part one
The break for lunch was short. Yet long enough to put the plan in motion. Legolas nudged the small hobbit in front of him, "off you go then" he whispered encouragingly.
But now that it came down to it, suddenly Pippin felt that it wasn't such a great idea any more. Sure before, when he was just talking about it with Merry it had seemed funny. A way to break the monotony of the journey, and it had still seemed funny when Merry told Sam, and Sam told Frodo, and Legolas overheard and he had thought it was funny and said they were so right, and so he told the dwarf and Gandalf, and Gandalf had said it was mean, but then they'd explained to him again and explained how boring the journey was getting and he'd relented and decided it was funny too, and they all thought it was funny and...
Now it was actually time to get things moving, and he suddenly thought that it really wasn't such a great idea after all.
"Are you going or not?" Legolas hissed to him, "you have to go soon, before Aragorn gets back."
Pippin looked across at Merry, who gave him a quick gesture of encouragement. He didn't feel encouraged. He sighed and looked across at Boromir. The man was leaning against a rock with his usual 'I Don't Want to be Here' expression on his face. Dammit, Boromir was so...so...unapproachable, although at least he didn't actually seem to be angry as such. Oh well, Pippin thought, it was now or never, and bracing himself, he marched tentatively across to the Steward.
Legolas and Merry watched expectantly as Pippin approached the man and struck up a conversation. At first he seemed disinterested, then, as Pippin pointed into the woods in the vague direction that Aragorn had taken only a few minutes before, Boromir sat bolt upright and stared incredulously at the small hobbit in front of him. He gave a sudden grin. Legolas and Merry exchanged shocked glances, they'd never seen him do that before.
And then all of a sudden Pippin was back with them, Aragorn was returning from the woods and the company was preparing to move. Merry and Legolas looked at Pippin expectantly.
"He's in!' Pippin whispered to them triumphantly.
The long day was finally coming to an end, the sun began to sink behind the mountains ahead of them, and the shadows lengthened across the forest floor.
Shit, thought an unimpressed Aragorn, who was, as per usual, bringing up the rear. The days always ended much too quickly, he felt. Twelve hours of Boromir-arse watching just seemed to go by so damn fast. He hated the sun for going down so early and encouraging Gandalf to call the company to a halt. Aragorn knew that once they had stopped, as had happened every night so far, Boromir would soon remove himself from the group, and sit alone, sulking in that incredibly sexy way of his, about something or other, and Aragorn would be left with the rest of the fellowship, cursing the fact that he was too much of a coward to approach the other man.
He lapsed into a complicated day dream involving Boromir, the Horn of Gondor, himself, and a throne. The throne he intended to get made just as soon as he was King. Just as soon as he was King and Boromir had accepted that fact. No, submitted to that fact. No, submitted to him, and...
"Dammit! Ow ow ow!"
The group spun to see the source of the noise, only to discover Aragorn lying face down in the dirt.This is what comes, he thought ruefully, of spending too much time watching the arse of the person in front of you, the incredibly tight arse of the person in front of you, the wonderfully wonderfully, well, the arse that belonged to Boromir in fact, and not watching where you were going. Stupid tree root.
" I fear you have fallen, my King," sneered Boromir, standing over the prostate figure of Aragorn sprawled on the path.
Aragorn scowled, and got up again, spitting the dirt from his mouth as he did so. Dismissing Boromir's comment he brushed past him, and continued to the head of the line where Gandalf was leading the company through the wood.
That, it seemed, was the end of Boromir-arse watching for the day.
Ignoring Aragorn stalking grumpily behind him, Gandalf brought the company towards a clearing that stood open, a little way off the path. It was fairly small, yet large enough to contain the whole Fellowship. On all sides it was surrounded by trees, whose long branches reached up and intertwined overhead so that the clearing was roofed by a green interlocked trellis of leaves. Gandalf inspected it closely, and appeared satisfied. "I fear that the hobbits grow weary with our travel, and here I deem, is as safe a place as any for us to wait out the night," he said, "It is best for us to stop now, before night comes upon us and we are unable to find a safer place. Also- "
He turned back now, to face the company arranged in single file behind him,
"-I have a blister on my foot, and it fucking hurts."
By the time darkness had completely descended and enveloped the forest in it's velvet gloom, the Fellowship had set up camp, and were resting, lying in their bedrolls, waiting for sleep to overcome them, and drive away their weariness.
Or, at least, some of them were.
Pippin rolled across to Merry, who was lying beside him, "Do you think that Boromir will do anything to night?" he whispered.
"Shussh!" Merry hissed, "I don't know, give him a chance. Anyway, we never told him he to do anything, we just warned him in case Aragorn does anything. Boromir is hardly going to move right away now is he?"
"Why not?" Pippin grumbled, "I bet he's just as bored as we are. In fact he's probably even borderer."
