Chapter Text
Beltane night was alive with couples and families celebrating the fertility of the land and of the new couples that formed from the Mummer’s Dance. The fires were lit around the Took land and men and women were dancing around them hand in hand. The tables had been moved out onto the lawn and endless amounts of food flowed from out of the kitchens. Barrels of ale and wine had been set up as well and the hobbits were drunk on merrymaking. There were songs being sung around the fire about lovers coming together and awakening of the earth. Many hobbits were overjoyed to spend time with everyone and Beltane was the perfect time to celebrate life.
The dwarves were drinking their fill at their personal table while their royal couple sitting at the high table together with the heads of the Took family. Bilbo’s crown had changed from the white carnations to the purple flowers known by the common name rose of Sharon. Thorin also wore the flower upon his tunic and the language of the flower spoke volumes as the pair looked into each other’s eyes all the time. Fili and Kili were glad that their uncle had found someone who was making him so happy and accepted Bilbo as their uncle that morning when they discovered them both naked in bed (to Bilbo’s horror).
The Beltane pole was wrapped in colorful ribbons of white, red, green, and yellow ready for the Ivy King and his bride to dance around it. Their dance would be first before the ceremony of jumping over the fire. Ori and Dwalin held each other’s hand tightly going to stand before their king and recite their vows to become loyal partners and husbands together. Kili endlessly teased the odd pair, but only out of good fun. He was truly happy that the old stubborn dwarf finally had chosen someone to share his life with.
Grandma Took stood up from the table and gestured for Thorin and Bilbo to go to the pole and take their places for their dance. Once the two grabbed the ribbons, she hit her cane on the table for silence to start the opening of the rite.
“This is the night of Beltane - The night of fertility and love between not only the crops of our land, but between two people. On this night the Ivy King shall open the rites of Beltane for us by dancing with his chosen and weave together their new lives.”
Bilbo’s eyes never left Thorin as his grandmother spoke to their kin and he smiled softly. They had come to Grandma Took that afternoon to tell her of his intentions of leaving the Shire to become Thorin’s royal consort and husband. She was far too pleased by this information and he suddenly found that she had hoped that the arrival of the unmarried king would spark a romance between them. Bilbo had found he had been played by his grandmother into a suitor she had chosen for him herself. Thorin had no knowledge of this either and was equally surprised as his lover. Though, Bilbo was very pleased that his Took grandmother had found him someone for him even if he would have to leave his homeland in the morning.
When the music started, the pair walked around the pole holding the ribbons. Their eyes locked with each other as they start to weave the ribbons around the pole in patterns. As the music played faster so did their dance. Soon the music took hold of Thorin and Bilbo and they twirled about. It was as like their first dance together drawing on inspiration of the music and their partnership together. The ribbons soon found their end and the couple met in the middle for a soft kiss.
“The rite has started!” Grandma Took signal with the wave of her cane, “Couples new and old shall join together hand and hand to jump the fire together.”
There were loud hollers and many couples rushed to the main bond fire in a long line in excitement. Bilbo and Thorin were the first in line holding each other’s hand tightly. The flames licked the wood and swayed in the wind before the two lovers. Grandma Took hobbled up to her grandson and his lover holding a braided cord in her hand. She took their clasped hands and tied their hands together as a sign of marriage between the couple. Her head bowed at the royal pair before moving aside for them to jump the fire.
Thorin looked over to his hobbit and kissed the back of his hand softly. “Are you ready Bilbo?”
Bilbo eyes looked down at the cords of blue and silver – the royal colors of king Thorin.
“For you, I do not need to be ready,” Bilbo smiled, “As long as you are holding my hand, I will let you take me anywhere.”
With those words they reared back a little before running and leapt over the bond fire. When they landed on the ground they turned towards each other and Bilbo buried his face into his king’s chest. Their hands were still bound together and when Thorin went to untie them, the hobbit grabbed his wrist. He saw the confused look in Thorin’s eyes, but he smiled and shook his head. Their cords must never be untied so Bilbo helped slip their hands out from between the cords. The knot stayed tight in a loop and the hobbit held it close to his chest.
“Our cords will never become undone. It is our symbol in the Shire of marriage; hands bound together by a cord are the symbol of our souls tied together from here on until our deaths.”
“I like the sound of that.” Thorin looked down into his eyes and cupped his cheek gently.
They watched as the rest of the couples jump the bond fire and kiss each other afterwards. There were many couples getting married that night and Grandma Took was busy tying the cords of the marriage couples. Ori and Dwalin declined the cord before they jumped over the fire and stood before their king. The two dwarves knelt down in front of him and Dwalin started to speak in their strange tongue. Bilbo watched Ori’s cheeks burn, but his smile never left his lips. Ori then spoke his words holding Dwalin’s hand tightly and trembled, but his words did not falter. After they had spoke, Thorin hummed low in his chest and the kneeling dwarves answered him. Bilbo’s eyes widen when he realized that they were being married before their king in the tradition of the dwarves. It was powerful to witness and his own longing to join in with them.
Once their song finished, Dwalin and Ori turned to each other and pulled their small knifes from their belt. Ori cut along Dwalin’s palm while he did the same for his lover before pressing their wounds together, fingers lacing tightly to mix the blood. They were now bound together by blood. Kili stood next to Bilbo and watched with him – a smile gracing his lips. The hobbit turned to him as Thorin spoke to the pair and placed a hand upon his shoulder.
“I wish I could join in with them.” Bilbo said.
“When you learn our language,” Kili grinned happily, “You will be required to stand next to Thorin and lead by example.”
Bilbo noticed that Fili and Kili did not jump the fire with the other couples or tied their hands together. Did the brothers who shared something special did not want to be bound together?
