Disclaimer: Not mine

Pairing: Frodo/Aragorn, Sam/Legolas

Summary: What do you do when the one you love loves somebody else? Take comfort in the arms of another.

AN: This is a one time thing and I don't expect there will be any sequels.

Warnings: SLASH

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Sam looked out at the clearing lit to almost sunlight by the moon and the stars. He had a perfect vantage point from his position on the cliff. He could see everything the people below him were doing but they could not see him. He watched with a growing sense of despair as the two people in clearing came together.

Frodo sat on Aragorn's lap his big blue eyes lighting up with laughter at whatever Aragorn had said. The easy affection between them was easy for anyone to see.  Frodo was obviously content sitting on the ranger's lap and it tore at Sam's heart to see that.

"Does sleep evade you master Hobbit." asked a clear deep voice right next to Sam's ear.

Sam jumped startled.  He had been so engrossed in his thoughts he had not even heard the person come up behind him until they spoke.  He whirled around and his face got lightly whipped with strands of long blonde hair. Legolas, that explained things. He probably would not have heard the elf coming if he had been wearing bells.

He felt a hand on his shoulder as the elf settled onto the ground behind him.

"Yes Master Greenleaf… That is I couldn't sleep you see, I was worried about Mr. Frodo." Sam stammered, surely by now Legolas had to have seen the pair below them and realised that he had been spying.

He heard Legolas laugh like a light ringing of bells.

"That is quite alright little master. I understand." Said the elf as he peered over Sam's head at the two in the clearing.

He was staring as hard as Sam had been, but where Sam had been staring at Frodo Legolas's gaze was focused on Aragorn.

"Sometimes the hardest thing one can do is watch the one you love love somebody else" Legolas said to Sam as he rested his chin on the top of the hobbit's head.

Sam turned around confused and looked up into the elf's eyes, which were still focused on Aragorn. Sam saw an emotion in deep within them that he knew but could not recognize. With a start Sam remembered where he had seen that expression before.

Flashback

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In the hall's of the house of Elrond in Rivendale Sam had gone wandering from place to place. He had been unable to see anything of the city when Frodo was ill. He had been too worried to leave his side other than to sleep or relieve himself. Now that Frodo was better he had spent his time walking around taking in as much of the elven city as he could.

 Sam found everything about the elves to be fascinating. Even all the tales and songs he had memorized did not do them justice. He felt he could wander for years just looking and examining, touching and admiring and never get bored.

But he still had his duties to attend to. He knew that Frodo had not eaten for many days when he had been ill. He knew it was unhealthy to not eat so he took it upon himself to make sure that Frodo never missed a meal. And right now, it was lunchtime.

 He walked into Frodo's room with the intention of asking him if he wanted to join Sam for Lunch in the Hall of Fire. What he saw stopped his heart. Aragorn was kneeling by Frodo's bed his lips covering his and his huge hands gripping Frodo's small shoulders. And Frodo, oh Frodo was kissing Aragorn back as with just as much fervour, his small hands running through Aragorn's hair.

Sam stumbled backwards out of the room before they saw him. Once out in the hall he bent over as though he was going to be ill. He was sure he was going to be ill, but the feeling passed and he was left with an overwhelming urge to flee. He felt he just had to, to run, to escape, and to go anywhere but there. And so he did, he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him down the hall and out of the house. He ran off the deck and into the gardens. He ran through Rivendale's seemingly endless gardens for what felt like hours. He ran until his endurance failed him and his legs collapsed dumping him beside a calm pool of water under an oak tree. There he cried, he cried for hours, he felt sure that his tears would have given the tree all the water it needed for years to come. When he was done crying he simply lay and watched the sunlight filter through the leaves of the tree.  When he finally got up his face felt hot and sticky, and the skin felt tight. He made his way over to the pond and fell to his knees beside it. He leaned over and saw his reflection, his hair was tangled and his face was bright red. His eyes were red rimmed and swollen and had a far away look of longing and hurt in them.

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The exact same look Legolas had in his eyes right now.

Sam gasped and turned to Legolas.

"You're in love with Aragorn" he said noting the way the elf's hand squeezed his shoulder a little bit tighter.

H looked at Sam and said "And you're in love with Frodo" He did not say it harshly or condescendingly. His eyes held nothing but understanding.

"Doesn't it make you angry" asked Sam looking back to the pair in the clearing who were currently kissing.

"Sometimes" Legolas admitted "But I just tell myself that he is happy and that is all that really matters, even if his happiness doesn't involve me."

Sam nodded, that was what he had been trying to tell himself for a while and he supposed it was true although it didn't lessen the hurt.

As Aragorn's hands began to unlace Frodo's breeches and Frodo unclasped Aragorn's cloak Legolas stood up an took Sam with him.

"Come now" he whispered as he carried Sam back to the camp. "Let's give them some privacy."

