56 Bagginshield Recs: Post-canon AUs (part I)
Post-canon AU stories are stories in which the quest ends differently than in Tolkien’s original version. Most of the time, this means that [Spoiler (click to open)]Thorin, Fili and Kili surive and Erebor doesn’t fall into Dain’s hands. There are quite a lot of different terms for this sort of story (BoFA AUs, fix-it Aus, canon-divergent stories) but I prefer this one because it’s relatively neutral and short and doesn’t remind me of the movie “Divergent.” ;)
Listed here are post-canon AUs with less than 15 000 words.
As always, warnings are not included and favorite stories are labeled with ♫ ♫ ♫.
Please Tread Lightly When Surrounded By Young Hobbits
Author: SailorFish
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 15 000
Summary: A story of how Bilbo's blood pressure rose greatly when faced with tiny cousins, nieces, and nephews coming to visit Erebor for his and Thorin's wedding; a story of how nobody else noticed/cared because they were too busy squeeing at tiny Hobbits that barely reached their waists.
Comment: LITTLE HOBBITSES EVERYWHERE! This fic is cute enough to make you puke rainbows. (And I mean that in the best possible way).
so many beautiful reasons
Author: starr_falling
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 14 000
Summary: They say actions speak louder than words. Thorin hoped his actions would tell Bilbo all he could not say of his feelings. But when courting someone of a different culture, perhaps, a few words would not go astray.
Comment: A cute and fluffy story in which Bilbo naïvely assumes that Thorin is just trying to apologize by giving him gifts. Or in other words, the Company takes the only sensible course of action and sets up a betting pool.
Amongst the Wood Sorrel, Below the Winter Cherry, Blooms One Red Rose (WiP)
Author: Salvia_G
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 12 300
Summary: Some years after he was sent away from Erebor, Bilbo Baggins writes to Thorin Oakenshield of regrets, lost love, and a healing heart. Thorin takes that about like you'd expect.
Comment: This fic is such a charmer! Bilbo writes a letter to Thorin…who takes some of the news fundamentally the wrong way. Who is that “loud, boisterous” Frodo that makes Bilbo so happy, anyway? Why is he so “demanding” and why can’t Bilbo “imagine my life without him?” Needless to say, Thorin obsesses over every line of the letter for weeks on end, grumbling and grouching all the way. Balin (the sly fox!) only feeds the misunderstanding…
so i wait for you like a lonely house
Author: stopchasingflowers
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 11 200
Summary: After the desolation of the dragon, Bilbo loses his voice and Thorin loses his throne.
Comment: Deeply melancholic, but also soothing; the sort of fic that heals the wounds it inflicts. Bilbo returns to the Shire and lives as a sort of hermit in Bag End, unable to put the past behind him and carry on. Reclaiming Erebor has cost him dearly…but thankfully, hope is not yet completely lost.
Slow burn
Author: rachel4revenge
Pairing: B/T
Rating: E
Length: 8500
Summary: Bilbo felt exhilarated, like flying on an eagle without the fear of falling. It was more than the thrill of a tremendously good jig, or kissing cheeks with Daisy Cotton behind the Party Tree - more than stealing down a long dark tunnel to cross verbal swords with a dragon. Bigger than fear, warmer than sneaking unseen through goblin-tunnels with the aid of a magic ring, was this thing between them now, a handful of coals cradled close against the winter wind. Something precious, something lasting, if only they could take good care of it.
Comment: Take notes, Tolkien! THIS IS HOW THE STORY SHOULD HAVE ENDED. In a bedroom in Bag End, with a happy dwarf king between the sheets…not with all that tragic death nonsense! This is a perfect BoFA fix-it story, featuring wonderful interactions between Bilbo and Thorin.
Burning with a Magnificent Madness
Author: EmilianaDarling
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 7300
Summary: Thorin’s madness had been like a dam bursting; fast and brutal and incomprehensible, like water rushing out and devastating everything in its path. For Bilbo, it’s more like a slow trickle over the course of a lifetime. Out of sight and out of mind - and almost imperceptible until he’s already drowning.
Comment: A painful and eloquent account of Thorin’s quick descent into gold madness, juxtaposed with Bilbo’s sanity slowly being undermined and eroded by his growing dependency on the ring.
Winter Song
Author: Lee_Whimsy
Pairing: B/T, Fíli/Kíli
Rating: T
Length: 7200
Summary: Smaug is dead, and the North is peaceful and prosperous once more. One harsh winter, Thorin offers the men of Dale shelter in the mountain; all goes well until a deadly epidemic breaks out among the humans. Dwarves are immune. Hobbits aren't..
Comment: Both pairings are featured about equally. Lovely, exquisite h/c!
Steal You The Sky
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 6600
Summary: 'Cause you're the one.
Comment: Endlessly amusing and adorable. Thorin is the densest, most oblivious dwarf under the mountain…not that that will surprise anyone.
my heart was left remembering your mouth
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 6600
Summary: After the battle, things don’t go back to normal.
Comment: This fic is heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. Erebor is in the process of being rebuilt and everyone is on the way to recovery. Life could be perfect, but Bilbo has severe difficulties handling the aftershocks of the battle…and gradually, he retreats from Thorin. The dissolution of their marriage is so well portrayed - the spaces that open up between them, the widening chasms that Thorin can’t seem to bridge…Thorin’s own grief, echoing that of his husband.