“Don’t worry Bilbo,” Kili held up his hand to show a scar upon his palm, “It had been taken care of a few years ago. He and I are bound by blood as well as a brotherly bond.”
“That makes me happy.”
“I am glad Uncle Bilbo.”
They smiled together as Throin wrote runes in the air above Ori and Dwalin to finish their rite of marriage. The two dwarves looked happy and their clasped hands never left go from one another even if they were allowed to.
~ ~ ~
The Tooks stood out on the lawn watching as Bilbo’s belongings came from Bad End upon a wagon and the dwarves loaded their packs upon their ponies. Bilbo took his time with each family member that was close to him and left them each something at his home. Grandma Took was the last to bid the golden hobbit farewell. He clasped her hand gently in his hands and kissed over her knuckles.
“How can I thank you for this?” Bilbo whispered softly.
“Make sure to send me some pretty things every once in a while.” Grandma Took cackled happily and shook her head at her grandson.
“You will make sure a Baggins will stay at Bag End, right?”
“Of course, of course. I believe one of the new couples here needs a home to stay in. I believe he is Drogo Baggins. He had taken a wife last night during Beltane.”
“Yes I remember Drogo,” Bilbo smiled softly knowing his home would have life once again, “Make sure to give him my thanks when he accepts my home.”
“I shall Lord Bilbo of the Blue Mountains.” She gave him a mock bow before she hallowed in laughter.
He would always remember that. He loved her dearly and he was going to make sure to send her the largest gem he could find in his new home for everything she had done for him. Without her, Bilbo would never have his Thorin. He gave his grandmother one last kiss on her forehead before turning away from his kin.
Bilbo climbed upon onto Thorin’s pony and held onto his waist tightly trying to keep himself on the saddle. He gave his family one last look before the small group trotted off down the road. He felt a few tears roll down his cheek as they passed through Hobbiton and the awkward stares of the village folk. They gawked at Bilbo for a moment before returning to their work knowing that the Baggins was an odd hobbit. They would never go off with a company of dwarves and there were always whispers that Bilbo was slightly mad.
“Bilbo?”
The hobbit looked up at Thorin’s head and pressed his forehead against his back.
“I’m alright, it is just new that’s all.” Bilbo whispered hearing the concern in his husband’s voice. His hands gripped on Thorin’s cloak. “Did you think when you arrived here in the Shire you would be returning to the Blue Mountains with a husband?”
“No, truly I did not.” The king laughed a little at the thoughts in his mind when he had ridden through the Shire a few days before Beltane. Never did he think that out of the courting games of the hobbits he would find the one who would fill his heart with joy. “When we reach the Blue Mountains, my kingdom, you shall meet my family and will be crowned a king. I shall take care of you as you take care of my heart and we shall never need for anything as long as we have each other.”
“I am glad.” Bilbo closed his eyes and watched as their ponies left Hobbiton. He could feel that he was leaving all he knew, but it did not make him regret his decision at all. He loved Thorin too much to let the dwarven king go and the feeling of going on an adventure thrilled him. “Goodbye my home for I have found a new home where my heart truly lies.”
~ ~ ~
One Year Later
The snow was falling in the Blue Mountains as Bilbo looked out from his stone window of his bed chambers. Upon his head he wore a silver crown that glowed in his honey curls. Even if there was not a lot of sun, his hair had never lost their brightness and warm tint. The dwarves were in the mines trying to make a home for the kin that were living in the cities and soon they would be finished with their work. Throin was excited and he had been drawing up plans for their personal chambers trying to make Bilbo his own personal hobbit hole under the mountain.
Since arriving in the spring of last year, Bilbo was widely accepted by Thorin’s kin and his subjects. He found a friendly companionship with his husband’s sister Dis, the mother of Fili and Kili. They were thick as thieves together enjoying each other’s company and trading stories of Thorin and Bilbo recounted many times how he had beaten her brother in the ribbon game.
Bilbo truly felt accepted in this strange land and would write to his kin regularly telling Grandma Took of his life in his new home and marriage. He had also sent her a large ruby in gratitude for everything she had done for him and received a letter of flattery and tokens from the Shire such as seeds for a flower garden, a hand stitched quilts and fine parchments made from her hand. It warmed Bilbo’s heart when he brushed his fingers over the items from the Shire.
The door to the chamber opened and Thorin walked in with dust from cutting stone and his job as a blacksmith in the town they were living at. He smiled at his hobbit husband sitting at the window and rushed over to pick him up in his arms and kissed on his lips deeply. Bilbo laughed as his husband spun him around and he had to wrap his arms around his neck to keep a hold of him.
“How are the new mines coming along?” Bilbo said when his feet finally touched the ground.
“Very well,” Thorin answered as he nuzzled their noses together, “In five months time we shall have a kingdom under the mountain again.”
“I am very glad. Will you take up the name King Under the Mountain again when it is built?”
“Maybe, I am not sure yet.”
Their foreheads pressed together and Bilbo sighed happily into Thorin’s embrace. No matter how many times he found himself there, he could not stop his heart from beating wildly in his chest. Even after a whole year of marriage, the hobbit was still deeply in love with his dwarf king who had whisked him away to the Blue Mountains the day after Beltane. He believed that he would always feel this way towards Thorin even when they turned old and grey.
“Grandma Took sent us a letter wishing us prosperity and hope we shall come to the Shire soon.” Bilbo finally broke the silence.
“Not another Took spring courting celebration?” The dwarf grinned a little, “We are already married.”
“No, not entirely,” Bilbo whispered and pulled him close to lock their lips together in a deep kiss before he spoke again, “Do you know the Took traditions of Yule by any chance?”
“No, but I have a strange feeling I shall find out soon.”
And so Bilbo lived with Thorin his husband as the Hobbit King of the Blue Mountains for many long years until the day they were called together to the halls of Aulë.