Fic Rec Fridays 2021 - part 1

Growing Dwarves (And Kingdoms) (302541 words) by Lumeleo
Chapters: 38/38
Fandom: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Fíli/Ori, Kíli/Tauriel, Dwalin/Nori, Gimli/Legolas Greenleaf
Characters: Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, Fíli, Kíli, Tauriel, Legolas Greenleaf, Thorin's Company, Gimli, Original Dwarf Character(s), Ori (Tolkien)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Not Actually Unrequited Love, magic baby, Battle of Five Armies Fix-It, Eventual Fluff, Cabbage Patch Hobbits
Series: Part 1 of Garden in the Mountain

Summary:

Sometimes, Bilbo finds, not everything goes according to plan.

First an injury and the coming winter delay his leaving Erebor, then word from the Shire leaves him mourning his beloved Bag End. And because getting added to Thorin's council isn't trouble enough, Kili is in love with an elf, Fili may or may not have his eyes on a certain little scribe, everyone seems to think he is a lady hobbit, and Thorin needs to find someone to marry.

Okay. So the last part might not be trouble, exactly, except for the part where it makes Bilbo's rather hopeless attachment even more painful. Or it wouldn't if he hadn't possibly accidentally promised to provide Thorin with an heir... and Dáin just might still be scheming something.

Fortunately, if there's one thing hobbits are good at, it's growing things. And Thorin did promise him a garden.

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As befits the date, this fic is a lot of firsts. It’s one of the stories that first pulled me into the Hobbit fandom, and into reading and writing more fic. Also it’s the first (if I remember right) longfic that I ever started reading as a WIP and followed until it was finished -- and that’s a very special journey that never gets old. And last but not least, this is the story that got me shipping Fíli and Ori, and my heart will forever have a soft spot for those two.

In all, it was a fascinating experience to watch this whole vast, sprawling thicket of a story unfold and put down deep roots into a rich and solid foundation of imaginative worldbuilding that allowed the main plotline to branch out into unexpected -- and wonderfully dramatic -- directions.

And it was an additional delight to see some of those secondary plotlines take on a life of their own, developing into more than mere offshoots of the main story, yet remaining rooted to it and adding a layer of depth to the entire tapestry.

TL;DNR: in my opinion, still one of the best long fix-it stories out there, extremely easy to get lost in, darker themes skillfully used to balance the fluff without sacrificing the guaranteed happy ending.