And Pippin was right, Boromir thought as he listened to the hobbit's whispered conversation. He was bored. Looking up at the roof of the clearing, he suddenly felt hemmed in and claustrophobic. The Fellowship was nothing to him, and yet here he was, traveling towards an uncertain destiny, instead of returning to Gondor, his home and his people. Raising himself up on one arm he peered around at the rest of the company, all of whom appeared to be sleeping soundly. Even Merry and Pippin were now quiet, yet he had no doubt that they were watching him expectantly. He thought about his earlier conversation with Pippin. It had certainly been out of the blue, that was for sure. But he supposed it was an interesting theory. He peered across the bedrolls towards Aragorn, sleeping on the opposite side of the camp. The Ranger- in love with him? He shook his head- no, if that happened, it would be too funny for words.
Crawling out of his bedroll, he quietly made his way out of the clearing and back onto the path that they had been travelling upon that day. A little way down the track he came upon a small densely grown thicket of trees, yet he found, as he pushed through this outer barrier, that at the centre, the thicket stood open to the stars. The sight of the stars instantly gave him relief from the caged in feeling of the camp site, and he seated himself on the ground looking up at the sky. The same sky that he would be seeing, had he been standing on the parapets of the Tower of Ecthelion, with the white stone below him, and the banners of Gondor blowing in the nighttime breeze.
Aragorn watched silently as Boromir left the clearing, an extra shot at Boromir-arse watching he thought gleefully, but, all to soon it was over and Boromir- and his arse, had passed out of sight. Aragorn wondered where he was going. Perhaps he should find out? But then he thought back to the incident earlier that day. Damn, but the man hated him. It just wasn't fair, he thought, he was the King, or future King. People were supposed to love their Kings. That was what being King was all about wasn't it?
Obviously, the man was going to be a bit pissed that he, Aragorn, was really in a way taking away his inheritance. But this... this all-out hatred. This was resistance, this was. Something Aragorn had never encountered before. He could not let this man dismiss him so easily. No-one had ever turned him down before...
Except that girl in Bree who said she preferred men that washed, or that guy in Rohan, who said he preferred his horse. Aragorn shuddered, now that one had been scary.
But that wasn't the point. The point was that he desperately wanted Boromir, all of Boromir. He wanted his body (obviously), he wanted his heart, and at the same time he wanted his acceptance. To accept that Aragorn was King, and then submit to him.
Time for action then, he thought to himself, and a reason... why would I want to go following Boromir?, think of a reason Aragorn! think....
Leaning across to Gandalf who was, in fact, the only member of the fellowship who was truly asleep and not just pretending, he prodded him with a finger.
"Can I borrow some pipe weed?"
Gandalf woke and looked at him blearily.
"Wha?" he mumbled into his beard, "I don't have any left."
"Oh. That's a shame," Aragorn smiled brightly, "I'll just ask Boromir for some then."
He got up and left the clearing. In the next bedroll over Legolas looked up and watched him leave.Gandalf shook his head in confusion, "but Boromir doesn't smoke," he muttered.
Legolas smirked knowingly across at him, "No, he doesn't" he said.
Gandalf looked at him until suddenly realisation dawned in his face. " You haven't told Boromir about that bet that..."
Legolas nodded happily, "Yes we have." Gandalf groaned and stuck his head under the pillow, "I don't want to know" they heard his muffled voice say.
"The betting starts now!" Legolas exclaimed, and within seconds the remaining members of the company, excepting Gandalf, who stayed under his bedroll, were seated in a circle around Legolas as he earnestly started taking money.
The sound of snapping twigs startled Boromir out of his thoughts, and he spun round, hand reaching towards his sword, only to find himself face to face with Aragorn.
He stopped in and stared in surprise.
"Aragorn?"
Aragorn looked up from the branch that appeared to be trying to insert itself up his nose. "ah"' he said non commitally.
"What are you doing?"
" I was wondering if you had any pipe weed." Aragorn said.
"I don't smoke"
Boromir noticed a spasm of panic flash across Aragorn's face at his answer.
Fuck, Aragorn thought to himself, of course you don't. Dammit, dammit, dammit. But- within seconds he composed himself and came up with a new plan.
Boromir watched as Aragorn's expression changed to his 'I am Your King, You Will Swear me Your Allegiance' look. The one he seemed to reserve especially for Boromir.Then, brushing the offending branch from his nose Aragorn entered the thicket properly,"I did not deem that it was wise for the members of company to be wandering on their own. I noticed that you did not sleep and I came to see what had caused your fey mood." he answered him.
Boromir, now more than surprised, appraised him warily,'Is that so, King of Gondor?' he said, before turning away and seating himself back down on the ground.
