Disclaimer
I don't own any character from The Lord of the Rings and I bow down to Professor Tolkien for creating such a wonderful world and allowing all lowly beings (such as us fanfic writers) to frolic in it.

Summary
This is going to be a long and emotional fic involving Frodo and Sam. Yep, you guessed it- that means slash. So if that kind of thing make you skeevy, you can feel free to turn around right now and a random Wood Elf will show you to the door. Otherwise pull up a chair, grab a bite of lembas and some miruvor if that's to your liking and prepare to hang around for a while.

Remember the first time the screen went dark near the end of RoTK? Do you recall how some idiots turned around and said to their dumb friend 'Uhhhh...Is it over? Can we go now, my butt hurts...'? The latter doesn't really have to do with anything, but it genuinely annoyed me nonetheless. In any case, this chapter of the story takes place during that blackout when it seems that all is lost. Our buddies need to resolve a few things before the end, and of course they do it with lost of flair and angst.

Enjoy and please review! Positive and negative feedback are both welcome, just no flames. It's hot enough in this fic already. ;)

Dedicated to Kim! Happy birthday! 3


"..the Quest is achieved and now all is over. I'm glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam." -Frodo Baggins, LoTR: RoTK

From the eye of an eagle, two minute shapes could be seen huddled together on a rock plateau surrounded by an orange glow. They were encased in unfathomable heat. Steam burst from the earth as great crevices opened up. The mountain vomited up boiling lava and belched out sulfur in indignation at having the malicious power that held this horrid land together finally vanquished within its belly. The eagle temporarily ignored the tiny specs in its vision to continue on with his struggle against a Fell Beast.

The hobbit Frodo knew in his heart that these would be the final few minutes of his life. Any moment now the lava would dissolve their temporary refuge and swallow both he and his sole companion Sam. He felt immeasurable pity for Samwise who still had his whole life ahead of him ready to be lived. Frodo however, welcomed this end. He was broken in body and spirit and his will was spent. To find himself freed from earthly boundaries would be a blessed relief for this poor hobbit, whose soul had been stretched beyond reasonable means long ago.

Before he passed on, Frodo had a confession to make.

"Sam..." Frodo hoarsely gasped for air.

"What is it Mr. Frodo?" Samwise crawled over to his master and gingerly placed an arm around his shoulders.

"There's something that I need to say before I...before we..." He struggled for the right words and couldn't find them.

Sam shook his head in defeated understanding. "It's alright Mr. Frodo, I know. What is it that could be plaguing you? The quest has been fulfilled. We've done what we set out to do."

Frodo propped himself upright and despite the shaking of the ground he fixed an unblinking stare at Samwise. His blue eyes seemed to deepen and gaze straight through the younger hobbit, pleading with his very soul.

"Sam..." He took a steadying breath. "I love you. I'm in love with you and I always have been. I used to try and hide it, to push it away. All those years that you were servant to the Baggins family, I never thought of you as one. I've been kidding myself, Sam and now I'm finally going to face the truth. You've grown even dearer to me during this impossible quest. You are the real hero. Frodo wouldn't have got very far without his Sam right there beside him. You've saved me time and time again from every imaginable enemy and most importantly, from myself. You gave me hope when there was none. You are my light in dark places Sam, and I love you with all that is left of my being."

Sam's mouth was agape and he blinked stupidly. He gathered Frodo into his arms and hugged him close. Then he placed a hand on his master's forehead. "Oh...Mr. Frodo you don't know what you're saying! You're delirious. It's all this stuff in the air from the mountain, that's what."

"I know perfectly well what I'm saying. And Sam...don't call me 'Mister' anymore. Frodo. Just Frodo."

With that, Frodo wrapped his arms around Sam and without the slightest evidence of hesitation, kissed him full on the lips.

Samwise tensed fiercely at this sudden affection and then finally relaxed. This was exactly what he always desired as well. He had always tried to quell his feeling. Ingrained in his mind was the idea that master and servant could never be together, not like this. They were socially unequal, at least in the ideals of most Shire-folk. Worst of all, they were both hobbit-lads, and such relationships were strictly forbidden. However, in the depths of Mordor in the midst of impending doom, Hobbiton and all of its countrified rules and regulations were another world all together, much too far away to matter anymore. Sam surrendered.

