Chapter Text
It took a while for everyone to settle after they returned to their rooms. Bilbo and Gandalf’s obvious concern had put the others on edge. Kili sat beside Fili looking miserable and avoiding Thorin’s toxic glare. Bilbo was settled on his bedroll, Nori’s arms wrapped around him. Bilbo burrowed into the strong chest, letting the security he felt in the dwarfs arms calm him.
His mind raced and he failed to notice Gandalf leaving for his own room.
Nori was speaking to his brothers in khuzdul and though Bilbo understood nothing of what was said the soft vibrations of Nori’s chest lulled him to sleep.
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“How did Nori end up snuggling with the halfling!” Fili whisper yelled in khuzdul, mindful of not waking the now sleeping hobbit.
“The joys of being the ones who set up the bedrolls” Dori said with a smirk.
Kili let out a loud groan, “bet he wouldn’t want to cuddle with me anyway. Not after what I did.”
Fili pat him consolingly on the back, but he was the only one.
“It was mighty foolish of you” Balin said honestly. “But I’m sure Bilbo has already forgiven you; he seems the forgiving type.”
Kili nodded miserably.
“But what do you think the issue was with telling the elves about Bilbo being an omega? I mean Gandalf told us” Ori wondered.
“He told us, but he did tell us not to mention it to any others. We broke that trust.” Dwalin said sternly and Kili let out another sad sound.
“Whatever the big deal is with Bilbo being an omega the elves obviously remember” Gloin spoke up as he took a long pull from his pipe. “Did you see the looks on their faces when they heard that he was an omega? I thought they were going to make a grab for him and run. Whatever it is, I think Bilbo and Gandalf are right to be worried.”
Everyone looked thoughtful at that.
“I want at least three dwarves with Bilbo at all times” Dwalin growled. “Even if he is doing nothing but sitting in these rooms. Three.”
A chorus of ayes rang out around the room.
“Bilbo has promised to explain once we leave, we just have to guard him securely and trust him until then” Thorin said, with a twist of his lip that said he was clearly unhappy about the prospect.
Nori looked down at the hobbit in his arms, pulling him a little closer. He’s not sure what it was about the little one that cause such protective instincts to rise up in all of them, but he was loathed to let the small beauty out of his sight for the foreseeable future.
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When Bilbo woke up the next morning it took him a moment to realise why he was so warm and snug. He blushed furiously when he realised it was because he was snuggled into Nori’s chest, the dwarf’s arms wrapped tightly around him.
Bilbo couldn’t remember the last time he had fallen asleep in someone’s arms. Perhaps when he was a small child. He heard grumbling around him, letting him know that the other dwarves were waking, but still he didn’t move, content to lay in Nori’s arms for a while longer.
He hadn’t realised that the ginger haired dwarf was already awake though, not until a large hand began stroking down his back. Bilbo squirmed a little before nearly jumping out of his skin as a deluge of freezing cold water landed on him.
He jumped to his feet, stumbling slightly in confusion over what had happened. Nori stood beside him, his usually artfully braided hair laying in a bedraggled mess around his face, water dripping down his nose. Bilbo shook his head and looked around wildly.
“What on earth happened!?” Bilbo cried, gaze fixing on Dwalin who was standing sheepishly nearby, with a bucket in hand.
“I was walking over to add some cool water to the bath as it was too hot, when I slipped.”
Bilbo gave him a flat look.
“How wonderful Nori, a nice hot bath all ready for us” Bilbo said tartly, grabbing Nori’s hand and leading him over to the tub
Nori looked perplexed, like he was still half asleep and not fully comprehending just what was happening. Bilbo glanced at the tub, thankful that it was actually large enough for two, before he started to strip his clothes.
Nori let out a half choked off gasp and Bilbo glanced up at him.
“Please feel no pressure to join me, but I for one am getting out of these cold wet clothes and am warming up.”
The other dwarves were all standing or sitting in various states of shock. Several letting out soft groans as Bilbo’s small round bottom was revealed before he quickly climbed into the tub.
“Oh, that is lovely” Bilbo said with a sigh, before glancing around at Dwalin. “Since you’ve ruined my clothes could you please find me another set while they dry?”
Dwalin didn’t move, stuck in a haze as he stared at Bilbo’s pink cheeks and tantalising collar bones that were peeking out of the warm water.
Bilbo began to feel a bit unsure, looking around the room. Thankfully Oin came to his assistance, giving Dwalin a shove until the burly dwarf shook his head and nodded. Walking over without a sound, eyes trained on Bilbo as he picked up the dripping wet clothes only looking away as he turned to hang them out on their adjoining balcony to dry.
