TITLE: Flesh to Tear
RATING: PG 13
CATEGORY: Horror, Vampires, Slash
PARING: Sam/Frodo, mild Merry/Pippin
SERIES: Barren
SPOILERS: Return of the King
~
The wood felt strange to Sam's skin.
It wasn't that it burnt him. He simply hadn't felt wood since he had been a living being.
The grain was harsh against his skin and he imagined how it would feel for it to pierce his
chest.
Frodo had disappeared into the city four days ago. The Healers hadn't said much of anything,
just bandaged up Sam's torn wrist and assumed that he had buried the body alone. Not one of
them had noticed that Sam was different or out of the ordinary. He had listened carefully to
find out if there had been any unexplained deaths in the last few days. But there was not so
much as a pet missing besides the ones that Sam had taken. Which could only mean one thing to
him.
That Frodo was truly gone and beyond even the cursed life that Sam had forced upon his friend.
His heart ached for release. This awful half-life was not worth anything without Frodo. Sam
pressed the rough wood against the skin overtop his still heart. All it would take was one
good shove and all his pain and sorrow would be over forever. Just one push...
The door to Sam's room slammed open as Pippin rushed in. Sam dropped the stake in surprise.
"Sam!" Pippin's eyes were red and puffy. He flung himself into Sam's arms and sobbed. "It's
Merry! He was better but I can't wake him and the Healers say there's nothing they can do to
help him."
Sam tried to listen to the words but he was enraptured by the sounds of Pippin's beating heart.
The tiny organ fluttered almost quicker than his mind could follow, sending Pippin's blood
surging though his veins. The familiar scent taunted him and he had to force himself not to
sink his fangs into the tender flesh of Pippin's neck. "What's wrong with Merry?"
"They don't know. He's asleep and won't wake up and he hasn't got a fever or anything else like
it, only two marks on the side of his neck."
Sam froze, a cold feeling spreading up and down his spine. And yet, inside the shell of horror,
there was a small spark of joy. "Frodo." Sam whispered.
Pippin looked at Sam, confusion marring his face. "Frodo? What about Frodo?"
"I don't have time to explain it to you Pippin, just take me to Merry."
Pippin nodded and led Sam down the twisting hallway. They reached the dim, candle lit room as
the sun began its descent. Sam could feel its pull on him, waking the beast within. As he felt
the hunger rise, he cursed his choice not to feed. Pippin smelt like dinner but Sam had lost
control once before and he would not do so again.
Merry looked nothing like he once had. His golden hair was matted to his head and his breathing
was shallow. On his neck were the telltale marks of a vampire. But they weren't neat little
holes like the ones on Frodo and Sam's necks. Instead, they were large torn holes, the kind a
wild beast would leave.
Pippin walked over to Merry and stroked his hair, "He's won't wake up, no matter what I do."
Sam looked around the room, judging where Frodo could have come from. The door was the obvious
answer but the thing that had drunk from Merry had not been sane or intelligent but merely an
animal. As he prowled the room, the answer came to Sam in the form of a smell.
He stopped and crouched by the side of the bed. It was Frodo's scent that whiffed out from
under it, mixed with the smell of darkness and decay. "Hand me a candle Pippin."
Pippin picked up a taper from the bedside table and handed it to Sam. Using his one hand to
shield the flame, Sam thrust the candle beneath the bed. There, right beneath Merry, was a hole
in the stones, leading into the darkness of the room below. Sam ran his hand along the hole and
found it to be rough and jagged. It could have been made in the past few days by a determined
savage vampire, seeking familiar blood just above it's sleeping spot.
Sam leaned over the hole and looked down into its dark depths. He thrust the candle into it.
It lit the dark room, illuminating the dusty piles of shapeless stored items. On the floor, far
below, a twisted pile of rags lay shoved in the corner. Dead rats littered the floor, the scent
of their blood rising though the hole. The light also revealed a stone ledge just below the
hole with a familiar body curled up in sleep. Red glowing eyes blinked, surprised at the
intrusion of light. Sam had half a second before Frodo clawed his way out of the hole and
slashed at him. The candle dropped from his hand and rolled across the floor, flickering.