It's a braid thing (you wouldn't understand)
Author: authoressjean
Pairing: B/T
Rating: E
Length: 6100
Summary: After the last near "tragedy" (or so the dwarves are calling it, Bilbo's about done with them), Bilbo doesn't cut his hair and instead lets it go long. Except now, now he's almost home, his dwarves insisting on escorting him back, and he's got long hair he doesn't know what to do with. (...)
Comment: This fic is nothing short of hilarious! The Company escort Bilbo home to the Shire…and as chance would have it, Bilbo’s hair has gotten awfully long. Cue Thorin entering the scene, with his feet-shuffling awkwardness and his determination to braid Bilbo’s hair. Because dammit, that’s what friends do for each other! Needless to say, Bilbo is a bit suspicious about the whole affair. And why is the Company so invested in this, anyway?
All The Rivers Sound In My Body
Author: littleblackdog
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 5700
Summary: As much as he might like to cut a natty figure in a proper waistcoat and trousers with a reasonable inseam, Bilbo knew there were many more important things to bother with at the moment. Rebuilding an entire dwarven kingdom, for one. And airing out the stink of dragon would be nice as well.
Comment: An intimate, well written glimpse into Bilbo’s and Thorin’s marriage just as the rebuilding of Erebor has begun. They are not yet together for long, so there are some misunderstandings between them that stem from a lack of knowledge (both of the other’s preferences and the other’s culture).
Conspiracy against the Throne
Author: ferretbaby
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 5600
Summary: Thorin had thought he’d have to defend Bilbo’s place at his side once Erebor was restored, but in time the dwarf King learns the opposite holds true as the citizens of Erebor fall deeply in love with the hobbit consort.
Bilbo is just amused at how jealous Thorin gets.
Comment: Thorin is worried that his subjects won’t take to a hobbit consort. Turns out, his worries are unfounded. Or rather: misdirected. It appears that Bilbo is to dwarves what catnip is to cats…and no, Thorin doesn’t like that particular development either. (Some people eare just never happy!)
Home Behind and Home Ahead ♫ ♫ ♫
Author: Etharei
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 5500
Summary: For as long as Frodo could remember, his beloved Uncle Bilbo was known around the Shire for his shocking habit of disappearing for long periods of time. Bilbo never told anybody where he was going or when he expected to be back, and didn't seem to care what other people thought of such disrespectable inconstancy.
Comment: Frodo gives us an amazing, nuanced POV! Through his eyes, the reader slowly understands what eludes the hobbits in the Shire - the duality of Bilbo Baggins.
Nine-Tenths of the Law
Author: Sans_Souci
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 5200
Summary: Slightly D/s AU: Thorin is a kingly King in public as he takes charge of the rebuilding Erebor, but Bilbo’s in control when they are alone in private. Not just when it comes to sex. Kink-meme prompt combining~
Comment: Thorin needs some guidance, sometimes…and Bilbo is happy to provide it. A glimpse into their life together, into an arrangement that works exceedingly well for them.
One Half of My Heart and the companion piece, One Half of My Soul
Author: lilithiumwords
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 5000
Summary: After a long day, Bilbo relaxes with his beloved...
Comment: This is so fluffy it could be labeled domestic porn.
I dream of you, to wake
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 4700
Summary: The worst curses aren't those that cause outright physical harm. They're the ones that chip away at you, bit by bit, until there's nothing left to hurt.
Comment: A devastatingly sad post-canon AU in which Bilbo can only be awake at night and Thorin can only be awake during the day.
our bones are broken still
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 4500
Summary: There’s an emptiness inside of him where something bright used to occupy, and his aching bones creak around the spaces left behind. He’s just not cut out for this, Bilbo thinks. or, Six Things that will Never Happen to Bilbo Baggins.
Comment: Bittersweet and at times lyrical, this fic explores what Thorin’s survival would have been like…it’s not the fairytale ending everybody wishes for, but a highly plausible alternative and all the more striking for it.
In More than the Wisdom of Years
Author: jezebel_rising
Pairing: Dis, B/T
Rating: n/a
Length: 4200
Summary: So the battle happened and Thorin lived (barely, but he's managed to escape death) his nephews too. The treasure has been divided and Elves and Men went on their way. Dwarves are set on rebuilding Erebor to its former glory and there's just one little thing left unsolved - setting their burglar on the way.
I would pretty much like it form the point of view of Dis, who just arrived to Erebor to take care of her boys (brother included) and sees what a mess Thorin's made of everything..”.
Comment: Dis’ POV is delightful from start to finish! She is simply not here for any BS and whips her stubborn idiot of a brother into line. The formatting of the fic is a bit irregular, but didn’t hinder the reading too much.
bring your battle to my door
Author: kay_cricketed
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 3800
Summary: Surviving the Battle of Five Armies is only the first step. Bilbo may not be able to master the sword, but he is certainly capable of putting Thorin Oakenshield in his place, and his place is the throne of Erebor. (This is a very nice way of saying: Thorin and Bilbo celebrate by having sex on the throne and the mountain says it's good.)
Comment: Furious, breathless and intense. Bilbo and Thorin reunite with all the violence of a seismic shifting - equally demanding and determined, two forces to be reckoned with. Beautifully written!
The Slice of Life Series: Doorways and Have a Cuppa Tea
Author: keelywolfe
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 3800
Summary: Before meeting Dwarves, Bilbo would never have believed anyone could spend all their time indoors, if the inside of a mountain, particularly Erebor, could be called anything so bland as indoors. Away from the Sun would be more accurate, he supposed, and Bilbo had since learned that Dwarves could be content with just that for weeks at a time.