The movement seemed to revive everyone else as well, conversation starting back up as the dwarrow looked away from Bilbo.
Bilbo didn’t even notice that Nori had stripped until he felt another body sinking into the water beside him.
Bilbo had a moment to feel embarrassed, he’d never been this naked near anybody before. But he quickly shook the feeling away. Four of these dwarves were compatible with him, it didn’t mean that he had to choose any of them but even the possibility of a mate was exciting after years of nothing in The Shire.
Sloshing water brought Bilbo’s attention back to Nori, who was smirking as he looked around the room. He reached for the soap beside the bath, thankful that the water covered everything important.
He began washing, blushing when his leg bumped Nori’s, bringing the dwarf’s gaze back to him.
“Mind if I use the soap after you?” Nori asked with a genuine grin.
Bilbo shook his head, “of course not.”
“You know, if you need some help, I’d be happy to wash your hair for you?”
Outraged cries sprang up around the room causing Bilbo to jump in surprise.
“What?” he spluttered.
“There will be no hair washing going on in this room!” Fili growled, looking more menacing than he’d ever done before.
Nori shrugged before pointedly starting to wash his own hair.
Bilbo looked around lost for a moment, many of the dwarves were scowling or frowning at Nori so Bilbo figured it must be some kind of cultural difference.
Later, when he was all washed, clean and dressed he took a moment to marvel at Nori’s beautiful braids. They were perfect again, and Bilbo felt a flutter run down his spine at the thought of those skilful hands actually washing his hair.
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Bilbo could admit that he felt a little worried when it came time for them to venture out of their rooms again. He wasn’t opposed to finding a potential mate in an elf, but he didn’t like the idea of possibly being stopped on his adventure. He was invested with his dwarves now, wanted to see this through to the end, whatever end that may be. There was also a small part of him that was scared. Scared of being forcibly mated if he did find a potential match. A fertile hobbit was a boon for elves, who so rarely had children. It was one of the reasons that hobbits had retreated back into the Shire so long ago.
Once upon a time it hadn’t been completely unusual for hobbits to venture out into the great wide world. It wasn’t common but also wasn’t rare. Some hobbits would travel, looking for a potential mate amongst dwarves or elves and very rarely men. However, unfortunately for the hobbits who did venture out many were forcibly mated to potential mates. They were well taken care of but used more as brood mares, where hobbits crave love and affection.
Every hobbit knew this history about their race, and it was that which made his steps cautious as they walked through the halls. Fili walked beside him, not touching but a solid form at his side. He knew Dwalin was behind him, and the pair made him feel more secure as they walked.
Elves stopped and stared as they walked, some whispering too low for anything to be made out. The dwarves treated the elves with the same contempt as they did before, but Bilbo found their indifference reassuring.
They made their way outside and Bilbo pushed aside all worry as he took in the beauty of the gardens, which of course meant nothing to the dwarves.
Fili grasped his shoulder gently; “it is a lovely garden” the blonde said softly, and Bilbo smiled warmly up at the dwarf touched at the effort.
“It is, isn’t it.”
“Would you like to go for a walk?” Fili asked, indicating the gardens.
Bilbo glanced at the other dwarrow, who had plonked themselves down in the sun and were pulling out their pipes.
“That sounds lovely” Bilbo said with a soft smile as Fili placed his hand on his lower back and began to guide him away from the others. They’d only gone a few steps when a bright voice piped up behind them.
“Off somewhere?” Kili said with a smirk.
“Just for a stroll” Bilbo spoke up, missing the glare Fili was sending his brother. “You’re welcome to join us.”
Kili smiled at Bilbo, completely ignoring his brother. “The more the merrier” the brunette smiled as he started guiding Bilbo down the path.
Fili grumbled but ultimately didn’t say anything as he followed behind the pair.
“Ooh look at these roses” Bilbo gushed as he hurried further into the garden, face lighting up in happiness at the sight of dozens of rose bushes in a variety of colours. Butter yellow and baby pink, wine red and the purest white.
Fili and Kili shared a bemused look, following along in Bilbo’s wake.
“I do adore iris’s” Bilbo murmured, pointing to a pretty flower that Fili had trouble deciding if they were blue or purple.
“They are most beautiful, though nothing could compare to your beauty” a tall elf said, as he walked around a row of hedges and on to their path.
Bilbo jumped in surprise, stumbling back a few steps as the elf reached forward and took his hand, pressing a delicate kiss to his knuckles.
Bilbo yanked his hand back in shock at the same time as Fili and Kili stormed forward barging their way between Bilbo and the unknown elf.