Frodo ripped at Sam's face, forcing Sam back from the bed. He slammed into Pippin and sent
both of them tumbling towards the wall. Frodo snarled once more and climbed up on the bed,
crouching beside Merry.
Pippin and Sam got to their feet. "Frodo? But I thought..." Pippin stared open-mouthed at
Frodo. Sam pushed the younger Hobbit away and stepped towards the bed. Frodo stared up at
Sam and growled. Sam let his beast emerge from his skin and snarled back in return.
His friend was almost unrecognisable. Four days of not eating and being surrounded by thousands
of living, breathing beings had taken their toll on Frodo's mind. His clothing was torn and
ragged, his hair a matted mess. Red eyes glared at Sam and glittering white teeth snapped in a
rage. Pippin whimpered in fear as his eyes swung from Sam's face to Frodo's face to the
motionless body lying on the bed below Frodo. "Merry!" He half-moaned, half-choked on the name.
"Stay back Pippin." Sam pushed Pippin gently away from the bed and the animalistic Frodo.
"I'll get Merry out of there."
Sam crouched down on all fours in a parody of Frodo's position and growled low. Frodo's head
snapped up and answered back with a snarl.
Sam rolled his shoulders back and rested his weight on the front pads of his feet. Frodo didn't
notice what Sam was doing. Instead, Frodo lowered his head, about to feed.
Sam lunged at Frodo, slamming into him. They rolled off the bed and landed on the floor, Sam on
top. "Pippin!" Sam yelled, "Grab Merry and get out of here!" Dazed, Pippin ran towards the bed
and scooped Merry up in his arms. He paused to stare at Sam. "Just go!" Sam snarled as Frodo
clawed at his face. He slid up and pressed his knees into Frodo's shoulders, resting his weight
on Frodo's chest. Pippin ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving
Sam trapped with the feral Frodo.
Frodo reached up his arms to claw at Sam's face but Sam grabbed Frodo's wrists and pinned them
to the ground. With a howl of pain, Frodo arched upwards, trying to bite and tear at Sam's
face. The sharp white teeth snapped dangerously close to Sam's face. In a fit of panic, Sam did
the only thing he could think of doing. "Forgive me Frodo." Sam said roughly and kissed Frodo,
forcing both of their heads down. Fangs ground together and warm blood poured out of their
mouths. Frodo sucked at the blood eagerly and squirmed beneath Sam. A wave of pleasure swelled
within Sam and he licked at Frodo's bloody lips beneath his. He loosened his grip on Frodo's
wrists and slid down Frodo's body until his hips were even with Frodo's. The smaller vampire
nipped at Sam's neck and shoulders, licking the wounds he left.
Sam shuddered as Frodo licked the side of Sam's neck, right on the pulse-less artery. Fresh
blood lay in both of their veins and Sam could smell the scent of Merry radiating from Frodo's
body. He buried his head in the side of Frodo's throat, nipping at the point where shoulder met
neck. Frodo whimpered and arched upwards, grinding his hips into Sam's.
The temptation was too much for Sam and he sank his teeth into the firm skin. Frodo did the
same. The momentary pain of the bite was overwhelmed with a surge of pleasure as both he and
Frodo began to drink. Merry's blood was bubbly and light tasting compared to the animal bloods
Sam had been drinking. But it was Frodo's blood beneath Merry's blood that made Sam suck for
more. That blood was thick and dark, like an aged wine compared to light champagne. The
sensation of being drained and filled at the same time was too much to handle and slowly both
Sam and Frodo slowed their drinking. Sam rolled off Frodo and fell asleep, completely sated.
When he woke, he found that night had gone by and day had returned. He didn't need to open his
eyes to tell this as his body had quickly learned to sense when it was safe to go out and when
he needed to hide. Sam blinked sleepy eyes and looked around. He spotted Frodo, fast asleep and
curled into Sam's body. The dark haired vampire didn't draw back from Sam, even when he touched
Frodo's face.
Sam's heart swelled with a pure joy and happiness that he hadn't felt in what seemed like a
lifetime. Gently, he reached his head down and kissed Frodo on the lips. For a moment, Frodo
was still but as he woke, he returned it. Sam broke the kiss and stroked Frodo's hair, "Good
morning." He whispered.
