Requested by anonymous, who said: “ Hello! Could I possibly ask for a bofur x reader where’s he’s comforting her after a nightmare? I really loved A Comfortable Pillow” (I’m really glad you enjoyed that one-shot, nonnie!)
Warnings: none, just fluffiness after a nightmare!
note: my inbox is always open for individual requests. And if anyone wants to be on the taglist, feel free to send me a pm or an ask with your tumblr username! ♥
It all came with a sudden shift in atmosphere. You were in a field, gleaming as though made from purest gold, a sight that could rival even the stars in their radiance. And it was all destroyed within the blink of an eye. You now found yourself in a desolate, dusky plain, stretching far beyond where your eyes could see, no signs of life other than that which you and your companions brought. You saw fear take control of each and every one of them, you witnessed them scream out in anger into the dark, but you couldn’t hear it. You then felt a low rumbling beneath you, the ground shook from the massive force of nothing smaller than an army of thousands, and it only intensified.
It was then that it came out of nowhere, a mass of vicious orcs, baring their sharp teeth, charging towards your group. In a blind panic you tried to seek out Bofur, heaven knows why, you needed him by your side to face the stampeding horde. You saw his figure, but it was already far too late. You felt the sharp savage clawing of orc hands on your body, being torn away from the dwarrow, and them from you.
With what little leeway you still had left you outstretched your hand for any sort of aid or contact from another, writhing from the agony of being close to torn apart by the brute force of these beasts.
And then it all went quiet. A deep, impenetrable silence filled the air as darkness clouded your vision. Soon after, the empty silence began to be filled by a distant voice, panic evident in its tone.
Your body jolted with a sudden motion as your eyes shot wide open. You felt the dampness of the cold sweat coating your body and the rapid thumping in your chest, your mind - a blurry mess, unable to process your surroundings.
“Lass...” a quiet worried voice called out to you, just for a moment putting the shattered pieces of your mind together as you became more conscious. Your eyes locked with those of Bofur, the familiar warmness of which was replaced with deep concern. You noticed the hand he had gently placed on your shoulder as it rose and dropped with the rhythm of your irregular breathing.
“Bofur...” you let out a heavy breath, looking down and realizing you had dug your fingers into the fabric of his sleeve, almost close enough to tearing it. A sigh of relief escaped you as you unconsciously pulled the dwarf into a firm embrace, earning a little yelp of surprise from him. You wanted to hold him, to bask in the feeling he was there, unharmed and still beside you and not another figment of a bad dream that would leave you.
“It’s alright now, you’re safe with me” he wrapped his arms around you and softly rubbed your back, slowly but surely letting your tense body relax. You spent a moment clinging to him, your head nuzzled in his shoulder, until your breathing eased into a natural rhythm.
“I’m fine now... thank you” you breathed one last shaky breath, pulling away from the dwarf.
“Mahal, you had me worried for a moment there” Bofur let out a nervous laugh as he offered you a kind smile. “The way you were tossin’ and turnin’...”
“It was just a bad dream” you said, recollecting the disturbing scenes in that nightmare, which was still vividly etched into your mind. Even though it had passed, the memory of the dream still brought you immense discomfort, perhaps for the reason of it being a very real fate you could face on this perilous journey, and your encounter with orcs two days prior was enough to convince you. The thought terrified you, that any one of these days could bring not just you but the entire company mortal danger.
“Must’ve been some bad dream. You were holding onto my arm for dear life” Bofur spoke. You stayed silent, having cast your eyes to the ground. Your heart was heavy with uncertainty, for that last moment of seeing the dwarf being taken from you kept replaying in front of you. These worries burdened you, truly, but what could you do to act upon your troubles? Facing danger was just another part of this quest, and that only made you feel worse, knowing there was no real way to ensure everyone’s safety.
“(Y/N)...” You looked up at his eyes, and saw nothing but warmth in them. “Why are you so quiet?”
“I...” you shook your head, feeling a lump form in your throat. “I thought I was going to lose you” you said in one shallow breath, grasping the dwarf’s hand for comfort. “The orcs... they took you away, and I-”
“Oh, lass...” he squeezed your hand reassuringly. “I’m right here, still by your side”
“I know you are, and I know it was just a dream... but it was real, those things can really happen to you and that thought terrifies me” you admitted, looking pleadingly at Bofur. The corners of his mouth raised just a bit as he looked into your eyes.
“Come here” he extended his arms towards you, and without an ounce of hesitance you accepted the invitation. He held you close, enveloping you in his embrace as he gently rocked side to side. “No orc will ever come in between me or you, I’ll make sure of that” he spoke. “That’s a promise of a dwarf”
“A promise?” a smile appeared on your face as you repeated playfully.
“Of course!” the dwarf said. “If there’s anything more valuable than all the gold in the world, it’s that beautiful smile I always see on your face” he nuzzled his head in the crook of your neck. “And I would do anything to protect it”
You laughed, more out of embarrassment than anything, and you couldn’t deny that his words brought you much needed relief. It was then that you remembered why you’d fallen for the dwarf. No matter what darkness surrounded you, no matter how rough each day treated you, he always gave you a reason to smile, always offered comfort in frightful times. And you knew deep in your heart, you two would endure.