The two of you sat side by side, Bofur talking a mile a minute as he gestures animatedly, his words spilling out without pause.

“—and then Bombur, the great oaf, goes and knocks the whole stew pot over! I tell ya, I’ve never seen Thorin look so close to losing his mind.” He chuckles, shaking his head before continuing without missing a beat. “And don’t even get me started on the time I got lost in the mines as a lad—oh, you’d have laughed yourself sick! There I was, convinced I’d discovered some grand new tunnel, only to find myself goin’ in circles for hours.”

His eyes twinkle, his voice warm and familiar, like the crackling of a hearth on a cold night.