"It's morning?" Frodo asked quietly and laid his head on Sam's chest, "Feels like forever since
I knew was day it was." He looked up at Sam with tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry Sam. I never
should have pushed you away. I was so afraid of you and..."
"Shh..." Sam kissed Frodo's brow, "There's nothing to explain."
Frodo looked up into Sam's eyes, "I do though. I need you to know that... that I didn't push
you away because I..." He closed his eyes, searching for the words that just wouldn't come,
"I need you. I love you. I've always loved you. When you turned me I thought... I thought you
did it out of spite... You had no choice."
"That's not completely true Mr. Frodo..."
"Sam." Frodo looked up and smiled sadly at Sam, "You followed me into Mordor... you kept me
safe for as long as you could... you kissed me and tasted my blood... we're beyond Mr. Frodo
now."
"Frodo." Sam tried the word and found that though it was strange, it felt right as well, "I
did have a choice. I could have left you to die after I drank from you. But I couldn't, Frodo.
I love you too much to have let you die in Mordor, so far from the Shire and lost forever from
me."
"Oh, Sam." They kissed again, more insistent than before.
Frodo suddenly drew back and gasped, "Merry! What have I done to Merry? Sam, I've killed him!"
"He may not be dead yet," Sam tried to reassure Frodo, "And I could still turn..."
"No!" Frodo stared at Sam in horror. "No! Promise me you won't turn him!"
"But..."
"Sam, if you care anything at all about me, you won't turn Merry! There are already two of us
to suffer for eternity. There shouldn't be any more."
"But if Merry dies, what about Pippin? They're our friends!"
"I know. And if Merry dies, Pippin will hate me. But I would rather have Pippin hate me for
killing Merry than have him hate me because I cursed Merry to become like us. Promise me that
you won't turn him."
"But..."
"Please Sam! Promise me you won't turn Merry!"
"I... I..." Sam looked into Frodo's face and felt his will crumbling, "I promise." He
whispered.
Frodo rested his head against Sam's chest, "Thank you Sam."
Sam miserably caressed Frodo's face. He had Frodo, at last, but Pippin was going to lose Merry.
All Sam could think about was Pippin holding Merry's pale form and weeping for his lost love.
~fin~
RATING: PG 13
CATEGORY: Horror, Vampires, Slash
PARING: Sam/Frodo, mild Merry/Pippin
SERIES: Barren
SPOILERS: Return of the King
~
The wood felt strange to Sam's skin.
It wasn't that it burnt him. He simply hadn't felt wood since he had been a living being.
The grain was harsh against his skin and he imagined how it would feel for it to pierce his
chest.
Frodo had disappeared into the city four days ago. The Healers hadn't said much of anything,
just bandaged up Sam's torn wrist and assumed that he had buried the body alone. Not one of
them had noticed that Sam was different or out of the ordinary. He had listened carefully to
find out if there had been any unexplained deaths in the last few days. But there was not so
much as a pet missing besides the ones that Sam had taken. Which could only mean one thing to
him.
That Frodo was truly gone and beyond even the cursed life that Sam had forced upon his friend.
His heart ached for release. This awful half-life was not worth anything without Frodo. Sam
pressed the rough wood against the skin overtop his still heart. All it would take was one
good shove and all his pain and sorrow would be over forever. Just one push...
The door to Sam's room slammed open as Pippin rushed in. Sam dropped the stake in surprise.
"Sam!" Pippin's eyes were red and puffy. He flung himself into Sam's arms and sobbed. "It's
Merry! He was better but I can't wake him and the Healers say there's nothing they can do to
help him."
Sam tried to listen to the words but he was enraptured by the sounds of Pippin's beating heart.
The tiny organ fluttered almost quicker than his mind could follow, sending Pippin's blood
surging though his veins. The familiar scent taunted him and he had to force himself not to
sink his fangs into the tender flesh of Pippin's neck. "What's wrong with Merry?"
"They don't know. He's asleep and won't wake up and he hasn't got a fever or anything else like
it, only two marks on the side of his neck."
Sam froze, a cold feeling spreading up and down his spine. And yet, inside the shell of horror,
there was a small spark of joy. "Frodo." Sam whispered.
Pippin looked at Sam, confusion marring his face. "Frodo? What about Frodo?"
"I don't have time to explain it to you Pippin, just take me to Merry."