“Don’t touch him” Fili snarled, giving the elf a hard shove, while the elf merely looked disappointed.
“We are not a match” he said sadly, and Bilbo glared.
“Even if we were you would never have stood a chance!”
The elf merely sighed, before retreating further into the garden, ignoring Fili and Kili’s posturing as he turned his back on the three.
Once the elf was out of sight Fili spun around and scooped Bilbo up into his arms, Kili guarding his back as they made their way back to the other dwarrow. Fili cursed himself for leaving with only two dwarves to protect Bilbo, it had been foolish.
Dwalin jumped to his feet as they approached, “what’s happened!?”
“An elf touched him, kissed his hand!”
Bilbo huffed and tried to squirm out of Fili’s hold.
“I’m quite alright” Bilbo said exasperatedly, “just an elf being overly friendly.”
Dori’s eyebrows furrowed in thought, “was he trying to cause a reaction? Like what happened when you touched Fili, Nori, Dwalin and Bofur?”
“Yes” Bilbo said quietly. “If you touch me and I have a… reaction it indicates that we could be mates.” He glanced up shyly, eyes flicking between, Fili, Nori, Bofur and Dwalin.
“So, the elves are all so worked up because they want to mate you?” Thorin asked slowly.
“Yes” Bilbo said blushing hotly, watching as Fili’s eyes widened in understanding.
“So, Fili, Bofur, Dwalin and Nori are… potential mates?” Bombur asked curiously.
Bilbo just nodded, the four dwarves mentioned shared a look but before they could ask any further questions Kili spoke up.
“I’m sorry that we let him near you, Bilbo” the youngest elf said earnestly.
“It’s quite alright, no harm done” Bilbo said warmly, settling down beside Kili in the warm sun.
“Still, we should not have allowed him to get so close.”
“I’d wager he will not be the only one who tries” Bilbo said with a shrug that was trying to be casual, but the tension was evident in the hobbits small body.
Bilbo’s premonition turned out to be scarily accurate when no fewer than a dozen elves tried to interact with Bilbo as the group sat outside in the sun.
Bilbo was always polite but refused to let any touch him and any who tried to venture closer, to perhaps ignore the hobbits words were swiftly rebuffed by an irate dwarrow.
“Perhaps we should head back inside” Bilbo said after yet another elf was turned away, a forlorn look on his beautiful face. Bilbo’s heart broke for them all but still it didn’t feel right to even give them the opportunity, what with this quest he was embarking on and the possibility that he may not return. His mind refused to acknowledge the secret hope that one of his dwarves may end up being his mate when all was said and done.
Dinner was a quiet affair, they stayed in their room and the food was delivered, the dwarves too on edge to venture out and try to be civil for any length of time.
Thorin and Gandalf left for a meeting sometime after dinner, but Bilbo was content to sit with Bofur and listen as he described how to whittle. Watching in amazement as a small rabbit began to take shape in Bofur’s hands.
Sometime later the door to their room flew open and Thorin stomped in, a fierce scowl on his face. Gandalf followed him. He was hiding it better, but Bilbo could see that he was also annoyed.
“We need to leave, tonight” Bilbo sat up straighter, immediately on edge.
“What’s happened?” Balin asked, standing and moving toward Thorin and Gandalf.
“Elrond has called on the white council, if they arrive before we leave, they will try to stop our quest.”
The dwarves started standing reaching for weapons, looking ready to fight their way out if necessary.
Bilbo moved forward, resting a hand on Dwalin’s arm in and attempt to calm him.
“But if we leave tonight, they won’t be able to stop us?” Bilbo asked.
“If we are careful and do not get caught” Gandalf nodded.
They all began packing up their belongings, Nori and Ori disappeared for a while before returning with a sack ladened with food. They waited until the world outside turned dark before they crept out. Scurrying like mice through the darkness. Bilbo had a feeling they were being watched, the hairs on the back on his neck standing on end, but no one stopped them or followed them.
Dwalin stayed by his side, a large hand wrapped around his upper arm, gently guiding him. They didn’t stop, walking all night until they left Rivendell far behind. It was mid-morning before Thorin finally called a stop. Bilbo felt weariness clawing at him as he collapsed on to the soft grass of the clearing, they had stopped in.
Bread and apples were passed around, everyone quiet as they quickly ate.
“We will continue for another few hours before making camp” Thorin spoke up as he finished off the last few bites of his apple. “The more distance put between us and those blasted tree shaggers the better.”
