A short fic for Saint Valentine's Day. I know I already have one, but I just wanted to try my hand at writing Lord of the Rings and Sam. This is my first one on both accounts so constructive criticism is much appreciated.
Sam's First Dance
Samwise swallowed nervously. He couldn't think of any instances where he was more afraid of the outcome then right now. If he made just one word wrong move, just one, it was all over, and all their efforts would be wasted.
He tried to take a deep calming breath, but hiccupped instead as Frodo put a hand on his shoulder in a reassuring manner. Oh no, Sam thought bitterly to himself, now I've got hiccups to reckon with too.
"Are you going to be alright Sam?" Frodo asked after Sam elicited a rather loud hiccup. "Do you need more time to prepare?"
"You mustn't worry Mister Frodo," Sam said with another hiccup, "I'll do just fine. If only these wretched hiccups would disappear. I'm might afraid Rosie will think I'm right drunk and won't take me seriously!"
"Don't worry, Sam, I know you will do fine. Just take a moment to calm yourself." Frodo offered to his younger companion, patting him on the back lightly.
"Right." Sam took a deep breath, a sip of his ale, and hiccupped, before handing his mug over to Frodo and walking in a resolute manner towards Rosie, just as the song ended.
"H-hullo Miss Rosie." Sam said shyly as her other partner said good night and went off in search of ale and cake.
"Oh! Hello Samwise. Are you having fun?" Rosie asked kindly, still a little flushed from the dance.
"Ye-yes, plenty. I just thought that, um, these flowers would look might pretty in your hair." Sam said with only a touch of a stutter, and handed her a small bunch of neatly pruned pink petunias, which were the same sort of shade as Rosie's dress.
"Oh! Why thank you Sam! They're very pretty." She said sweetly, tying them into her hair ribbons.
"But they don't even come close to you, Miss Rosie." Sam said accidentally, then blushed and looked down at the grass.
"Oh!" As Sam looked up, he could've sworn Rosie was blushing, but then, it could have just been the flush from the dance.
"Um! I mean…" At that very moment, Sam accidentally opened his mouth, and let something he had tried to keep in, out. "Hic"
"Samwise, are you drunk?" Rosie giggled.
"Oh! No! I've barely had an ale!" Sam tried to say, but was interrupted several times by various little hics.
Rosie giggled a little. "Only one?"
"Y-yes." Sam tried to assure her, but was once more interrupted by his accursed hiccups.
"When did you get here?" She asked, kindly ignoring the little hics coming from Sam.
"Only a little while ago." He said, mercifully saved from the hiccups for a sentence.
"That's too bad. Maybe I should go grab us both one?" Rosie asked, turning so that she had a clear root to the ale, but still kept her eyes on Sam.
"Oh, no, Miss Rosie. That's quite alright." He was quick to tell her. Last thing he needed was to actually get drunk.
"I see. Seems a pity I have nothing to repay you with." Rosie said with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Repay me for what? I ain't done nothing worth repaying." Sam asked, very confused, and frequently being interrupted by his hiccups.
"Does that mean you regularly shower lasses with pretty flowers and kind compliments?" Rosie asked teasingly.
Unfortunately, Sam didn't seem to realize it, and was quick to reassure her. "No! I mean, 'tis only you, Miss Rosie."
"Then I should repay you. But, I have nothing to give you." Rosie said, looking around as if a gift should suddenly pop out of someone's waistcoat.
"Oh…" Sam flushed a little out of embarrassment. He hoped none of his brothers were watching. He would never hear the end of it.
"I have it!" Rosie exclaimed suddenly. "I shall give you a dance!"
"Oh! No! I mean, you shouldn't bother. Seein' as how I don't know how." Sam mumbled the last bit, but Rosie somehow seemed to hear him.
"Then I shall teach you!" She told him, grabbing his hand, and ignoring his frequent hiccups.
"You need not bother. You should spend your time with someone worthy of it. Though, they may be hard to find." Sam admitted quietly. Rosie stopped walking towards the dance floor and gave him a mock angry look.
"Oh! There you go again, with your sweet words. I shall have to give you two dances!" She said, as if she were announcing his punishment.
"B-but Miss Rosie! I-I…" Sam said, searching frantically for something to excuse himself with. He was only supposed to give her the flowers and make small talk, not dance!
"I have the hiccups!" he said, inspiration coming at last. "You should not dance with someone with hiccups. They are highly catchy."
"Oh, but do you not know, Sam?" Rosie asked, walking once more towards the dance floor, now holding both Sam's hands in hers. "I thought every smart lad knew. To cure hiccups, you have to dance with a hobbit lass that you gave flowers to. Otherwise, they will stay throughout the night."
"Oh, well…" Sam said, relenting.