Pippin nodded and led Sam down the twisting hallway. They reached the dim, candle lit room as
the sun began its descent. Sam could feel its pull on him, waking the beast within. As he felt
the hunger rise, he cursed his choice not to feed. Pippin smelt like dinner but Sam had lost
control once before and he would not do so again.
Merry looked nothing like he once had. His golden hair was matted to his head and his breathing
was shallow. On his neck were the telltale marks of a vampire. But they weren't neat little
holes like the ones on Frodo and Sam's necks. Instead, they were large torn holes, the kind a
wild beast would leave.
Pippin walked over to Merry and stroked his hair, "He's won't wake up, no matter what I do."
Sam looked around the room, judging where Frodo could have come from. The door was the obvious
answer but the thing that had drunk from Merry had not been sane or intelligent but merely an
animal. As he prowled the room, the answer came to Sam in the form of a smell.
He stopped and crouched by the side of the bed. It was Frodo's scent that whiffed out from
under it, mixed with the smell of darkness and decay. "Hand me a candle Pippin."
Pippin picked up a taper from the bedside table and handed it to Sam. Using his one hand to
shield the flame, Sam thrust the candle beneath the bed. There, right beneath Merry, was a hole
in the stones, leading into the darkness of the room below. Sam ran his hand along the hole and
found it to be rough and jagged. It could have been made in the past few days by a determined
savage vampire, seeking familiar blood just above it's sleeping spot.
Sam leaned over the hole and looked down into its dark depths. He thrust the candle into it.
It lit the dark room, illuminating the dusty piles of shapeless stored items. On the floor, far
below, a twisted pile of rags lay shoved in the corner. Dead rats littered the floor, the scent
of their blood rising though the hole. The light also revealed a stone ledge just below the
hole with a familiar body curled up in sleep. Red glowing eyes blinked, surprised at the
intrusion of light. Sam had half a second before Frodo clawed his way out of the hole and
slashed at him. The candle dropped from his hand and rolled across the floor, flickering.
Frodo ripped at Sam's face, forcing Sam back from the bed. He slammed into Pippin and sent
both of them tumbling towards the wall. Frodo snarled once more and climbed up on the bed,
crouching beside Merry.
Pippin and Sam got to their feet. "Frodo? But I thought..." Pippin stared open-mouthed at
Frodo. Sam pushed the younger Hobbit away and stepped towards the bed. Frodo stared up at
Sam and growled. Sam let his beast emerge from his skin and snarled back in return.
His friend was almost unrecognisable. Four days of not eating and being surrounded by thousands
of living, breathing beings had taken their toll on Frodo's mind. His clothing was torn and
ragged, his hair a matted mess. Red eyes glared at Sam and glittering white teeth snapped in a
rage. Pippin whimpered in fear as his eyes swung from Sam's face to Frodo's face to the
motionless body lying on the bed below Frodo. "Merry!" He half-moaned, half-choked on the name.
"Stay back Pippin." Sam pushed Pippin gently away from the bed and the animalistic Frodo.
"I'll get Merry out of there."
Sam crouched down on all fours in a parody of Frodo's position and growled low. Frodo's head
snapped up and answered back with a snarl.
Sam rolled his shoulders back and rested his weight on the front pads of his feet. Frodo didn't
notice what Sam was doing. Instead, Frodo lowered his head, about to feed.
Sam lunged at Frodo, slamming into him. They rolled off the bed and landed on the floor, Sam on
top. "Pippin!" Sam yelled, "Grab Merry and get out of here!" Dazed, Pippin ran towards the bed
and scooped Merry up in his arms. He paused to stare at Sam. "Just go!" Sam snarled as Frodo
clawed at his face. He slid up and pressed his knees into Frodo's shoulders, resting his weight
on Frodo's chest. Pippin ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving
Sam trapped with the feral Frodo.