By Valar, thought Aragorn, he sounded so sexy when he said that. Although he knew that it was an insult, every time he heard him sneer it..."King"... it made him shiver, "King", *shiver* "King" *shiver* "King" *shiver*, oh, wait, Boromir was talking again, back on task...
"I came to escape from the confines of your little Fellowship, and to think of the more important roads that I could have taken. Roads that would have led me back to where I was needed, and not off on some jaunt where my counsel is never taken, and I am used simply as baby-sitter to Halflings."
Damn thought Aragorn. He's really pissed with me. This is probably not a good time to confess my adoration. Yet he was there now, and he would hardly win Boromir over if he just disappeared again. This was his chance. He had to keep working on it. Shit but the man was hot when he was angry.
"Is that truly the way you feel?" he asked Boromir, seating himself down beside him. Close, but not too close...yet.
He looked over into Boromir's grey eyes, only to find them pools of danger, smouldering with anger and frustration, sucking him in.
"Why?" Boromir queried sarcastically, "Do you think that I have been treated otherwise? Do you think that I should, perchance, be happy or maybe honored, that I have the opportunity to travel with the future King of Gondor- the dirty man of the Broken Sword?"
Ouch, that hurt, thought Aragorn to himself. Plus it wasn't broken any more anyway. It was fixed. He thought about informing Boromir that he had another sword, a sword that had never been broken, a sword that was incredibly portable, a sword that fitted nicely into the front of his pants, and then demonstrating his skill at using it and then...crap, he thought, got carried away again.
"Do you hate me that much Boromir, son of Denethor?
"I do not love you."
Damn the stubborn bastard, "I did not ask that."
"What would you have me say then?"
"I want you to speak plainly. For all the time that we have been together on this quest, never have you spoken your true thoughts."
"My, true thoughts? You would not want to know my true thoughts, King."
Once again, Boromir looked up at the sky, as if searching the stars for something that he could not find there in the thicket. No, he thought, you would not want to know my true thoughts. I do not want to know my true thoughts.
Aragorn spoke again and the voice distracted him.
"Yes I would. I would know your thoughts Boromir of Gondor. I would know your feelings and your moods if you would but let me."
Boromir turned his gaze away from the sky and looked back at Aragorn. The older man sat beside him, intently staring at his sword hilt. He looked... agitated. Why was he here? Had he come to taunt him, flaunt his claim to the throne again? Boromir did not understand Aragorn's purpose. Once again he considered the words that Pippin had spoken to him at lunch. He had agreed to be apart of the bet- if Aragorn ever approached him, but never had he really believed that it would happen. Yet...
Aragorn was acting different. Could the hobbits have been right? Perhaps...perhaps now that he had the chance, he should test Pippin's theory. He looked at Aragorn again. It wasn't though he had never done it before, and Aragorn wasn't really too bad, in fact come to think of it... his eyes ran over Aragorn's craggy face, his scruffy, ragged stubble, his muscular chest, which, Boromir suddenly noticed, was covered only by a light shirt, a light shirt that was open rather invitingly at the neck, his powerful, sinuous, long legs...if only he wasn't such a bogan and a prat.
"Let you?" Boromir considered Aragorn some more, after all he had given his word to the hobbit, and a Man of Gondor has his honour...and Pippin had seemed so enamoured with the idea, "will you look at me so that I may understand what lies beneath these strange words of yours?" he asked
Aragorn turned his head and looked into Boromir's eyes again and in one instant they swallowed him whole, he was sucked into a mesmerizing greyness that searched his very soul.
Fuck, he thought, I may have slightly underestimated the situation...
Boromir grinned inwardly. This was a surprise, the hobbits had been right after all, it was hard to believe but he could see now, he could see Aragorn's desire. Idly he wondered what the bets would be. Oh well, he'd ask Pippin later. But for now, yes. This would be fun.
"Maybe I will let you know them, if you feel that you are strong enough to bear them, Aragorn son of Arathorn."
He pushed Aragorn over with a challenging sneer, and with one deft movement grabbed him round the neck and kissed him with such ferocity and such passion that Aragorn almost felt left behind.
After fully exploring the inside of Aragorn's mouth with his tongue he pulled away, and turned once again to the stars.
"You may go now King. You have seen the answer to your questions."
Aragorn ignored him, yet at the same time he was worried. He hadn't expected to find Boromir quite so controlling. Clearly the man was not new to this sort of pastime. Although, at least he was willing, that was one problem overcome. But, damn, he would have to work harder if he was going to get him to submit. If he was going to take that seductive and arrogant body and prove that there was only room for one King here...
"Do you presume that one answer would be all it takes to satisfy me?"
In his turn he ran his hand lightly up Boromir's back and encircled his waist in his arm. Leaning forward he kissed the man in front of him, delicately and deeply. Probing and caressing the other man's tongue with his own.