Set in an altered universe where Bilbo is living in Erebor..”.
Comment: So lovely it should be illegal. I CAN’T HANDLE THE CUTENESS. I JUST CAN’T.
Kneeling before the King
Author: anon
Pairing: gen, Durin family feels B/T
Rating: n/a
Length: 3700
Summary: for the prompt: After the BOTFA (from which everyone survive, of course), and after everything is rebuilt, the Royal Advisors talk to Fili and Kili, telling them that, now that Thorin's King, they think that the two Princes should start kneeling whenever approaching him. Fili and Kili think that the Advisors should go to Hell.
Comment: The B/T slash is of the blink-and-you-miss-it kind, but I appreciated the fierce Durin family feels and the glimpse into the intricate policies of rebuilding a dwarven kingdom.
The Greatest Treasure in Erebor
Author: TheNarator
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3600
Summary: It takes roughly two months of being taken on a different walking tour of The Splendors of Erebor every single day for Bilbo to work out that Thorin and Company are trying to convince him not to leave..”.
Comment: Charming and heartwarming. (And it’s hilarious how the Company tries to make Bilbo stay in Erebor…these guys fail at being subtle!).
Thorin and the Beast (Or How Dwarves Can’t Ever Speak Their Heart When They’re Pining)
Author: authoressjean
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3600
Summary: Thorin comes into his quarters one day to find a cat lounging on his desk. Nothing could make his day worse. And then the cat takes up all of Bilbo's time, and Thorin finds out that yes, it can get worse, and yes, he's jealous of a cat. Or: The one where Thorin can't get the right words to come out, the cat hates him, and Bilbo is unaware he's being pined after.
Comment: A lighthearted, fluffy story in which Thorin can’t deal with cats and has trouble confessing his undying love for a certain hobbit.
Firmament ♫ ♫ ♫
Author: Lee_Whimsy
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3500
Summary: Bilbo, more or less by accident, had become a collector of rings. Gollum’s ring he kept in his pocket, safely hidden away, but another he wore-never mind that it was far too large, and always slipping off his finger.
“It suits you,” Thorin said, and took Bilbo’s hands in his. “There. Now you hold all that is dear to me.”.
Comment: A small masterpiece. I reread this story regularly - there is just something about it that makes it stand out. It’s wistful and melancholic and beautifully written...
The Life Domestic (Or, Five Times Thorin Failed At Being Domestic And The One Time He Didn't)
Author: redcarrigan
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 3200
Summary: AU! Battle of the Five Armies happens, Arkenstone business is settled and everyone lives - Thorin and Bilbo end up together and all is basically happily ever after save for the fact that it's hard to settle down when you're a dwarf warrior and rather lousy at the domestic side of life.
Comment: Luckily, Bilbo doesn’t mind when Thorin causes some domestic disasters.
The Fluff Under The Mountain - Tale of Two Lovebirds Series: Line of Kings, Might Be a Hindrance and Little Things
Author: Chamelaucium
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3000
Summary: A place for all my fluffy sparkly fics written in my state of serious denial. Where Thorin and Bilbo are happily married and ruling Erebor and are ridiculously happy and sappy and completely in love.
Comment: Exactly what it says on the tin. Fluffier than fluff!
Far Away
Author: Eowyn (eowynsmusings)
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2800
Summary: Two years after the Battle of the Five Armies, a group of dwarves is travelling west to regain a treasure greater than the Arkenstone.
Comment: Now what could that be?
Not Quite First Sight
Author: Ias
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2800
Summary: After a heavy dose of dwarvish medicine, Thorin falls for his intended all over again.
Comment: Both moving and charming! Inspired by this comic of ewebean.
Oh, You're Guarding the Gates
Author: Lapin
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2800
Summary: Dwarven courtship and Hobbit courtship are different, but not too different. Still, it helps if both parties are aware the courtship is in fact happening and quite serious. Not that anyone was planning on saying no, of course. It's just polite to be asked first..
Comment: Aww! Very endearing in an unhurried, serene sort of way.
All Writers Are Liars
Author: bmouse
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2700
Summary: Bilbo Baggins - steadfast adventurer, reluctant warrior, well-meaning thief and unreliable narrator.
Comment: A refreshing take on post-canon AUs.
Overtures
Author: entanglednow
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 2600
Summary: Bilbo knows that cities are not built on companionship and the occasional plate of scones.
Comment: A highly charming ficlet in which Bilbo is entirely oblivious and Thorin suffers one slight after another. Who knew hobbits were so difficult to court?
Lock and Key
Author: Avelera
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2600
Summary: The two times Bilbo Baggins had to replace the lock on his door, and how both happened to coincide with Thorin Oakenshield entering his life.
Comment: Sweet without being saccharine. I always wish that something like this would be canon, that Thorin and Bilbo would have met each other prior to the quest (even if only fleetingly).
Oblivious
Author: soul_of_blaze
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2300
Summary: anonymous: can you write something cute with an awkward thorin trying to seduce bilbo with his dwarfly charm, but bilbo not getting it at all?
Comment: Endearing! Something is definitively off about Thorin. Give Bilbo a few moments (ehem, months) and he will figure this out...
This Will Only Hurt For A Second
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2300
Summary: After the Battle of the Five Armies, Bilbo tends to an injured Thorin Oakenshield. The title is a lie.