"Oh! Come on, Sam! I do so love this song!" She said, and once he nodded in reluctant approval, placed one of his hands on her waist and held the other one in her hand. She went slower than the tempo at first, to let Sam get the hang of the dance, before they started to pick up speed. Pretty soon, some of the dancers had stopped to watch and clap in tune with the beat, as Sam and Rosie quite expertly and swiftly danced about the floor, adding in a few spins and dips whenever they thought it might be fun.
"Sam! I thought you said you didn't know how to dance?" Rosie laughed, as he twirled her around expertly.
"Why Miss Rosie, I thought every smart lass knew. If you teach a lad to dance, he will catch on much faster if he fancies you..." Sam trailed off, and mumbled the last bit, then flushed at what he had just admitted. He glanced over her shoulder in a vain attempt to avoid looking her in the eye. Sam spotted Frodo and Merry watching him and Rosie at the table nearest them with rather smug grins on their faces.
The song ended and Sam noticed that Rosie was looking a little flushed from the rather quick dance, so he said quietly to her, "Would you like to go sit down, Miss Rosie? We can always dance some other time," while gently guiding her to a chair on the edge of the dance floor.
"So there is going to be a second dance?" Rosie said a little smugly, and sitting down quite graciously.
"Ah!" Sam exclaimed, blushing. "If-if you'd let me. I much enjoyed dancing with you. You are a mighty fine dancer, if you understand my meaning."
"For being the student, Sam, I would say you are far better than me." Rosie said, smiling warmly up at him.
"You should not say that, Miss Rosie! No one can ever be as pretty and graceful as you are." Sam let slip, and this time did not bother to try and correct himself, for he too was rather exhausted.
"Sam, why do you do that?" Rosie demanded kindly.
"Do what, Miss Rosie?" Sam asked, truly confused. Did he do something wrong? Something he shouldn't have?
"Make me feel like I am the most wonderful thing in the entire Shire?" Rosie explained, with a faint blush, or it could have been the flush from all the dancing, Sam couldn't tell.
"I'd say much more then just the Shire." Sam added, almost without thinking.
"Sam!"
"Well, because you are, Miss Rosie. I mean!" Sam flushed once more in realization of what he had just said.
"Oh!" Rosie blushed too, after taking a moment to take in what he had just said. "Sam! You must have had much more than just one ale to say such things. Perhaps I should return you to Mister Frodo. We can dance any night."
"But Miss Rosie-"
"Come on now Sam. I am too tired, and you are much too drunk to continue. And look! There is Mister Frodo just over there with Mister Merry. And I do believe I see Tom over yonder. Good night Sam. I promise we shall dance another night."
"Good night Miss Rosie." Sam sighed as he watched her walk away towards her older brother on the far side of the dance floor.
"Whatever is the matter, Sam?" Frodo asked as Sam slumped down across from him and Merry.
"I ruined the whole night, Mister Frodo. If I had just kept my mouth closed, I mighta gotten to dance with Miss Rosie again." Sam moaned through his hands covering his face.
"There, there, Sam. We all make mistakes." Merry said kindly, patting Sam on the back.
"Oh! But I should not be botherin' you two with my troubles. You've much better things to be a thinkin' about." Sam said suddenly, realizing it was not his place to be placing his worries on these two very important hobbits.
"Come now, Sam. Tonight is for joy, you should not worry that Merry and I will be too busy to listen to you." Frodo said quietly, smiling reassuringly at Sam.
"It looked like it was going alright. What happened?" Merry asked kindly.
"I said too much that I shouldn't have. Miss Rosie thought I was drunk and sent me here." Sam moaned, hiding his face in his hands again.
"There, there, Sam. It can not have gone all bad." Merry said, trying to reassure Sam.
"Merry is right, Sam. Something good must have happened?" Frodo put in kindly.
"Miss Rosie promised me a second dance. She never said when, but I suppose it is well enough for now." Sam perked up a bit and put his hands down again.
"That's the spirit, Sam!" Frodo said encouragingly, "Now come on, you've had but a single drink, and the night is still young. Merry? Do get as all some ale?"
"Right." Merry said as he got up and headed towards the table where the ale was kept.
"Thank you Mister Merry, Mister Frodo."
"Sam?" Frodo asked, quite confused as to way his gardener was thanking him.
"Thank you." Sam repeated quietly.
"Whatever for?" Frodo asked. This was making no sense. What did Sam have to thank him for? He had merely done what any good hobbit would do.
"For helping me when you didn't have to, sir." Sam explained, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Frodo smiled warmly at Sam once more, "What are friends for, Sam?"
There are many kinds of love in this world, and this day is for all of them. Happy Saint Valentine's Day everyone.