AN: This chapter is the beginning of the journey. Will Sam feel the same about Frodo in the morning? Or will the orcs come back to finish Frodo off?
Warning: This is a Slash story, if you don't like slash, then I suggest you use the back button.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, or the world. It all belongs to the famous Tolkien.
Tom Bombadil
Frodo sighed with exhaustion, happy to hold Sam in his arms. As his body recovered and his mind regained clarity, there grew a doubt.
"Sam?" a contented mumble from the blonde belied his wakefulness. "Are you okay with this?" he said tentatively, "You had a wife who isn't a full day dead," all eloquence left him as he stumbled for the right words, "What- I-," he sighed, "I guess I just want to know what we are, what do I mean to you, and why, why did you wait until now?" Sam turned over to face him, weariness in his eyes.
"Frodo, I knew I liked both sexes when I was ten. Then a month later I realized that it wasn't likely that I would find a guy that felt the same. So I followed the women, admiring the men from afar. Later, when I met you, I wished that gay hobbits weren't so rare. I knew that you would be the greatest challenge to my senses that I would ever have. You were in most of my fantasies, and then at one point you were the only one in my fantasies. As we grew as friends, I began to love you more and more. But still, I forced my self to keep your trust and friendship over my feelings."
"It was after the final battle that I feared that you had been changed for good, that I would never again see you smile, or be yourself. Yet I knew when you stayed my friend through it all, that, part of you was still the same. My reserves were weak; I almost lost you once, and began to think that I needed to reach you before it happened again. You were my best friend and I didn't want to lose you, so I married Rosie. She was the only female that I truly cared about enough to marry, and you showed no signs of liking men." Sam's hand lifted to Frodo's cheek and love penetrated through the exhaustion. "I didn't know it then but I was settling for second best, now I feel as if I have found my other half. The only thing that has changed about you, Frodo, is that you've retreated inside yourself. Don't do that to me, because I will never let go of you, even if I have to tie you up in a chair forever." Frodo's doubt faded at that. They kissed gently and fell asleep with the moon still shining through the window, cuddled up together.
Frodo woke with rays of morning light in his eyes. He felt Sam's naked body against his back, his arms holding him in a sleepy grasp. Frodo smiled and turned over, his eyes locking on his one and only love. Frodo gently kissed Sam's forehead, watching his eyelids flutter at his touch. Slowly, they opened and shown with the love they shared that night. Frodo kissed Sam deeply, unable to stop himself, and Sam responded with searching fingers on his chest.
Frodo was no longer groggy, and let his hands travel on Sam, feeling his skin shiver in response. It wasn't long before Sam pulled himself on top of Frodo, eager to pay Frodo back for the night before.
Legolas was out most of the night interrogating the orc and cleaning up the bodies so that no hobbits would see the disgusting mess. He left Rosie's body covered in a white sheet, so that Sam could decide on the burial place. He also left the living orc in the kitchen, for hobbit justice before they left for the Prancing Pony through the woods. Then he rounded up Merry and Pippin over to Frodo's house with their stuff.
Frodo and Sam came out of the master bedroom two hours after dawn, disheveled and holding hands. They both took a quick bath and started on making a big breakfast for everyone. Legolas arrived with the rest of the travel group as they finished dishing out the food. Merry was the first to realize the change in the two new lovers. His eyes twinkled slightly when he saw them enter together, but the mood did not last, the over all tention in the room grew. The meal was quiet, and left Sam with the impression that Legolas told Merry and Pippin about Rosie. Sam's face darkened at the memory, at least something good came of it, he thought as Frodo found and squeezed his hand. It was a long morning, one with mourning and a burial. Rosie's family came at noon for the burial, and they all left, leaving behind their sad consolations to Sam. The orc was tortured to death then unceremoniously burned as just payment. At the burning, Legolas told the group about how the orcs were sent for revenge on the ring bearer. Sam hugged Frodo to him protectively as they all grew silent. This journey would not be entirely pleasurable. "At least there are no wraiths," Frodo said weakly, trying to break the silence.
The group decided to leave at dawn on the next day. Legolas went for Sam's things to store at Frodo's house, including the packs and his pony. Merry and Pippin also put their packs and ponies at Frodo's, preparing to spend the night all together and head out in the morning. After a quiet meal, they all went to sleep, Sam with Frodo, Merry and Pippin in a second guest room, and Legolas slept where he did the night before.
The next morning, they woke before dawn, light just touching the sky. They ate a quiet meal before saddling up the ponies and horse for the trip. At dawn they left with hopeful thoughts for the trip, and unease at the omen of the three orcs. In light of this Frodo found himself surrounded by his friends. Merry stayed in the front, Pippin behind, Sam at his right, and Legolas at his left. Frodo couldn't bring himself to point out that the trees in the woodlands would break the formation.
A few hobbits were up, toiling in a lake of dirt, planting early. Winter's last breath had ended to days before, and the threat of frost was no longer a worry. They waved goodbye with earth covered hands, happily sated with Shire life. Frodo was lost in thought by the time they made it to the hedge, which turned inward, running along the lip of the hollow. They made their way down the hollow, which hid the tunnel of brick that went underneath the hedge to the other side, into the forest. The walls of the tunnel were dripping water from a recent rain fall. Legolas' hair reflected the little light there was, standing out against the dark wet brick. Near the end of the tunnel a black gate loomed menacingly, the light coming through it in patches. Merry got off his pony and unlocked it, letting the others through. Sam looked back once, one sad tear gently sliding down his weary face. He turned his head back to the trail ahead, the future and happiness at his side to help him move on. Frodo squeezed his hand, and together they moved.