Comment: This is about as literally hurt/comfort as it can be - a nice interlude about Bilbo tending to Thorin's wounds and Thorin enduring it for the prospect of another kiss.
Home is Where the Hobbit Is
Author: RarePairFairy
Pairing: B/T, but 99% gen
Rating: G
Length: 2200
Summary: Bilbo returns to the Shire to leave things properly before turning his back on the place forever, ready to call a newly won mountain Home.
The dwarves didn't expect to like the Shire so much.
Comment: Sweet enough to give you diabetes! (But it's worth it).
The Clouds Pass
Author: Ias
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2100
Summary: Bilbo awakes after the final battle and goes in search of a ghost.
Comment: Starts out as a major angst fest, but ends as a neat fix-it (with a little bow on top of it!).
the most noble line of durin
Author: lincesque
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2000
Summary: The ancestors of the most noble line of Durin do not enter eternal rest. And why would they when their descendants provide them with so much amusement? AKA The one post BOTFA where everyone lives and Thorin is literally haunted by the ghosts of his ancestors, all of whom are quite adamant that he do something about that adorable little burglar who helped him reclaim Erebor.
Comment: As if Thorin didn’t enough problems! This guy can’t get a rest. But to be fair, he is behaving extraordinarily cowardly and wimpy.
Cold
Author: yayhodr
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1800
Summary: Bilbo is a very cold hobbit, and Thorin's side of the bed is very empty. Sometimes, one must take matters into their own hands.
Comment: Just Thorin and Bilbo being their usual adorable selves!
Meeting You for the First Time (Again)
Author: therunawaypen
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1700
Summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Five Armies, Thorin required extensive medical care. Even after it was declared he would live, he was given a powerful tonic to dull the pain. Bilbo arrives to see if Thorin still hates him, or if his betrothed still loves him. But a drugged Thorin doesn't know who Bilbo is. Only that he's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
Comment: This is such a light and fluffy read! It was inspired by this comic of ewebean.
After Breakfast
Author: KaavyaWriting
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1700
Summary: Hobbits like to dance. Thorin is jealous..
Comment: And dwarves do jealousy really well. Naturally gifted, I would say. I loved that Bilbo has no intentions of letting himself be bossed around, Dwarf king or no.
Chocolate Pudding
Author: millionthline
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1700
Summary: Inspired from a post on Tumblr: Imagine Person A of your OTP walking downstairs at 4AM to find Person B making chocolate pudding because they’ve lost control of their life....
Comment: Pudding-fuelled domestic fluff.
The Price of Atonement
Author: sunryder
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1500
Summary: "I brought this on us! My pride led us here! If I had returned to Erebor with aide, or not spurned such aide when it was offered to me then perhaps my people would not be scrounging for mushrooms in the lower tunnels and hoping that I won't notice that they starve!"Dís seized Thorin by the edges of his beard and forced him to come to her, forehead to forehead. "Thorin, he is your One." “I know. But how many more people must die for me to be happy?"
Comment: Thorin is forced to marry someone else for political reasons. This is an interesting, not often explored scenario!
And heartbreaking. Did I mention heartbreaking?
Thirteen Month Old Baby, Broke the Looking Glass
Author: littleblackdog
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1500
Summary: Birthday story for ewelock, who prompted: The reason Bilbo is single at age fifty isn’t because he is a confirmed bachelor. In fact, he would want nothing more than to settle down himself. Bilbo is cursed. Every time a romantic partner shows up he/she get into near death situations until they break it off with Bilbo. Drowning, trees falling on them, roof beams collapsing on their heads, etc. And then Thorin steps in, determined to break this curse.
Comment: An angsty little ficlet set directly after the battle; slightly AU.
A Side of Domesticity
Author: soul_of_blaze
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1400
Summary: prompt: so, would you write some domestic bagginshield for me? like bilbo trying to teach thorin some bits of gardening and thorin gets a bit frustrated and bilbo soothes his grumpy mood with litte kisses. i would really like that.
Comment: Thorin trying his hand at gardening will always be cute.
On My Way Home
Author: darth_stitch
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1300
Summary: It is a fact of life that once set outside their Mountains and far above ground, Dwarves have a terrible sense of direction. Poor Thorin Oakenshield
Comment: Thorin’s lack of orientation gets delightfully reinterpreted - after all, home is where the heart is, right? Let’s just say that Thorin knows he has a problem when he gets lost inside his own mountain…
A Tactful Solution
Author: Ias
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1100
Summary: Diplomacy is hard, and Thorin is sensitive. Luckily Bilbo is there to help with both.
Comment: Hilarious! I’ll just leave a quote:[Spoiler (click to open)]For all of his kingly habits, Thorin certainly knew how to channel his inner toddler.
If I Must
Author: diemarysues
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 960
Summary: The prompt is that an exhausted King collapses into bed and is taken care of by gentle Hobbit hands.
Caught in the Rain
Author: Pryftan
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 800
Summary: Caught in a spring shower. Smooching ensues.
Promises Kept
Author: j_gabrielle
Pairing: B/T
Rating: n/a
Length: 700
Summary: I don't care how you do it, whether it's in Erebor or Bag End (or both!), whether the Ring is dealt with or not. Just let me have them dealing with their joints getting creakier, their hair getting whiter, their bodies growing ever frailer, but them not minding because in the end, they got to spend all those decades with each other.
A Wedding Kiss
Author: Pryftan
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 670
Summary: Bilbo and Thorin's wedding.
Intertwined
Author: Sarcasmcat
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 380
Summary: Fíli and Kíli reflect on Thorin and Bilbo's relationship and regret it's end.