Frodo reached up his arms to claw at Sam's face but Sam grabbed Frodo's wrists and pinned them
to the ground. With a howl of pain, Frodo arched upwards, trying to bite and tear at Sam's
face. The sharp white teeth snapped dangerously close to Sam's face. In a fit of panic, Sam did
the only thing he could think of doing. "Forgive me Frodo." Sam said roughly and kissed Frodo,
forcing both of their heads down. Fangs ground together and warm blood poured out of their
mouths. Frodo sucked at the blood eagerly and squirmed beneath Sam. A wave of pleasure swelled
within Sam and he licked at Frodo's bloody lips beneath his. He loosened his grip on Frodo's
wrists and slid down Frodo's body until his hips were even with Frodo's. The smaller vampire
nipped at Sam's neck and shoulders, licking the wounds he left.
Sam shuddered as Frodo licked the side of Sam's neck, right on the pulse-less artery. Fresh
blood lay in both of their veins and Sam could smell the scent of Merry radiating from Frodo's
body. He buried his head in the side of Frodo's throat, nipping at the point where shoulder met
neck. Frodo whimpered and arched upwards, grinding his hips into Sam's.
The temptation was too much for Sam and he sank his teeth into the firm skin. Frodo did the
same. The momentary pain of the bite was overwhelmed with a surge of pleasure as both he and
Frodo began to drink. Merry's blood was bubbly and light tasting compared to the animal bloods
Sam had been drinking. But it was Frodo's blood beneath Merry's blood that made Sam suck for
more. That blood was thick and dark, like an aged wine compared to light champagne. The
sensation of being drained and filled at the same time was too much to handle and slowly both
Sam and Frodo slowed their drinking. Sam rolled off Frodo and fell asleep, completely sated.
When he woke, he found that night had gone by and day had returned. He didn't need to open his
eyes to tell this as his body had quickly learned to sense when it was safe to go out and when
he needed to hide. Sam blinked sleepy eyes and looked around. He spotted Frodo, fast asleep and
curled into Sam's body. The dark haired vampire didn't draw back from Sam, even when he touched
Frodo's face.
Sam's heart swelled with a pure joy and happiness that he hadn't felt in what seemed like a
lifetime. Gently, he reached his head down and kissed Frodo on the lips. For a moment, Frodo
was still but as he woke, he returned it. Sam broke the kiss and stroked Frodo's hair, "Good
morning." He whispered.
"It's morning?" Frodo asked quietly and laid his head on Sam's chest, "Feels like forever since
I knew was day it was." He looked up at Sam with tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry Sam. I never
should have pushed you away. I was so afraid of you and..."
"Shh..." Sam kissed Frodo's brow, "There's nothing to explain."
Frodo looked up into Sam's eyes, "I do though. I need you to know that... that I didn't push
you away because I..." He closed his eyes, searching for the words that just wouldn't come,
"I need you. I love you. I've always loved you. When you turned me I thought... I thought you
did it out of spite... You had no choice."
"That's not completely true Mr. Frodo..."
"Sam." Frodo looked up and smiled sadly at Sam, "You followed me into Mordor... you kept me
safe for as long as you could... you kissed me and tasted my blood... we're beyond Mr. Frodo
now."
"Frodo." Sam tried the word and found that though it was strange, it felt right as well, "I
did have a choice. I could have left you to die after I drank from you. But I couldn't, Frodo.
I love you too much to have let you die in Mordor, so far from the Shire and lost forever from
me."
"Oh, Sam." They kissed again, more insistent than before.
Frodo suddenly drew back and gasped, "Merry! What have I done to Merry? Sam, I've killed him!"
"He may not be dead yet," Sam tried to reassure Frodo, "And I could still turn..."
"No!" Frodo stared at Sam in horror. "No! Promise me you won't turn him!"
"But..."
"Sam, if you care anything at all about me, you won't turn Merry! There are already two of us
to suffer for eternity. There shouldn't be any more."
"But if Merry dies, what about Pippin? They're our friends!"
"I know. And if Merry dies, Pippin will hate me. But I would rather have Pippin hate me for
killing Merry than have him hate me because I cursed Merry to become like us. Promise me that
you won't turn him."
"But..."
"Please Sam! Promise me you won't turn Merry!"
"I... I..." Sam looked into Frodo's face and felt his will crumbling, "I promise." He
whispered.
Frodo rested his head against Sam's chest, "Thank you Sam."
Sam miserably caressed Frodo's face. He had Frodo, at last, but Pippin was going to lose Merry.
All Sam could think about was Pippin holding Merry's pale form and weeping for his lost love.
~fin~