He set Sam down on his bedroll in front of the fire and sat down beside him. Sam noticed that there was no one on watch. Then he remembered with a bit of disturbed amusement that it was Aragorn's turn to take watch.

Seeing Frodo and Aragorn together caused Sam a great deal of pain, but knowing that Legolas was going through the same thing he was made him feel not quite so alone. Then again why did they have to be alone at all? He glanced at the stoic figure beside him; he knew it was not unknown to seek comfort from somebody else when you could not have the one you love. Trying to be as unobtrusive as possible Sam made his way over to where Legolas sat. At first he simply sat in front of him, his back to Legolas's knees as they had sat before. The elf's body was warm against his skin. Then little by little he edged his way up till he was sitting in Legolas's lap. He felt his skin tingle and get warm wherever it touched the elf's body. 

Then he turned around so he was facing him. He felt his breath begin to come in sharp hitched little breaths as he raised one hand to touch the elf's smooth face. He felt the elf's skin which felt like silk all the way from his chin to his cheek before a warm much larger hand caught his own.

"I do not think that would be wise  Master Sam" Legolas said looking down at Sam.

"But why?" asked Sam gazing up at Legolas. "Why should we have to be alone? They aren't going to come to us just because we're waiting for them. This wont hurt us, it might even take some of the hurt away."

"I cannot be Frodo for you" said Legolas seriously still not releasing the hobbit's small hand.

"I wouldn't ask you to be." Sam said just as seriously. Though he would be lying to say he never noticed how much the two looked alike Sam was not asking Legolas to be anyone but himself. "I just want you to be you." He said  "That is… I still love Mr. Frodo, but I like you and maybe just for tonight we could pretend it's each other we love."

 Legolas sighed and released Sam's hand. "I don't know if I can do this…" he said.

"I understand" Sam interrupted him "I'm sorry I just thought, well I not sure what I thought, but…"

"Sam" Legolas said gently. "I do not know if I can do this, but I will try"

Sam's eyes filled with hope  "Really?" he said.

Legolas nodded "I shall do my best to comfort you, and take comfort from you in return"

Sam smiled and allowed his hand to continue it's earlier route of exploration. He ran his hands over the elf's lips and up the bridge of his nose. When the elf's eyes fluttered closed he lightly brushed his fingers against his eyelids. He ended his exploration by mapping the elf's forehead and fingering the small braids behind his ears.

Legolas opened his eyes and smiled somewhat awkwardly "I trust everything meets your standards" he asked.

Sam did not answerer and instead leaned his head forward until he was a hairs width away from Legolas. Their lips met hesitantly at first then with increasing passion. Legolas found himself at first imagining it was Aragorn he was kissing. But soon stubble melted away to smooth skin and large sword callused hands gave way to small dainty fingers. No he did not love Sam, but as the hobbit slid his tongue into his mouth he could almost believe that he did. He fingered the point of one of Sam's ears and felt and answering hand on his own ear as response.

The two lost themselves in sensation as things went on. And when things progressed farther they moved from Sam's bedroll to Legolas's simply because it was bigger and farther away from the others in the Fellowship.

Once there, Legolas let control be taken by the hobbit he was pretending to love. And he thought that if he was not careful he might begin to love the hobbit for real. Maybe as much as he loved Aragorn, perhaps even more.

Sam meanwhile was having similar thoughts about Legolas as they came together in the darkness beneath the trees.

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"Are you sure they're ok." Asked Frodo as he and Aragorn made there way back to camp.

He was worried because Aragorn had not left anyone on guard last night after he had left, and the camp had spent the night unprotected.

Aragorn laughed and ruffled Frodo's hair "I'm sure everything is fine" he said, "We would have heard if anything had happened. Besides, Legolas's ears asleep are almost as good as mine awake."

At that Frodo laughed as well.

"I'm sure that nothing the least bit out of the ordinary happened last night." He continued as they climbed the hill towards camp.

When they got there Aragorn noticed with satisfaction that no one appeared to be up. Then he noticed with a frown that Sam's bedroll was empty. He went to go ask Legolas if he knew where Sam was and froze. Sam lay in Legolas's bedroll on top of Legolas. The blankets were pulled up to Sam's chin and reached up to Legolas's chest. He didn't have to see under the blankets to know that they were naked underneath them.

He was having a hard time believing it. It seemed impossible. Legolas was his. Although he never claimed the elf or made any indication of it he accepted it as a given thing, and he thought Legolas did as well. His thoughts were swirling in his head so fast he didn't hear Frodo coming up behind him or calling his name.

"Aragorn" called Frodo as he walked up to where the man was standing "Have you seen Sam he's not in his bed and…" Frodo trailed of as he saw his Sam lying in bed with the elf. He turned to Aragorn and Aragorn turned to him.

"We need to do something about this" He said and Frodo nodded as they walked away from the sight that was burning in the back of his brain like a farmers brand.

                                                                 Finis