Coat
Author: Sarcasmcat
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 340
Summary: Thorin returns to his room to discover something.
Listed here are post-canon AUs with less than 15 000 words.
As always, warnings are not included and favorite stories are labeled with ♫ ♫ ♫.
Please Tread Lightly When Surrounded By Young Hobbits
Author: SailorFish
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 15 000
Summary: A story of how Bilbo's blood pressure rose greatly when faced with tiny cousins, nieces, and nephews coming to visit Erebor for his and Thorin's wedding; a story of how nobody else noticed/cared because they were too busy squeeing at tiny Hobbits that barely reached their waists.
Comment: LITTLE HOBBITSES EVERYWHERE! This fic is cute enough to make you puke rainbows. (And I mean that in the best possible way).
so many beautiful reasons
Author: starr_falling
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 14 000
Summary: They say actions speak louder than words. Thorin hoped his actions would tell Bilbo all he could not say of his feelings. But when courting someone of a different culture, perhaps, a few words would not go astray.
Comment: A cute and fluffy story in which Bilbo naïvely assumes that Thorin is just trying to apologize by giving him gifts. Or in other words, the Company takes the only sensible course of action and sets up a betting pool.
Amongst the Wood Sorrel, Below the Winter Cherry, Blooms One Red Rose (WiP)
Author: Salvia_G
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 12 300
Summary: Some years after he was sent away from Erebor, Bilbo Baggins writes to Thorin Oakenshield of regrets, lost love, and a healing heart. Thorin takes that about like you'd expect.
Comment: This fic is such a charmer! Bilbo writes a letter to Thorin…who takes some of the news fundamentally the wrong way. Who is that “loud, boisterous” Frodo that makes Bilbo so happy, anyway? Why is he so “demanding” and why can’t Bilbo “imagine my life without him?” Needless to say, Thorin obsesses over every line of the letter for weeks on end, grumbling and grouching all the way. Balin (the sly fox!) only feeds the misunderstanding…
so i wait for you like a lonely house
Author: stopchasingflowers
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 11 200
Summary: After the desolation of the dragon, Bilbo loses his voice and Thorin loses his throne.
Comment: Deeply melancholic, but also soothing; the sort of fic that heals the wounds it inflicts. Bilbo returns to the Shire and lives as a sort of hermit in Bag End, unable to put the past behind him and carry on. Reclaiming Erebor has cost him dearly…but thankfully, hope is not yet completely lost.
Slow burn
Author: rachel4revenge
Pairing: B/T
Rating: E
Length: 8500
Summary: Bilbo felt exhilarated, like flying on an eagle without the fear of falling. It was more than the thrill of a tremendously good jig, or kissing cheeks with Daisy Cotton behind the Party Tree - more than stealing down a long dark tunnel to cross verbal swords with a dragon. Bigger than fear, warmer than sneaking unseen through goblin-tunnels with the aid of a magic ring, was this thing between them now, a handful of coals cradled close against the winter wind. Something precious, something lasting, if only they could take good care of it.
Comment: Take notes, Tolkien! THIS IS HOW THE STORY SHOULD HAVE ENDED. In a bedroom in Bag End, with a happy dwarf king between the sheets…not with all that tragic death nonsense! This is a perfect BoFA fix-it story, featuring wonderful interactions between Bilbo and Thorin.
Burning with a Magnificent Madness
Author: EmilianaDarling
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 7300
Summary: Thorin’s madness had been like a dam bursting; fast and brutal and incomprehensible, like water rushing out and devastating everything in its path. For Bilbo, it’s more like a slow trickle over the course of a lifetime. Out of sight and out of mind - and almost imperceptible until he’s already drowning.
Comment: A painful and eloquent account of Thorin’s quick descent into gold madness, juxtaposed with Bilbo’s sanity slowly being undermined and eroded by his growing dependency on the ring.
Winter Song
Author: Lee_Whimsy
Pairing: B/T, Fíli/Kíli
Rating: T
Length: 7200
Summary: Smaug is dead, and the North is peaceful and prosperous once more. One harsh winter, Thorin offers the men of Dale shelter in the mountain; all goes well until a deadly epidemic breaks out among the humans. Dwarves are immune. Hobbits aren't..
Comment: Both pairings are featured about equally. Lovely, exquisite h/c!
Steal You The Sky
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 6600
Summary: 'Cause you're the one.
Comment: Endlessly amusing and adorable. Thorin is the densest, most oblivious dwarf under the mountain…not that that will surprise anyone.
my heart was left remembering your mouth
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 6600
Summary: After the battle, things don’t go back to normal.
Comment: This fic is heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. Erebor is in the process of being rebuilt and everyone is on the way to recovery. Life could be perfect, but Bilbo has severe difficulties handling the aftershocks of the battle…and gradually, he retreats from Thorin. The dissolution of their marriage is so well portrayed - the spaces that open up between them, the widening chasms that Thorin can’t seem to bridge…Thorin’s own grief, echoing that of his husband.
It's a braid thing (you wouldn't understand)
Author: authoressjean
Pairing: B/T
Rating: E
Length: 6100
Summary: After the last near "tragedy" (or so the dwarves are calling it, Bilbo's about done with them), Bilbo doesn't cut his hair and instead lets it go long. Except now, now he's almost home, his dwarves insisting on escorting him back, and he's got long hair he doesn't know what to do with. (...)
