clearly devastated: this is unacceptable
Thorin: he is doing it on purpose to invoke my jealously. I am ashamed to say it has worked
Balin:….
Thorin: he is a s i r e n
Balin:…….
Thorin: and I’m about to jump into the ocean
and that’s how it is until they reach Erebor. Thorin is constantly like “Hmm yes. Bilbo is a temptation, another obstacle meant to stray me from the path I must take” and everybody else is like what the actual FUCK are you talking about. are we seeing the same person. all of this melodramatic resistance to temptation happens in Thorin’s mind, and only because he can’t admit that he has a crush like a normal person.
Thorin can’t stop acting like a sailor lost at sea, doomed to be devoured by the beautiful creature he covets, and after a few months of watching that every day the entire company is just. completely done
and of course bad boy bachelor Bilbo Baggins, resident single handsome rich man in the Shire, notices the staring. obviously he asks Thorin what his problem is and Thorin panics and mutters something about Bilbo “using his looks to his advantage” and stalks off in a huff. Bilbo is very surprised to learn he’s that attractive by dwarf standards. because he doesn’t know that he’s not and that Thorin is just a special case. fuck secretive dwarves customs am I right?
the absolute worst part of this situation is that Bilbo is actually flirting and has been trying to seduce Thorin for months, but specifically by hobbit standards. all of his efforts have absolutely no effect because what hobbits consider courting is just normal, friendly dwarf behavior. It’s the stuff he doesn’t mean to do that drives Thorin up the wall.
Balin, however, being the member of the company with more than one brain cell, is the only one who sees this. and he’s very tired
Balin: Bilbo. Are you flirting with Thorin
Bilbo, flushing: well, I did feed him a strawberry from my plate today. I hope he doesn’t mind me being so forward….
Meanwhile, Dwalin and Thorin talking at the other side of the camp:
Thorin: Our burglar offered to wash my hair earlier this morning. I’ve never been pursued like this in all my life.
Dwalin: >:0……oh so he WANTS YOU wants you
Thorin: THATS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT
anyways I’m going insane with ideas for these two. 🆘 please
(ALSO if anyone writes a fic/makes art for this. TAG ME. RIGHT NEOW)
Thorin groaned as he shifted on the hard surface under his back, but froze when he realised that he could feel springs moving under him and not the unforgiving surface of flat, cold rock that he’d previously been laid out on. He peeled open his sticky eyes, and it took him some time to be able to focus on what he was seeing.
A ceiling. Not the sky, or a tent tarpaulin, but a real stone ceiling. This ceiling had been painted a deep, dark blue, and had gold-inlaid mouldings around the edges. He frowned at the intricate designs that had been etched into those mouldings, recognition pushing at the back of his brain.
He was just starting to piece things together when a noise to his side made him turn his head on the well-stuffed cushions propping him up slightly, and relief flooded him at the sight that met his eyes. A similarly familiar door was just being pushed open, and in the doorway stood Bilbo Baggins, Company Burglar.
Thorin quickly scanned the Hobbit, remembering that last time they had seen one another, Bilbo had been injured. But he looked no worse for wear now as he strode into the room, with half a pastry in one hand and an open book in the other. He was frowning down at the pages of the book and muttering to himself, and Thorin stilled when those entrancing hazel eyes finally flicked up from the page and landed on him.
Bilbo froze in the middle of the room, his mouth hanging open in shock, the book and the food falling from his limp hands, entirely forgotten. They stared at each other in silence for some time, then Thorin blinked, and Bilbo was moving.
The Hobbit scrambled up onto the bed, and Thorin pushed up on his elbows to meet him, ignoring the fierce line of burning fire that pulled at his ribs as he moved his legs, allowing Bilbo to kneel between his thighs. The Hobbit’s eyes filled with tears, and his small hands shook as he lifted them, reaching for Thorin.
Uncertainty flashed across his features momentarily, but Thorin, who had been aching for this creature for longer than he’d care to admit, who had been heartbroken to realise that his death would mean Bilbo never learned how loved he truly was, carefully lifted one arm and cupped his hand around the base of Bilbo’s head, tugging gently.
Bilbo went with him, a small grateful sigh slipping past his lips as he laid himself over Thorin’s body, cautiously avoiding his injury. Thorin looked down at the Hobbit, who was gazing back at him with something close to wonder on his face, and the expression deepened when Bilbo’s hand landed on the left side of his chest.
‘I can feel your heartbeat,’ the burglar whispered, those tears finally breaking free, spilling down his cheeks. And all at once, Thorin was powerless to resist any longer. He dipped his head, and caught Bilbo’s mouth with his own, pulling the Hobbit in as they shared their first kiss.
“Once upon a time, in land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom… ”
I absolutely adore Aelin’s story! I started reading this series in August and it grew very dear to me over the last few months. It was a wonderful time and it really hurt to say goodbye to this world and the characters when I finished Kingdom of Ash
In life, we grow up and we encounter the nuanced complexities of trying to figure out who to be, how to act, or how to be happy. Like invisible smoke in the room, we wonder what kind of anxiety pushes you forward and what kind ruins your ability to find joy in your life. We constantly question our choices, our surroundings, and we beat ourselves up for our mistakes. All the while, we crave romance. We long for those rare, enchanting moments when things just fall into place. Above all else, we really, really want our lives to be filled with love.