The trees whispered around them like so many gossipers. They let them pass unhindered for the most part, Legolas' presence enough to stay them, but they were forced to break the formation. The light of the morning sun managed to reach the floor in rare shafts that slowly brightened as the morning went on. They were all in a mood for a cheerful song as they made their way along the path. Legolas sang first; a song of a woman discovering spring. He sang it twice, first the original in elvish, then a translated version in common. The trees danced to it, and light poured more readily in their path.
Merry and Pippin took up the slack, when Legolas finished, with a jauntier tavern song. By the time they stopped for a cold lunch (Legolas refused to let them have a fire, even a small one), they were all in much better moods. They ate in a comfortable silence, broken only by a whicker from one of the ponies. By this time they had just about entirely forgot the orcs that were in apparent revenge.
A whisper of a song started from far off, growing louder as they neared the end of their meal. It stopped once everyone had noticed it and came back in voice.
Hey dol merry dol ring a dong dillo!
Ring adong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillow!
(Pg. 134 The Fellowship)
They looked up to see Tom come around a curve in the path. "Tom!" Pippin cried excitedly. Tom smiled and stopped in front of them, directly under a wide shaft of warm light.
"What a merry site! Old friends and new have come to bring Tom news! The land rejoices, the threat is ended, it is a time for friends to gather and merry!" With that Tom motioned to them to follow. "Hey! Come derry dol! Hop along my hearties! Tom's house is large and fair for parties!"
They grinned and quickly got ready, eating the last bits in the saddles to keep up with Tom's unnaturally fast pace. Legolas guided his horse to Tom's side and they spoke in Legolas' native tongue. The path widened enough for two horses so they rode in pairs, Sam and Frodo taking the rear. Legolas and Tom began to sing. Frodo recognized it as one he heard in the Hall of Fire in the house of Elrond.
A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
Silivren penna miriel
O menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-diriel
O galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
Nef aear sinef aearon!
(Pg. 266 The Fellowship)
"The adventure starts. This time let's enjoy it," Sam broke into Frodo's thoughts, "together." Frodo held the reins in one hand while reaching for Sam's, squeezing it before letting go. They quickened the pace of their ponies to catch up with the others. They reached Tom's door by early evening, leaving the horse and ponies, free of tack and packs with Fatty Lumpkin to graze.
Goldberry met them at the door wearing a moss shade green dress. A darker green living vine with ripe golden berries hung around her waist. The sinking rays of sunlight lit the table, a bright purple pink that made the food glow invitingly.
Wine graced everyone's glasses, and the party became a pleasant affair with many songs. One particular song stood above them all, with Legolas' elven voice, of earth and land and rock, entwined with Goldberry's, a delightful gurgling river. Tom joined in with a voice like trees dancing with the wind. The song ended, the wind died in Tom's voice leaving still trees, the river in Goldberry's meeting the ocean, and Legolas' like the earth under the deep slumber of winter.
All agreed that it surpassed all other songs and they sang few after, the magic of them pale in comparison to it. They shared news of the outcome, of the land and of the people while finishing the meal. They were led to the baths and washed up before slipping into the bedroom. They found three beds, two larger and one smaller, and slipped in for a good nights sleep none could find the energy for more. The next morning Legolas was up the earliest, and the others came after him in slow procession. Frodo and Sam came out last, taking time to give each other a proper good morning kiss away from the eyes of the others. The two left the bedroom disheveled, but feeling well. They found a meal waiting for them and Goldberry's delightful company. Legolas' eagerness to go pick up Faromire was plain, and they sympathized by eating quicker than they would have liked, readying the ponies and horse before dawn had a chance to rise more than a candlemark. Tom found them with everything ready, giving them all directions back to the rode. Once out of earshot Merry teased the two lovers for the first time.
Legolas stayed in front, pressing the group a little faster than they came, his sharp eyes able to recognize the landmarks that would make the safest path to the rode. The trees gave them more room to move now that they were leaving, so they formed a diamond with Frodo in the middle, more like an escort than a group of friends. About the point that the sun was directly over head, they broke out of the cover of the trees to meet the winding rode to Bree. There were only a few other people traveling, most in wagons, bringing goods to sell in the market. They slowed a little to the pace of the travelers, knowing that some protection would come with larger numbers. This forced them to take a day longer to reach Bree, camping at nightfall a little off the road. It was then that Sam, overhearing Merry's dirty comments about tying Pippin up in a bush, that he began to formulate a plan to get Frodo alone while out in the woods. He realized then that he had the elvish rope still in his packs, if he perhaps tied Frodo to something, he could do just what Merry was describing. Perhaps I should tie him to a tree, that way he couldn't escape to turn the tables on me. With that thought he plotted a way to get Frodo alone to do just that.
The long grueling pace sobered their attitudes, and they kept quiet for most of the trip. They made it to Bree by nightfall of the next day, grumpy and happy to make it in the gates.
The Prancing Pony was quite full when they got there; noisy drunks that attempted to sing got bowled over by other drunks.
"Master Frodo! Good to see you back. Can I get you a room?" Mr. Butterbur, the landlord, exclaimed as they entered.
"We are looking for a Faromire, he should already have a room." Frodo replied with Legolas right behind. The landlord shuffled a few papers around muttering the name to himself.
"Ah, here we are, he is normally in the bar at this time, I could take you to him if you like, perhaps in a separate and more private room." Legolas looked grateful and Frodo accepted. They were led to a side room, and left there as the landlord left to fetch their friend.
AN: well, I finally got them out of the Shire! And as demanded, Frodo and Sam are now together. You'll see more action between the couples now cough tree cough and things get a little more kinky as they move on to Lord Elrond's house. Please REVIEW!!!