Comment: This fic is nothing short of hilarious! The Company escort Bilbo home to the Shire…and as chance would have it, Bilbo’s hair has gotten awfully long. Cue Thorin entering the scene, with his feet-shuffling awkwardness and his determination to braid Bilbo’s hair. Because dammit, that’s what friends do for each other! Needless to say, Bilbo is a bit suspicious about the whole affair. And why is the Company so invested in this, anyway?
All The Rivers Sound In My Body
Author: littleblackdog
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 5700
Summary: As much as he might like to cut a natty figure in a proper waistcoat and trousers with a reasonable inseam, Bilbo knew there were many more important things to bother with at the moment. Rebuilding an entire dwarven kingdom, for one. And airing out the stink of dragon would be nice as well.
Comment: An intimate, well written glimpse into Bilbo’s and Thorin’s marriage just as the rebuilding of Erebor has begun. They are not yet together for long, so there are some misunderstandings between them that stem from a lack of knowledge (both of the other’s preferences and the other’s culture).
Conspiracy against the Throne
Author: ferretbaby
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 5600
Summary: Thorin had thought he’d have to defend Bilbo’s place at his side once Erebor was restored, but in time the dwarf King learns the opposite holds true as the citizens of Erebor fall deeply in love with the hobbit consort.
Bilbo is just amused at how jealous Thorin gets.
Comment: Thorin is worried that his subjects won’t take to a hobbit consort. Turns out, his worries are unfounded. Or rather: misdirected. It appears that Bilbo is to dwarves what catnip is to cats…and no, Thorin doesn’t like that particular development either. (Some people eare just never happy!)
Home Behind and Home Ahead ♫ ♫ ♫
Author: Etharei
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 5500
Summary: For as long as Frodo could remember, his beloved Uncle Bilbo was known around the Shire for his shocking habit of disappearing for long periods of time. Bilbo never told anybody where he was going or when he expected to be back, and didn't seem to care what other people thought of such disrespectable inconstancy.
Comment: Frodo gives us an amazing, nuanced POV! Through his eyes, the reader slowly understands what eludes the hobbits in the Shire - the duality of Bilbo Baggins.
Nine-Tenths of the Law
Author: Sans_Souci
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 5200
Summary: Slightly D/s AU: Thorin is a kingly King in public as he takes charge of the rebuilding Erebor, but Bilbo’s in control when they are alone in private. Not just when it comes to sex. Kink-meme prompt combining~
Comment: Thorin needs some guidance, sometimes…and Bilbo is happy to provide it. A glimpse into their life together, into an arrangement that works exceedingly well for them.
One Half of My Heart and the companion piece, One Half of My Soul
Author: lilithiumwords
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 5000
Summary: After a long day, Bilbo relaxes with his beloved...
Comment: This is so fluffy it could be labeled domestic porn.
I dream of you, to wake
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 4700
Summary: The worst curses aren't those that cause outright physical harm. They're the ones that chip away at you, bit by bit, until there's nothing left to hurt.
Comment: A devastatingly sad post-canon AU in which Bilbo can only be awake at night and Thorin can only be awake during the day.
our bones are broken still
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 4500
Summary: There’s an emptiness inside of him where something bright used to occupy, and his aching bones creak around the spaces left behind. He’s just not cut out for this, Bilbo thinks. or, Six Things that will Never Happen to Bilbo Baggins.
Comment: Bittersweet and at times lyrical, this fic explores what Thorin’s survival would have been like…it’s not the fairytale ending everybody wishes for, but a highly plausible alternative and all the more striking for it.
In More than the Wisdom of Years
Author: jezebel_rising
Pairing: Dis, B/T
Rating: n/a
Length: 4200
Summary: So the battle happened and Thorin lived (barely, but he's managed to escape death) his nephews too. The treasure has been divided and Elves and Men went on their way. Dwarves are set on rebuilding Erebor to its former glory and there's just one little thing left unsolved - setting their burglar on the way.
I would pretty much like it form the point of view of Dis, who just arrived to Erebor to take care of her boys (brother included) and sees what a mess Thorin's made of everything..”.
Comment: Dis’ POV is delightful from start to finish! She is simply not here for any BS and whips her stubborn idiot of a brother into line. The formatting of the fic is a bit irregular, but didn’t hinder the reading too much.
bring your battle to my door
Author: kay_cricketed
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 3800
Summary: Surviving the Battle of Five Armies is only the first step. Bilbo may not be able to master the sword, but he is certainly capable of putting Thorin Oakenshield in his place, and his place is the throne of Erebor. (This is a very nice way of saying: Thorin and Bilbo celebrate by having sex on the throne and the mountain says it's good.)
Comment: Furious, breathless and intense. Bilbo and Thorin reunite with all the violence of a seismic shifting - equally demanding and determined, two forces to be reckoned with. Beautifully written!
The Slice of Life Series: Doorways and Have a Cuppa Tea
Author: keelywolfe
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 3800
Summary: Before meeting Dwarves, Bilbo would never have believed anyone could spend all their time indoors, if the inside of a mountain, particularly Erebor, could be called anything so bland as indoors. Away from the Sun would be more accurate, he supposed, and Bilbo had since learned that Dwarves could be content with just that for weeks at a time.
Set in an altered universe where Bilbo is living in Erebor..”.
Comment: So lovely it should be illegal. I CAN’T HANDLE THE CUTENESS. I JUST CAN’T.