Frodo parted Sam's lips, gently probing with his tongue. Poor Samwise had never kissed anyone before, not like that at least. He was soon overwhelmed and lay prostrate in Frodo's arms, too weak with heat and exhaustion as well as passion. Sam had a fleeting thought that he might be melting. His body was full of warmth and awareness. Even in this wilderness, he felt alive for the first time.

Every hobbit-lass in the Shire had been attracted to Frodo at one time or another. He had liked a few of them, very few as he was more interested in staying with his Uncle Bilbo in order to listen and learn. He had severely disappointed all of the lasses. He wasn't interested in them in that way and would have none of them. The parents of the young girls dubbed him a late-bloomer and comforted their daughters, secretly glad that they wouldn't be marrying a Mad Baggins any time soon. The daughters pretended to feel better but instead whispered together about Frodo the Heartbreaker. They held grudges, claiming they he played with their feelings to boost his already overly-large ego. Thus, he had a great deal of people avoiding him at all costs and gossiping whilst they were at it.

Now, Frodo was glad for holding back all those years. He was finally justified. Nothing could compare to this. With Sam in his arms, he was complete. He could die happy now that he had known the sweet taste of Sam. But now...it was different. He didn't want to die anymore. He wanted to go on forever, if only Sam would stay by his side.

"Dear Sam..." Frodo attempted to break off their latest kiss for a moment to speak but his words were swallowed. The promise of his thoughts escaped in a happily defeated sigh. Frodo managed to get in a few words through the stifling kisses. "Sam...Sam...I need ...to speak..."

The other hobbit understood. Frodo laid his head in Sam's lap while he gingerly stroked Frodo's forehead, just like old times.

"I don't want this to ever end. But it has to. We're doomed...but we're doomed together. Oh, Sam!" Delicious shivers wracked Frodo's body as he was delightfully distracted by Sam's caresses. "I want to die in your arms, Sam."

Gandalf sat astride Gwaihir, the King of the Eagles. His wings beat up and down at a manic pace. From the field of battle, the Windlord had spotted two small shapes on a promontory of rock jutting out of a river of lava. He had told Mithrandir and the wizard had asked him to perform one last favor for him. He knew in his heart that Frodo and Sam were still alive, even though logic dictated otherwise.

Gandalf urged his friend on. Haste was everything. Frodo and Sam were on an island amidst a boiling orange sea. Every second threatened to have them swallowed up and lost forever.

Gandalf was about to signal Gwaihir to rescue his friends when a sight such as he had never seen greeted his eyes. Gandalf mentally instructed Gwaihir to hover a moment so that his mind could make sense of what he saw. There on the rock beneath them, the two hobbits were nude, bare as the day they were born. For an instant Gandalf thought that perhaps they had lost their clothes along the journey, but lo! There they were in a recklessly discarded pile. The hobbits were holding each other, limbs entwined...but they were dead to the world. They were either asleep or had passed out in each other's arms. Gandalf felt a tremor in his mind as Gwaihir began to comprehend.

"Do not breathe a word of this, my friend." whispered Gandalf at once. Gwaihir squawked in agreement.

What truly astonished Gandalf were the looks on their faces. Utmost bliss. He shivered suddenly. As he looked upon them, he was overcome with both joy and sorrow. He could sense the emotions emanating from the two, and he knew that they were true. He was snapped out of his reverie as Gwaihir gave an indignant cry of alarm. Gandalf immediately dug his heels into the underside of the bird, urging him on. Within moments, Frodo was safely in Gwaihir's talons and Sam rested in another's. Just as they began to fly away, the tiny patch of rock melted into molten lava beneath them. Returning over the black lands back towards the Dagorlad Plain, Frodo began to stir. His head lolled about on his neck and he saw the sky rushing past. The wind swept the air all around him and his ears were full with the sound of it. His mind faintly wondered if he was dead. He closed his eyes once more and thought of only one thing.

"Oh, Sam..." he murmured.

Gandalf looked down at the young hobbit and thought about his obligations as a wizard, then of his duty as a friend.

"Don't worry my dear hobbits. Your secret is safe with me."