There were general nods of agreement as the dwarves pulled themselves to their feet again and started off. Dwalin moved to Thorin, whispering in his ear as they walked. Bilbo watched them curiously for a moment, looking away when Fili came up beside him.
“Alright there, Bilbo?”
“Quite alright, thank you Fili.”
They walked along in companiable silence for a while, simply enjoying each other’s company. It was a beautiful day, and though he was somewhat sad to leave the beauty of Rivendell behind he felt a level of peace as they walked along together.
Thankfully Thorin stopped them for the day by mid-afternoon. They were all feeling the lack of sleep and Bilbo had leaned into Fili’s side as they walked, leaning heavily on the other as weariness weighed him down.
“We will rest here for the afternoon and evening” Thorin said as he dropped his own bag to the ground, and everyone moved off quickly falling back into their usual routine and jobs.
Bilbo grabbed as many sticks as he could find, wanting to keep the fire going for the afternoon and through the night. It wasn’t cold yet but there was a definite chill to the air. The smell of food had him wandering back into the campsite, adding his own sticks to the current collection.
“That smells wonderful” Bilbo murmured causing Bombur to smile warmly at him.
“Won’t be long now, Bilbo” Bombur said, “I can practically hear your stomach grumbling from here.
Bilbo chuckled in amusement; he wasn’t wrong.
They had barely sat down to eat when Thorin fixed Bilbo with a beady stare.
“I think we have all been very patient with you so far, but the time has come for answers.”
Bilbo gasped in surprise, nearly choking on a piece of carrot as it went down his throat the wrong way. He coughed and spluttered, Bofur rubbing his back until he was able to catch his breath.
“Oh… right of course” Bilbo stuttered. He’d known this was coming but thought he had more time.
He sat his bowl down, nerves making his stomach roil. Where to start.
“Well, as you know” he cleared his throat, his voice a little steadier. “I am what is called an omega. In hobbit culture there are three sub genders, alpha, beta and omega. Most hobbits are betas though occasionally there comes along an alpha or omega. Omega’s have a reaction when we are touched by a potential mate, it is a way for us to tell that someone would be a good fit for us. That is what happened when I touched Fili, Bofur, Nori and Dwalin.”
He looked around at the assembled dwarrow, all listening avidly to his story.
“The reaction is called a small heat and tells me that those four would be a good mate to me” Bilbo blushed. “Of course, this doesn’t mean that we have to mate, just that the potential is there. When I am around a potential mate that I too am interested in and feel safe and loved I will go into a heat” he swallowed thickly, looking up at the sky as he continued to talk.
“If I am mated” he cleared his throat again, “have intercourse during this time then there is the strong chance that I will get pregnant.”
That got a reaction from the assembled dwarrow.
“Pregnant!” Kili squawked “but you’re a male, aren’t you?”
Bilbo chuckled, “I am, but male omegas are born intersex, which means we have both male and female parts and are quite capable of getting pregnant.”
The dwarves sat dumbstruck staring at Bilbo in awe.
Bilbo was so red he resembled one of his prize-winning tomatoes.
“We- we are in fact capable of getting pregnant by any race and thanks to yavanna’s gifts our child would biologically be of the father’s race. My life span would change to match whoever first mates me so that I can properly care for any children we may have.”
“So, if you were mated by a dwarf any children you bore would be dwarves and you would become as long lived as a dwarf?” Dwalin asked hoarsely, eyes wide.
Bilbo nodded.
“What a gift” Thorin breathed. Other dwarves murmuring their agreement all watching Bilbo avidly.
“Long ago some hobbits ventured out to find their mate amongst dwarves and elves but over time many were mistreated, forcibly mated into loveless relationships. All hobbits know this as part of our history and that is why we don’t venture outside of The Shire much anymore. I am the first omega to leave The Shire in centuries…”
“That is what you were concerned about, with the elves?” Balin asked shrewdly.
“It is. The fact that they remembered about omega hobbits, I was concerned one may try to take me forcibly. Thankfully that did not happen.”
The dwarves looked suitably angry at the thought of anyone doing anything to Bilbo that he didn’t want.
“They tried to touch you though” Ori spoke up.
“Mating me would be quite a boon. I do feel badly for them, perhaps if I don’t end up mated” here Bilbo paused and looked around at the gathered dwarves shyly. “I may return to Rivendell to see if any there are a potential match and would be a good mate.”
Many of the dwarrow did not look pleased at this announcement.
“How many potential mates did you leave behind in The Shire?” Fili asked, a dark frown marring his face.
Bilbo looked down “oh, none at all. It is one of the reasons I agreed to go on this quest, I thought my mate may be of another kind. That I might find love out here in the world.”