Kneeling before the King
Author: anon
Pairing: gen, Durin family feels B/T
Rating: n/a
Length: 3700
Summary: for the prompt: After the BOTFA (from which everyone survive, of course), and after everything is rebuilt, the Royal Advisors talk to Fili and Kili, telling them that, now that Thorin's King, they think that the two Princes should start kneeling whenever approaching him. Fili and Kili think that the Advisors should go to Hell.
Comment: The B/T slash is of the blink-and-you-miss-it kind, but I appreciated the fierce Durin family feels and the glimpse into the intricate policies of rebuilding a dwarven kingdom.
The Greatest Treasure in Erebor
Author: TheNarator
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3600
Summary: It takes roughly two months of being taken on a different walking tour of The Splendors of Erebor every single day for Bilbo to work out that Thorin and Company are trying to convince him not to leave..”.
Comment: Charming and heartwarming. (And it’s hilarious how the Company tries to make Bilbo stay in Erebor…these guys fail at being subtle!).
Thorin and the Beast (Or How Dwarves Can’t Ever Speak Their Heart When They’re Pining)
Author: authoressjean
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3600
Summary: Thorin comes into his quarters one day to find a cat lounging on his desk. Nothing could make his day worse. And then the cat takes up all of Bilbo's time, and Thorin finds out that yes, it can get worse, and yes, he's jealous of a cat. Or: The one where Thorin can't get the right words to come out, the cat hates him, and Bilbo is unaware he's being pined after.
Comment: A lighthearted, fluffy story in which Thorin can’t deal with cats and has trouble confessing his undying love for a certain hobbit.
Firmament ♫ ♫ ♫
Author: Lee_Whimsy
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3500
Summary: Bilbo, more or less by accident, had become a collector of rings. Gollum’s ring he kept in his pocket, safely hidden away, but another he wore-never mind that it was far too large, and always slipping off his finger.
“It suits you,” Thorin said, and took Bilbo’s hands in his. “There. Now you hold all that is dear to me.”.
Comment: A small masterpiece. I reread this story regularly - there is just something about it that makes it stand out. It’s wistful and melancholic and beautifully written...
The Life Domestic (Or, Five Times Thorin Failed At Being Domestic And The One Time He Didn't)
Author: redcarrigan
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 3200
Summary: AU! Battle of the Five Armies happens, Arkenstone business is settled and everyone lives - Thorin and Bilbo end up together and all is basically happily ever after save for the fact that it's hard to settle down when you're a dwarf warrior and rather lousy at the domestic side of life.
Comment: Luckily, Bilbo doesn’t mind when Thorin causes some domestic disasters.
The Fluff Under The Mountain - Tale of Two Lovebirds Series: Line of Kings, Might Be a Hindrance and Little Things
Author: Chamelaucium
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 3000
Summary: A place for all my fluffy sparkly fics written in my state of serious denial. Where Thorin and Bilbo are happily married and ruling Erebor and are ridiculously happy and sappy and completely in love.
Comment: Exactly what it says on the tin. Fluffier than fluff!
Far Away
Author: Eowyn (eowynsmusings)
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2800
Summary: Two years after the Battle of the Five Armies, a group of dwarves is travelling west to regain a treasure greater than the Arkenstone.
Comment: Now what could that be?
Not Quite First Sight
Author: Ias
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2800
Summary: After a heavy dose of dwarvish medicine, Thorin falls for his intended all over again.
Comment: Both moving and charming! Inspired by this comic of ewebean.
Oh, You're Guarding the Gates
Author: Lapin
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2800
Summary: Dwarven courtship and Hobbit courtship are different, but not too different. Still, it helps if both parties are aware the courtship is in fact happening and quite serious. Not that anyone was planning on saying no, of course. It's just polite to be asked first..
Comment: Aww! Very endearing in an unhurried, serene sort of way.
All Writers Are Liars
Author: bmouse
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2700
Summary: Bilbo Baggins - steadfast adventurer, reluctant warrior, well-meaning thief and unreliable narrator.
Comment: A refreshing take on post-canon AUs.
Overtures
Author: entanglednow
Pairing: B/T
Rating: M
Length: 2600
Summary: Bilbo knows that cities are not built on companionship and the occasional plate of scones.
Comment: A highly charming ficlet in which Bilbo is entirely oblivious and Thorin suffers one slight after another. Who knew hobbits were so difficult to court?
Lock and Key
Author: Avelera
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2600
Summary: The two times Bilbo Baggins had to replace the lock on his door, and how both happened to coincide with Thorin Oakenshield entering his life.
Comment: Sweet without being saccharine. I always wish that something like this would be canon, that Thorin and Bilbo would have met each other prior to the quest (even if only fleetingly).
Oblivious
Author: soul_of_blaze
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2300
Summary: anonymous: can you write something cute with an awkward thorin trying to seduce bilbo with his dwarfly charm, but bilbo not getting it at all?
Comment: Endearing! Something is definitively off about Thorin. Give Bilbo a few moments (ehem, months) and he will figure this out...
This Will Only Hurt For A Second
Author: fideliant
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2300
Summary: After the Battle of the Five Armies, Bilbo tends to an injured Thorin Oakenshield. The title is a lie.
Comment: This is about as literally hurt/comfort as it can be - a nice interlude about Bilbo tending to Thorin's wounds and Thorin enduring it for the prospect of another kiss.
Home is Where the Hobbit Is
Author: RarePairFairy
Pairing: B/T, but 99% gen
Rating: G
Length: 2200
Summary: Bilbo returns to the Shire to leave things properly before turning his back on the place forever, ready to call a newly won mountain Home.