And then it was Boromir's turn to be worried. He broke away, he had felt experience in that kiss. This was unexpected, the hobbit's had never warned him that...but maybe they didn't know. Suddenly he realised he knew nothing of the ranger's past either, or even where his feelings might lie in matters like these. He realised that he did not know what wealth of experience may lie hidden within this man's heart. This was going to be a bigger challenge than he had thought.
"What? Can you not take it Boromir?"
"Have you done this before, Aragorn?" Boromir asked quietly.
"No"
The look of guilt that flashed across Aragorn's features was quickly replaced with shock and horror at such a suggestion.
Boromir looked at Aragorn with an unreadable expression on his face. Ahh, he thought, someone is not quite up to coming out of the closet yet. Never mind, two could play at that game.
"No? ...neither have I."
Boromir looked challengingly at Aragorn even as he said it.
"I have never done this before." Clear and pure were his eyes, grey as the sky in the winter over the White Mountains, daring Aragorn to defy the statement, but Aragorn stayed silent.
Again he took Aragorn up and kissed him, delving deep into the Ranger's mouth, tracing edges of his lips with his tongue and caressing the stubble of Aragorn's chin with his fingertips. Kissing him again and again, as though he would never get enough, his hands reaching further and further down Aragorn's body, until they felt his belt buckle and begin untying the knot of his belt.
This time it was Aragorn who broke away.
"You move fast Man of Gondor."
"I have learnt that to move faster is to live longer. Does a Ranger, perchance, see differently?" Boromir questioned him, but he did not stop untying the belt.
"Yes" answered Aragorn, "I find that to use caution and wait is sometimes better counsel."
"You will not counsel me, my King" Boromir proclaimed, and with that he he undid the belt, and pulling it from the belt hooks he took down Aragorn's pants.
The camp was currently split by three different opinions on the outcome of the night. Legolas had placed his money on the probability that neither of the men would return until morning, while the hobbits all had Aragorn as odds on favourite for having an angst fit and walking out. Gandalf, who had eventually been coaxed out of the bed clothes by twenty to one odds, and Gimli, were both backing Boromir as the first one back to camp.
Suddenly the silence of the night was broken by the sound of exploding laughter. In the quiet campsite it sounded very loud, and unexpected, and the gamblers started in surprise. Merry looked across at Legolas, "Umm, isn't that Boromir?" he asked.
Legolas peered in the direction in which the two men had taken, "Y'know, I believe it is,' he murmured, "and I believe that that may change the odds somewhat."
Then turning back to the betting circle, he spread out his arms and proclaimed, " I am now putting Aragorn as the odds on favourite to be first back at camp. If you wish to place new bets please place them now."
Gimli shook his head in disgust, "Oh no," he grumbled, "you will not cheat me, Elf. My bet stays, Boromir will not take it I say. Boromir will be back here within the hour."
Gandalf nodded his head in agreement, "My bets hold too, I stay with master Dwarf, I don't know why he laughed, but Boromir is too angry at Aragorn to let him in, regardless of how much Aragorn tries. Aragorn is too forceful when it comes to sex. He always has to be in control. You always have to submit to him."
The company suddenly went very quiet.
"I mean- that is what I've heard. I've heard that that is what he is like. I've heard that he is very controlling." Gandalf suddenly became very interested in one of the threads that was unraveling from his hat.
" Err...right." Legolas concentrated on the betting. "You're on" he said, "what about you Merry? are you in, or are you changing?"
Merry thought for a moment, Gandalf's words had just put some very scary images into his mind. Eventually he replied, " I'm with you Legolas, I'd say that laugh changes things. I'm putting my money the two of them staying out the night."
Pippin shook his head, "I was the only one that saw Boromir's reaction when I told him how much Aragorn had been watching him, he didn't believe me, but he wasn't angry, I'd say he was curious." Pippin stopped to consider," I can't see him walking out at all. I still say it will be Aragorn who comes back first. I think, that with Boromir, he's in way over his head."
Legolas looked at Sam and Frodo, "bets in boys..." he said.
"Stop," Sam broke in, "before I put down more money I want to be sure that Boromir will hold true. How do we know that he isn't telling Aragorn all about the bet right at this instant."
"Do you doubt Boromir?," asked Pippin in disbelief.
"Yes", answered Sam, "Yes I do. Boromir has been giving Mr Frodo some very queer looks lately and I don't like it."
"But Sam," said Merry, looking quzzically at him, "you give Frodo queer looks all the time."
"That's different," muttered Sam defensively, "anyway, I still don't trust him. I think we ought send someone to watch them, make sure that Boromir isn't betraying us."
Pippin and Merry looked at each other, sudden excitement lighting up their eyes, and in an instant they were gone, scrambling quietly through the trees in the direction of Boromir's laugh.
"Damn", muttered Gandalf as they disappeared. "I was going to volunteer for that job."
part two