The dwarves didn't expect to like the Shire so much.
Comment: Sweet enough to give you diabetes! (But it's worth it).
The Clouds Pass
Author: Ias
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 2100
Summary: Bilbo awakes after the final battle and goes in search of a ghost.
Comment: Starts out as a major angst fest, but ends as a neat fix-it (with a little bow on top of it!).
the most noble line of durin
Author: lincesque
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 2000
Summary: The ancestors of the most noble line of Durin do not enter eternal rest. And why would they when their descendants provide them with so much amusement? AKA The one post BOTFA where everyone lives and Thorin is literally haunted by the ghosts of his ancestors, all of whom are quite adamant that he do something about that adorable little burglar who helped him reclaim Erebor.
Comment: As if Thorin didn’t enough problems! This guy can’t get a rest. But to be fair, he is behaving extraordinarily cowardly and wimpy.
Cold
Author: yayhodr
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1800
Summary: Bilbo is a very cold hobbit, and Thorin's side of the bed is very empty. Sometimes, one must take matters into their own hands.
Comment: Just Thorin and Bilbo being their usual adorable selves!
Meeting You for the First Time (Again)
Author: therunawaypen
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1700
Summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Five Armies, Thorin required extensive medical care. Even after it was declared he would live, he was given a powerful tonic to dull the pain. Bilbo arrives to see if Thorin still hates him, or if his betrothed still loves him. But a drugged Thorin doesn't know who Bilbo is. Only that he's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
Comment: This is such a light and fluffy read! It was inspired by this comic of ewebean.
After Breakfast
Author: KaavyaWriting
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1700
Summary: Hobbits like to dance. Thorin is jealous..
Comment: And dwarves do jealousy really well. Naturally gifted, I would say. I loved that Bilbo has no intentions of letting himself be bossed around, Dwarf king or no.
Chocolate Pudding
Author: millionthline
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1700
Summary: Inspired from a post on Tumblr: Imagine Person A of your OTP walking downstairs at 4AM to find Person B making chocolate pudding because they’ve lost control of their life....
Comment: Pudding-fuelled domestic fluff.
The Price of Atonement
Author: sunryder
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1500
Summary: "I brought this on us! My pride led us here! If I had returned to Erebor with aide, or not spurned such aide when it was offered to me then perhaps my people would not be scrounging for mushrooms in the lower tunnels and hoping that I won't notice that they starve!"Dís seized Thorin by the edges of his beard and forced him to come to her, forehead to forehead. "Thorin, he is your One." “I know. But how many more people must die for me to be happy?"
Comment: Thorin is forced to marry someone else for political reasons. This is an interesting, not often explored scenario!
And heartbreaking. Did I mention heartbreaking?
Thirteen Month Old Baby, Broke the Looking Glass
Author: littleblackdog
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1500
Summary: Birthday story for ewelock, who prompted: The reason Bilbo is single at age fifty isn’t because he is a confirmed bachelor. In fact, he would want nothing more than to settle down himself. Bilbo is cursed. Every time a romantic partner shows up he/she get into near death situations until they break it off with Bilbo. Drowning, trees falling on them, roof beams collapsing on their heads, etc. And then Thorin steps in, determined to break this curse.
Comment: An angsty little ficlet set directly after the battle; slightly AU.
A Side of Domesticity
Author: soul_of_blaze
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1400
Summary: prompt: so, would you write some domestic bagginshield for me? like bilbo trying to teach thorin some bits of gardening and thorin gets a bit frustrated and bilbo soothes his grumpy mood with litte kisses. i would really like that.
Comment: Thorin trying his hand at gardening will always be cute.
On My Way Home
Author: darth_stitch
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 1300
Summary: It is a fact of life that once set outside their Mountains and far above ground, Dwarves have a terrible sense of direction. Poor Thorin Oakenshield
Comment: Thorin’s lack of orientation gets delightfully reinterpreted - after all, home is where the heart is, right? Let’s just say that Thorin knows he has a problem when he gets lost inside his own mountain…
A Tactful Solution
Author: Ias
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 1100
Summary: Diplomacy is hard, and Thorin is sensitive. Luckily Bilbo is there to help with both.
Comment: Hilarious! I’ll just leave a quote:[Spoiler (click to open)]For all of his kingly habits, Thorin certainly knew how to channel his inner toddler.
If I Must
Author: diemarysues
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 960
Summary: The prompt is that an exhausted King collapses into bed and is taken care of by gentle Hobbit hands.
Caught in the Rain
Author: Pryftan
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 800
Summary: Caught in a spring shower. Smooching ensues.
Promises Kept
Author: j_gabrielle
Pairing: B/T
Rating: n/a
Length: 700
Summary: I don't care how you do it, whether it's in Erebor or Bag End (or both!), whether the Ring is dealt with or not. Just let me have them dealing with their joints getting creakier, their hair getting whiter, their bodies growing ever frailer, but them not minding because in the end, they got to spend all those decades with each other.
A Wedding Kiss
Author: Pryftan
Pairing: B/T
Rating: G
Length: 670
Summary: Bilbo and Thorin's wedding.
Intertwined
Author: Sarcasmcat
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 380
Summary: Fíli and Kíli reflect on Thorin and Bilbo's relationship and regret it's end.
Coat
Author: Sarcasmcat
Pairing: B/T
Rating: T
Length: 340
Summary: Thorin returns to his room to discover something.